Job Title: OBP Lead
Shift: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Salary: Competitive with opportunities for Growth
We have an exciting opportunity for the position of OBP Lead based at our Ultrapharm site in Pontypool, part of the Finsbury Food Group.
Ultrapharm is a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery specialising in only Gluten Free Product since 1993. The Company’s unique approach to craft and baking creates premium gluten – free products with the flavour and taste of traditional bread. If you have special dietary need or nutritional preferences, then our Pontypool bakery has you covered. Our Products range from artisanal bread to our award winning Hot cross buns and Mince pies for Major Retailers such as M&S and Waitrose.

Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards, and build long-term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. Our Ultrapharm site is a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery specialising in only Gluten Free Product since 1993. The Company’s unique approach to craft and baking creates premium gluten – free products with the flavour and taste of traditional bread. If you have special dietary need or nutritional preferences, then our Pontypool bakery has you covered. Our Products range from artisanal bread to our award winning Hot cross buns and Mince pies for Major Retailers such as M&S and Waitrose.

• About the Role:

We are looking for a passionate and proactive OBP Lead to drive strategic, site-wide operational excellence initiatives. This role is responsible for leading lean and efficiency projects across manufacturing and support functions, cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, and embedding best practice standards that support sustainable business performance and growth.

• To Be Successful, You Will Be:
• Confident and collaborative leader who motivates others through clear vision and engagement.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and a commitment to data-driven decision making.
• Able to balance short-term demands with long-term improvement goals.
• Thrives in a dynamic environment and adapts quickly to evolving business needs.
• A natural problem solver with an eye for identifying value and driving tangible improvements.
• Demonstrates initiative, personal accountability, and a passion for operational excellence.
• This is What You’ll Actually Do!
• Lead and deliver group-standardised lean, Operating Best Practice (OBP), and Practical Process Improvement (PPI) training to build in-house continuous improvement capability.
• Drive operational excellence by coordinating cross-functional CI projects that improve efficiency in labour, materials, and overheads.
• Embed a high-performance, decision-making culture at all levels to accelerate problem-solving and increase organisational agility.
• Interface with internal customers and cross-functional teams to identify improvement opportunities based on lean thinking.
• Lead and facilitate deployment of MARA (Finsbury’s management system), ensuring alignment across all site functions.
• Support the implementation and sustainability of Asset Care (TPM), in collaboration with Engineering and Operations.
• Implement and streamline processes via “Process Blueprint” (Leader Standard Work) to improve quality, customer satisfaction, and operational KPIs.
• Lead structured problem-solving sessions and ensure the consistent capture, sharing, and application of best practices across sites via FFG workplace forums.
• Prepare and present OBP updates and reports to senior stakeholders and business forums.
• Model and champion FFG’s core values and behaviours in all interactions, actively encouraging others to do the same.
• Facilitate CI workshops and training sessions to upskill teams and embed LEAN principles.
• Drive performance improvements across safety, quality, service, cost, and people metrics.
• Actively lead and track the successful delivery of CI projects—on time, within budget, and with full compliance.
• Act as a change agent, driving an action-oriented mindset across the site.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, and support teams to identify process bottlenecks and drive efficiencies.
• Share learnings and replicate best practices across the Finsbury Food Group.
• Conduct accurate risk assessments and implement controls to ensure safe project delivery.
• Promote strong internal and external partnerships to support business objectives and project integration.

✅ Ideally, This is You!

• To Be Successful, You Will Be:
• Confident and collaborative leader who motivates others through clear vision and engagement.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical skills and a commitment to data-driven decision making.
• Able to balance short-term demands with long-term improvement goals.
• Thrives in a dynamic environment and adapts quickly to evolving business needs.
• A natural problem solver with an eye for identifying value and driving tangible improvements.
• Demonstrates initiative, personal accountability, and a passion for operational excellence.
• This is What You’ll Actually Do!
• Lead and deliver group-standardised lean, Operating Best Practice (OBP), and Practical Process Improvement (PPI) training to build in-house continuous improvement capability.
• Drive operational excellence by coordinating cross-functional CI projects that improve efficiency in labour, materials, and overheads.
• Embed a high-performance, decision-making culture at all levels to accelerate problem-solving and increase organisational agility.
• Interface with internal customers and cross-functional teams to identify improvement opportunities based on lean thinking.
• Lead and facilitate deployment of MARA (Finsbury’s management system), ensuring alignment across all site functions.
• Support the implementation and sustainability of Asset Care (TPM), in collaboration with Engineering and Operations.
• Implement and streamline processes via “Process Blueprint” (Leader Standard Work) to improve quality, customer satisfaction, and operational KPIs.
• Lead structured problem-solving sessions and ensure the consistent capture, sharing, and application of best practices across sites via FFG workplace forums.
• Prepare and present OBP updates and reports to senior stakeholders and business forums.
• Model and champion FFG’s core values and behaviours in all interactions, actively encouraging others to do the same.
• Facilitate CI workshops and training sessions to upskill teams and embed LEAN principles.
• Drive performance improvements across safety, quality, service, cost, and people metrics.
• Actively lead and track the successful delivery of CI projects—on time, within budget, and with full compliance.
• Act as a change agent, driving an action-oriented mindset across the site.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, and support teams to identify process bottlenecks and drive efficiencies.
• Share learnings and replicate best practices across the Finsbury Food Group.
• Conduct accurate risk assessments and implement controls to ensure safe project delivery.
• Promote strong internal and external partnerships to support business objectives and project integration