Production Optimisation Lead

Salary: Circa £52,000 - £56,000
Grade: SME0

Contract type: LU

Reference: 2761

Contract details: 12-month fixed term contract with a possibility of permanency

Location: Acton

Application closing date: 26 April 2026 at 23:59

All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory right‑to‑work checks.  Candidates must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK.  At the present time TfL is unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.  

Exciting opportunity to work at one of the TfL’s manufacturing plant in optimising manufacturing processes

Overview of project/role

The Railway Engineering Workshops (REW) & the Train Maintenance Unit (TMU) are key to delivering effective maintenance, repairs and overhauls to Transport for London assets (predominantly for London Underground). Undertaking a range of manufacturing optimisation activities, effective forecasting and planning is essential to ensure an efficient operation, delivering outputs that meet internal customers' quality, timeliness and financial expectations.

The Production Optimisation specialist will help to provide an accurate understanding of the capacity in the workshops and provide efficiency improvement proposals to optimise its use. The individual will undertake a Task Build study of workshops in Acton and Lillie Bridge & help to build & update a complete capacity plan for analysis which will be used in conjunction with discussions of new works for REW. The data will also be used to improve internal job cost data and will feed into the S4 Hana "Get Fit" programme of works. 

Key Accountabilities

• Deliver Task Build Time studies of workshop activities - priority, agreed by the Capacity and forecasting Manager to identify capacity increase and efficiency opportunities, for each Workshop Provide recommendations to be used, to create plans on improving Efficiency and capacity to deliver both short term and long term forecasted throughput of REW.
• Identify and support the introduction of process/equipment improvements aimed at improving efficiency and capacity.
• Review and input into the creation of Scope of Works by Engineering; for new equipment and plant required to increase capacity & improve efficiency  
• Collate the data for Task build time studies and update SAP routing to allow for more accurate costing to the business.
• Assist the Capacity & Forecast Manager in the communication of approved new initiatives that improve productivity, process & safety
• To deputise (when required) for the Capacity and Forecast Manager
• To provide weekly updates to the Capacity and Forecasting Manager on Progress of Task Build Studies; the findings and any improvement proposals & produce periodic presentations on progress demonstrating benefits of implemented changes

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Skills

• Expertise in work time evaluation techniques, rating average operator performance, and applying allowances to establish standard times. – Essential
• Expertise in process mapping with ability to document, analyse, and optimise workflows and workplace layouts
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people at all levels across the organisation. – Essential
• Ability to build effective working relationships (partnering) with people at all levels across the organisation. – Essential
• Ability to manage conflicting & changing priorities and work under pressure to achieve tight deadlines. Essential
• Ability to create in depth report as well as high level metrics to show progress and identify areas of improvements. – Essential
• Ability to gain cooperation from shop floor workers, which is essential for successful installation of new methods - Desirable

Knowledge

• Integrated Management System (IMS) Measurement Practitioner certificate - or equivalent - Desirable
• Knowledge of operational Railway safety principles, regulations and legislation - Desirable
• Good record keeping and application of audit trail knowledge. - Desirable
• Good understanding of Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards and their application to the Railway Engineering Workshop - Desirable
• Awareness of Trade Union representation and processes to follow - desirable.
• Experience of SAP and production processes within – Desirable

Experience

• Experience in Lean/CI Methodologies. Understanding of 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping (VSM), and Bottleneck Analysis to reduce waste and improve efficiency. Essential
• Producing high quality and readable reports and presentations for all levels of audience - desirable
• Experienced in managing technical meetings. - desirable
• Experience in rolling out of new processes & communicating change - desirable
• Experience of using SAP - Desirable
• Previous experience with identifying Improvements & presenting the benefits. – Essential
• Proven experience with Task Build Time studies – Desirable

Application Process 

• Please apply using your CV only
• Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience in the advert and cover this in your CV
• PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible. We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.
  
Benefits

In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the level of role but mostly include the below:

• Final salary pension scheme 
• Free travel for you on the TfL network 
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
• 29 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• TfL is committed to work-life balance, operating a hybrid working approach where business and role requirements allow
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers 
• Discounted Eurostar travel

Vetting Process

At Transport for London, safety, trust and fairness sit at the heart of how we recruit. Our Vetting Charter (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/careers/our-vetting-process) explains the checks we carry out before you join us, helping ensure we create a safe, inclusive and reliable network for everyone who depends on our services. We simply ask that the information you provide is honest and accurate so we can progress your application smoothly. If something doesn’t match or can’t be verified, we may not be able to move forward with your application, but we’ll always treat you with transparency, respect, and clear communication throughout.

Additional information

This position is being readvertised. If you have previously applied, your application has already been reviewed, and you do not need to reapply.