Senior Operational Excellence Business Partner (BP) – Distillation & Maturation

Your Manager: Operational Excellence Director

Team: Operational Excellence

Location: Scotland (Miltonduff, Elgin) or Ireland (Midleton, Cork)

Be part of something big

We are Pernod Ricard, a leading company in the global wines and spirits industry with over 19,000 employees globally. We own 16 of the world’s top 100 Spirits Brands and hold one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry with 240 premium brands available in over 160 countries, including: Absolut vodka, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater, Malfy and Monkey 47 gins, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate and Campo Viejo wines.

Your new team

Pernod Ricard’s Gold Brand Unit is the Group’s Aged Spirits & Champagne division, bringing together the prestigious portfolios of Irish Distillers, Chivas Brothers, Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët and North American Distillers.

With a global team operating across over 40 sites, and brands spanning Irish, Scotch and American Whisk(e)y, Cognac, Champagne and wine, the division unites exceptional craftsmanship and deep expertise across iconic terroirs in Ireland, Scotland, France and North America.

Its portfolio, rooted in heritage and provenance, embodies Pernod Ricard’s commitment to excellence from Premium to Ultra-Prestige, delivering some of the world’s most celebrated and enduring spirits and champagnes

The Operational Excellence team support our Aged Spirits & Champagne business unit to facilitate the implementation of our Continuous Improvement program. They are a team of 8 who are based at our sites across the UK & Ireland.

Your unique contribution

The Senior Operational Excellence (OpEx) Business Partner will drive the organization’s strategic initiatives by identifying, developing, and implementing process improvement opportunities. This role acts as a trusted advisor to business units, fostering a culture of continuous improvement to achieve operational excellence, enhance efficiency, and deliver measurable results.

Dependant on the location of the successful candidate the travel requirements will vary. The role covers both UK & Ireland and appropriate travel will be required to meet the requirements of the role. Anticipated travel is 2-3 days a week twice a month.

You will have five main areas of responsibility:

Strategic Planning and Alignment

Partner with senior leaders across Distillation & Maturation UK&I to align continuous improvement initiatives with organizational goals and priorities.

Develop and execute OpEx strategies for Distillation Malt & Gin UK, Distillation Grain UK, Bulk Ops UK and Distillation & Maturation Ireland by working with the relevant Operations Directors and Heads of Departments to deliver strategic performance improvements by optimizing processes, reducing waste, and improve service delivery.

Functional level Loss & Waste completed annually to drive site level broad plan towards business deliverables.

Process Improvement Execution

Lead end-to-end process reviews to identify inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and improvement opportunities.

Deploy Lean, Six Sigma, and other OpEx methodologies to deliver measurable outcomes.

Facilitate workshops and kaizen events to engage teams in identifying and implementing solutions.

Best practice ownership across the business unit including creation of standards and process confirmation documentation.

Change Management

Drive a culture of continuous improvement by promoting best practices and embedding OpEx principles.

Act as a change agent, supporting teams in adopting new processes and mindsets.

Collaborate with HR and leadership to design and deliver training programs on OpEx methodologies.

Data Analysis and Reporting

Use data analytics to identify trends, validate improvement opportunities, and measure success.

Develop KPIs and dashboards to track and report the impact of OpEx initiatives.

Present findings and recommendations to senior leadership, ensuring alignment and buy-in.

Monthly report to Pernod Ricard group operational KPIs

Own site / function level TRACC assessment reporting and benchmarking for Distillation Malt & Gin UK, Distillation Grain UK, Bulk Ops UK and Distillation & Maturation Ireland

Leadership and Collaboration

Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the organization, acting as a trusted advisor.

Support and influence the Site directors and head of departs across Distillation Malt & Gin UK, Distillation Grain UK, Bulk Ops UK and Distillation & Maturation Ireland on their performance improvement journey.

Direct line management of the OpEx BPs across Distillation UK, Bulk Operations UK and Distillation & Maturation Ireland.

Mentor and coach employees at all levels to develop their OpEx capabilities.

Lead cross-functional teams to ensure successful implementation of initiatives.

Who you’ll be working with

Internally, you’ll collaborate with leaders in Distillation & Maturation, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality and Health and Safety as well as other functions such as HR and Finance.

Externally, you will collaborate with contractors, suppliers, and vendors to ensure delivery of services to the highest standard.

Your blend of talent

This position could be right for you if you:

Have a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Operations Management, Engineering, or a related field with previous experience in Distillation or a similar process industry.
Have proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence at all levels of the organization, as well as significant experience in continuous improvement, operational excellence, or a related field.
Hold certification in Lean, Six Sigma (e.g., Black Belt), or equivalent.
Have a proven track record of delivering measurable results through OpEx initiatives, with advanced proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI) and process mapping software.

Our mix of benefits

For your health, we offer private medical insurance, income protection and a comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme.

Our lifestyle benefits include generous annual holiday allowance plus public holidays, your employee pension, share incentive plan, share ownership plan, life assurance and more!

You can access lots of gifts & discounts, including an allowance each year to spend on our brands in our staff shop, our reward & recognition scheme and employee discounts from a range of high street retailers.

We have regular events in our very own office bar, employee-run networks, a culture of flexibility and trust and a variety of tools and resources to help you focus on your wellbeing and mental fitness.

Conviviality: the Pernod Ricard Way

We have our own way of doing things. We call it conviviality! It’s our way of being, and something unique you feel and experience when working for Pernod Ricard.

We’re committed to conviviality, and with this, you’ll be Proud to Belong to our Pernod Ricard family. You’ll be Empowered to Perform, supported to succeed, and acknowledged for the value you bring.

We combine all this with our Commitment to Care: we are unlocking the magic of human connection to transform our industry and make a positive impact on the world though our strong focus on sustainability and responsibility.

We’re committed to diversity and inclusion

People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’.

We promote diversity and inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture – an environment where we can truly be ourselves.

We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Please feel free to leave these off your CV and application form if you so wish.

Similarly, if you would like to discuss opportunities for flexible working or require accommodations or support to complete our application process, please let us know.

Responsible drinking

As ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we want to turn social interactions into genuine and friendly experiences of sharing and wellbeing.

In our culture, we want to create diverse teams in which our differences contribute to our success. Therefore, all are welcome at Pernod Ricard, regardless of your religious beliefs or personal choices on the consumption of alcohol.

In our business, we work together with industry members, civil society, governments, local authorities and UN bodies to promote responsible drinking.

Closing Date for Applications:

28th April 2026

Job Posting End Date:

2026-04-29

Target Hire Date:

Target End Date:

Senior Operational Excellence Business Partner (BP) – Distillation & Maturation

Benefits

Job Description