Operational performance is becoming one of the defining competitive differentiators across the global Print and Packaging sector.
Manufacturers are continuing to operate under pressure from:
- Rising operational and energy costs.
- Labour shortages.
- Margin compression.
- Supply chain volatility.
- Increasing customer expectations around quality, speed, and sustainability.
At the same time, automation investment and manufacturing transformation are accelerating globally.
According to McKinsey:
- Manufacturers that successfully implement operational excellence and lean transformation programmes can improve productivity by between 15% and 30%.
- Digitally enabled manufacturing environments are delivering significant improvements in efficiency, waste reduction, and operational resilience. (mckinsey.com)
Meanwhile, BPIF reporting continues to highlight labour shortages and operational inefficiencies as major constraints across Print and Packaging manufacturing environments. (bpif.org.uk)
As a result, hiring priorities are evolving.
Businesses are increasingly looking for leaders capable of:
- Improving productivity.
- Reducing waste.
- Leading transformation.
- Protecting margin.
- Driving operational consistency across increasingly complex manufacturing operations.
What Industry Leaders Are Prioritising
1. Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement Capability
Efficiency and productivity remain central operational priorities.
- Increased focus on waste reduction and throughput improvement.
- Greater adoption of lean manufacturing methodologies.
- Stronger measurement around OEE, downtime, and operational performance.
What this means:
Operational leaders are increasingly expected to deliver measurable productivity and efficiency gains, not simply manage production output.
2. Multi-Site Operational Leadership
Larger packaging and manufacturing groups continue to centralise and streamline operations globally.
- Increased complexity across regional and international manufacturing sites.
- Greater emphasis on operational consistency and standardisation.
- Increased focus on margin control and operational scalability.
What this means:
Demand is growing for leaders capable of managing operational complexity across multiple locations and manufacturing environments.
3. Automation and Operational Transformation
Automation investment continues accelerating across Print and Packaging manufacturing.
- Increased adoption of robotics and automated converting systems.
- Greater reliance on digital production workflows and data visibility.
- More focus on operational agility and manufacturing resilience.
What this means:
Operational leaders increasingly require both manufacturing expertise and transformation capability.
4. Operational Leadership Under Margin Pressure
Commercial pressure continues to shape operational hiring decisions.
- Continued volatility in energy and raw material costs.
- Increased customer pressure on pricing and lead times.
- Greater focus on manufacturing efficiency and cost optimisation.
What this means:
Operational leadership is increasingly measured against profitability, productivity, and commercial contribution.
5. Workforce Stability and Engagement
Labour availability remains inconsistent across global manufacturing markets.
- Ongoing shortages of skilled operators and technical staff.
- Increased pressure on existing teams.
- Greater operational risk linked to workforce turnover and absenteeism.
What this means:
Strong workforce leadership and team engagement are becoming critical operational capabilities.
What We’re Seeing in the Market
- Increased global demand for:
- Operations Directors.
- Plant Managers.
- Continuous Improvement specialists.
- Lean manufacturing leaders.
- Engineering and maintenance leadership roles.
- Strongest operational hiring activity currently concentrated across:
- Flexible packaging.
- Labels and specialist converting.
- Corrugated manufacturing.
- High-volume automated production environments.
- Growing demand for operational leaders with:
- Lean manufacturing capability.
- Automation implementation experience.
- Multi-site operational leadership exposure.
- Data-led manufacturing understanding.
- Increased crossover hiring from:
- FMCG manufacturing.
- Automotive manufacturing.
- Pharmaceuticals.
- Advanced industrial manufacturing sectors.
- More businesses assessing operational hires against measurable:
- Productivity improvement.
- Waste reduction.
- Downtime reduction.
- Transformation delivery performance.
Practical Takeaways for Hiring Managers
- Define operational success measures clearly before hiring.
- Assess candidates against measurable operational improvement achievements.
- Prioritise leadership adaptability alongside technical manufacturing expertise.
- Evaluate whether operational leadership capability aligns with future automation and growth strategies.
- Ensure hiring processes assess commercial awareness as well as operational performance.
CHI Insight
The strongest operational leaders within Print and Packaging are no longer measured purely by production output. They are measured by their ability to improve efficiency, lead transformation, stabilise teams, and protect profitability in increasingly complex manufacturing environments.
How This Applies to Your Team
If your business is reviewing operational capability, it may be worth considering:
- Where operational inefficiencies are impacting margin or productivity.
- Whether leadership capability aligns with future automation and manufacturing plans.
- How succession or workforce risks could impact operational continuity across key sites.
If useful, CHI can provide:
- Global insight into operational leadership hiring trends.
- Benchmarking around operational leadership structures and compensation.
- Market mapping across lean manufacturing, operations, and transformation talent pools.
- Guidance on attracting leaders capable of driving operational excellence globally.
Want to know more? Get in touch