Location: North East (Newcastle area)
Salary: £100,000 – £130,000 + Executive Package
Operation: Large-scale, 24 / 7, high-volume manufacturing site
Headcount: Significant multi-shift workforce
The Opportunity
We're supporting a well-established FMCG manufacturer with a long-standing reputation for quality, consistency, and reliability to appoint a Site Manager for a flagship operation in the North East.
This is a business where people matter, standards matter, and the product matters. The site operates at scale, supplies major customers, and runs at pace, but it does so with a strong sense of pride, accountability, and responsibility to its people, customers, and community.
The environment is food manufacturing, with a strong process backbone and a culture that values doing the basics brilliantly, every day.
The Role
As Site Manager, you will take full ownership of end-to-end site performance, leading a multi-disciplinary leadership team across HR, Finance, Logistics, Production, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and CI.
This is not a remote or theoretical leadership role. You'll be visible on the floor, close to the operation, setting expectations, removing barriers, and building capability.
Key Responsibilities
* Full accountability for site P&L, safety, quality, service, and cost
* Leadership of a large 24 / 7 workforce, creating clarity, stability, and engagement
* Embedding Manufacturing Engineering discipline to ensure asset reliability, process control, and right-first-time production
* Driving a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and pride in performance
* Ensuring uncompromising standards in H&S, food safety, and regulatory compliance
* Translating customer demand into robust, executable production plans
* Developing leaders and operators through clear standards, coaching, and ownership
The Culture Fit
* Down-to-earth, straight-talking, and credible on the shop floor
* Passionate about people development and engagement, not just output
* Focused on long-term operational stability, not short-term firefighting
* Comfortable making decisions, holding standards, and backing their teams
* Proud of building something sustainable rather than chasing quick wins
Background & Experience
You'll bring experience from high-volume, regulated manufacturing environments, ideally with a strong engineering backbone. Relevant sectors include :
* Food or FMCG manufacturing – regulated process manufacturing, ingredients, chemicals, bulk processing, consumer goods, or personal care manufacturing, packaging, paper, or converting operations
* Automated, high-speed production environments
* Proven experience running a large-scale manufacturing site
* Strong Manufacturing / Mechanical / Electrical Engineering foundations
* Experience leading 24 / 7 operations with complex labour models
* A track record of improving safety, reliability, engagement, and service
* A leadership style that's firm, fair, and human
Your Background
* Proven experience leading a large, complex manufacturing site
* Strong grounding in Manufacturing / Mechanical / Electrical Engineering
* Track record of running 24 / 7 operations at scale
* Comfortable balancing people leadership with hard operational metrics
* Commercially astute, calm under pressure, and decisive
* Someone who doesn't hide in meetings when the line's down
Why This Role
* A genuine site leadership role, not a caretaker position
* Significant autonomy and influence
* High-profile operation with clear expectations and backing
* Competitive executive package (£100–130k) reflecting the scale and accountability
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