Operations Training Manager – Food Manufacturing | North East | c. £45k + benefits
I’m partnering with a growing European food ingredients manufacturer to appoint a hands‑on Training Manager for their busy UK site.
You’ll own site‑wide training and development, and developing this from scratch in a 24/5 operation producing dry blends and liquid sauces, moving the business from “tick‑box” training to a structured, data‑driven framework that genuinely improves safety, quality and performance.
What you’ll be doing
* Owning the site training strategy and building a clear, simple framework that supports operational and business priorities.
* Designing and implementing skills matrices for all roles, giving full visibility of who is trained, competent and ready for progression.
* Developing practical technical training for powder processing, liquid cooking/mixing, packing lines, hygiene and cleaning activities.
* Leading the design and delivery of a robust induction and onboarding programme for permanent, temp and agency colleagues, with strong shopfloor follow?up and coaching.
* Elevating food safety, quality and compliance training (HACCP, GMP, allergens, hygiene, BRC, CCPs) and ensuring records are always audit?ready.
* Using performance, quality and safety data to identify skills gaps and target training that reduces errors, waste and downtime.
* Supporting continuous improvement activity by training teams in relevant CI tools and ways of working.
* Being a visible, approachable presence across all shifts in a 24/5 operation, “knitting the team together” and raising professionalism on site.
About you
* Experienced Training Manager or L&D Specialist from a food manufacturing or FMCG environment.
* Strong grounding in food safety, GMP, HACCP and hygiene, with the confidence to train others.
* Proven track record of building competency frameworks, skills matrices and multi skilling plans in an operational setting.
* Comfortable designing engaging, practical training for diverse learning styles and even more comfortable delivering it on the shopfloor.
* Credible, down to earth communicator who can influence without ego and build trust quickly with operators, team leaders and senior managers.
What’s on offer
* Salary around £45,000 plus health cash plan, pension (3% employee / 5% employer) and 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays.
* The chance to shape a training function almost from scratch in a collaborative, non?political environment that is pushing against an open door for change.
* A key role in a site and group that are investing for significant growth and long?term success.
Key focus areas:
* Building skills matrices and competency frameworks across all roles
* Designing robust inductions with real shopfloor follow‑up and coaching
* Lifting standards in food safety, GMP, HACCP, allergens and hygiene
* Driving multi‑skilling to reduce single‑point failures and increase flexibility
* Supporting continuous improvement through targeted, practical training
We’re looking for someone from a food/FMCG manufacturing environment who is confident on the factory floor, great with people, and passionate about developing capability rather than just running courses.
These type of opportunities do not come around often!