Operations Manager
Salary up to £50,000 per annum
About us:
We are a rapid-growth scale-up disrupting the infant nutrition space through our award-winning brand Kendamil – the only infant milk made in Britain, proudly used by the British Royal Family and uniquely crafted locally using British organic full cream milk, without the nasties.
Our company, Kendal Nutricare, is a 230 person team passionate about giving children a better start to life. We're proud to be a Queens' Award winning business and to be ranked by the Financial Times as one of Europe's 1000 Fastest Growing Companies in 2020.
We're on an exciting path – join us
The role:
We are seeking a highly motivated Operations Manager to join our leadership team and play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of our factory. Working alongside two other Operations Managers, you will take ownership of key manufacturing performance areas, drive people leadership, and spearhead process improvement initiatives that support our strategic objectives and long-term success.
This is a full time role based at our headquarters in Kendal, Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm.
What you'll be doing:
* Lead, coach, and motivate a team of Production Managers and Shift Leads to meet production targets while maintaining the highest safety, quality, and efficiency standards.
* Act as a senior member of the site management team, contributing to business planning, performance reviews, and strategic decision-making.
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement, engagement, and accountability.
* Collaborate cross-functionally with departments including Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain.
* Drive performance against key KPIs such as OEE, yield, downtime, waste, and labour efficiency.
* Ensure full compliance with GMP, hygiene, and product safety standards.
* Lead root cause analyses and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.
* Champion digital systems and process improvement initiatives to enhance performance.
* Partner with the Head of Quality to uphold regulatory and customer standards (Chinese, Irish, EU, and Codex).
* Promote a "zero harm" culture by ensuring adherence to company safety and environmental policies.
* Support the Factory Manager in developing and executing annual budgets and continuous improvement plans.
* Identify and deliver cost reduction, efficiency, and waste minimisation opportunities.
* Contribute to developing the long-term capability and performance of the factory team.
What you'll need
Essential:
* Minimum 5 years' leadership experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment (ideally food or FMCG).
* Background in infant formula, dairy, cereal, or related food manufacturing processes.
* Proven ability to lead and develop large operational teams.
* Strong understanding of GMP, HACCP, and food manufacturing standards.
* Demonstrated success in improving performance through data-driven decision-making.
* Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
* Advanced Food Hygiene qualification (or equivalent).
Desirable:
* Lean, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification.
* Experience with automation or process technology implementation.
What you'll get from us:
* The opportunity to work for the fastest growing infant milk brand in Europe, alongside a young talented team dedicated to serving thousands of passionate customers.
* We offer to all our employees:
* 33 days holiday (incl. bank holidays), pro rata to start date and FTE.
* Pension Scheme by Aegon, the Employer will match contributions up to a maximum of 5%
* Free health cash plan
* Free Gym Membership*
* Life Assurance at 2 x basic salary after 6 months of service
* EAP Programme
* New parents enjoy up to £350 worth of Kendamil products (excluding Stage 1 formula)*
* Employee Referral Scheme*
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £40,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Bereavement leave
* Canteen
* Casual dress
* Company events
* Company pension
* Free parking
* Health & wellbeing programme
* On-site parking
* Referral programme
* Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
* Kendal LA9 6NL: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Application question(s):
* Do you have at least 5 years of team leadership experience?
* Do you have experience in infant formula, dairy, cereal, or related food manufacturing processes?
* Do You have general knowledge of GMP, HACCP and food manufacturing standards ?
Work authorisation:
* United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person