Location - Ballymena (onsite role) Working Hours - Monday to Friday - 15:00 - 23:30 ?? Pilgrims Europe Are you an experienced people leader with a strong operational mindset? Pilgrims Europe is seeking an Operations Team Lead to join our Stores team in Ballymena, playing a key role in delivering safe, efficient, and high-quality operations in a fast-paced FMCG environment. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys leading from the front, driving performance through people, and embedding continuous improvement across day-to-day operations. The Role Reporting to the Senior Supply Chain and SAP Coordinator, the Operations Team Lead will have full responsibility for managing stores operations and leading a team of operatives to meet business objectives and key performance targets. Youll be a visible leader on the shop floor, ensuring standards are met while supporting peak production requirements. Key Responsibilities Lead, motivate, and develop a team with clear objectives and accountability. Ensure accurate stock control, cycle counting, and effective stock rotation. Maintain product quality in line with customer specifications and company standards. Support internal and external audits and coordinate customer visits. Ensure sufficient stock availability to support service sites. Monitor equipment performance and liaise with maintenance as required. Support labour planning to optimise utilisation and reduce absence and turnover. Deliver against agreed Health & Safety, service level, technical, and efficiency KPIs. Ensure all incidents, near misses, and accidents are reported and investigated. Drive improvements in CSL, labour utilisation, packaging, and utilities. Train, coach, and motivate operatives, ensuring training matrices remain accurate and up to date. Complete performance reviews and provide regular, constructive feedback. Promote engagement and communication through daily huddles and team briefs. Support the deployment of lean and continuous improvement tools aligned with Profit Improvement Plans. Identify opportunities to reduce waste, optimise energy usage, and lower environmental impact. Take full responsibility for Health & Safety standards within your area. Ensure compliance with Pilgrims Europe policies, statutory requirements, and safe systems of work. Act as a role model for safe behaviour, hygiene, and housekeeping standards. What Were Looking For Strong communication skills with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels. Proven people management and leadership skills. Self-motivated with strong organisational and problem-solving abilities. IT literate and comfortable working with operational systems and data. Management experience within an FMCG manufacturing environment. Food processing knowledge. IOSH and HACCP experience or qualifications. Experience delivering continuous improvement initiatives. SAP system experience. A demonstrated ability to lead and deliver sustainable change. Why Pilgrims Europe? At Pilgrims Europe, our people are at the heart of what we do. We offer a collaborative, safety-focused environment where leaders are empowered to make a real impact on performance, quality, and continuous improvement. Competitive salary 33 days annual leave including Bank Holidays On-site facilities - Canteen opened for late shift, free car park etc Pension scheme with employer contribution Life assurance Career development and Progression Opportunities within a large European business Ongoing training and leadership development Employee wellbeing initiatives, including access to support programmes Discounts and employee benefits platform - Help@Hand A strong focus on Health, Safety and wellbeing If youre ready to take the next step in your leadership career, wed love to hear from you.