Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
Lead and manage all site operations, with direct accountability for Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technical functions.
Ensure daily production, maintenance, and technical activities meet performance, quality, safety, and compliance targets.
Act as the senior on-site lead, fostering a strong safety-first and continuous improvement culture.
Process & Performance Improvement
Conduct rapid reviews of site processes, workflows, and performance metrics to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Implement immediate corrective actions where required to improve output, yield, and reliability.
Drive lean manufacturing and engineering best practices across the site.
Engineering & Technical Oversight
Oversee proactive maintenance strategies and capital projects to improve equipment uptime and reliability.
Support the Technical Manager to ensure product quality, food safety, and regulatory compliance are maintained to the highest standards.
Lead cross-functional collaboration between Engineering, Production, and Technical teams to resolve issues quickly and effectively.
Organisational Design & Leadership
Review the current organisational structure and capabilities, providing recommendations for improvement.
Coach and develop site leadership teams to strengthen accountability and communication.
Lead with visibility and integrity, ensuring clear objectives and performance standards are in place.
Strategic Support
* Provide insight and recommendations to the senior leadership team on site strategy, investment priorities, and operational capability.
* Support transition planning for permanent leadership, ensuring smooth handover and continuity of operations.
Key Experience & Qualifications
Proven track record in senior leadership within food or beverage manufacturing, ideally in a fast-paced, multi-line environment.
Strong operational grounding in manufacturing and engineering, with solid understanding of technical / QA functions.
Experience leading troubleshooting, site turnaround, or performance improvement projects.
Demonstrated success in reviewing and redesigning organisational structures, processes, and performance systems.
Strong people leadership and stakeholder management skills, able to quickly build credibility at all levels.
Degree qualified in Engineering, Food Science, Operations Management, or equivalent experience preferred.
Experience working in a BRC, retailer-audited, or high-compliance environment.
Personal Attributes
Hands-on, pragmatic, and results-oriented.
Resilient and decisive under pressure.
Excellent communicator and motivator of cross-functional teams.
Analytical mindset with a structured approach to problem-solving.
Quick to assess, prioritise, and deliver impact