Head Of Operations

Role Overview

This hands-on leadership position keeps a food production facility running safely, efficiently, and on schedule. Day to day, you will oversee all factory floor activities—from line throughput and quality checks to vehicle dispatch—while also guiding department heads in production, engineering, quality, and administration. Your decisions directly affect the site’s ability to meet output targets, control costs, and maintain the high food-safety standards required for major retail and foodservice clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct daily factory operations to hit production volume goals while minimising downtime and waste.
• Coach and manage a multi-disciplinary team spanning production supervisors, quality assurance, maintenance, and admin staff.
• Identify and implement process improvements that boost overall equipment effectiveness and reduce variable costs.
• Ensure full compliance with FSSC 22000 and ISO 9001 frameworks, preparing the site for internal and external audits.
• Manage the company’s fleet—scheduling maintenance, tracking fuel usage, and negotiating with third-party logistics to keep distribution costs under control.
• Own the site’s operational budget: track spending against plan, flag variances, and propose corrective actions.
• Work with senior leadership to model future capacity needs and support facility scale-up projects.
• Champion a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement across every shift.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, or a closely related technical discipline.
• At least ten years of progressive operations or production management experience within food manufacturing or a fast-moving consumer goods environment.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional manufacturing teams, including direct reports in quality, engineering, and supply chain.
• Working knowledge of FSSC 22000 and ISO 9001 quality and food safety management systems.
• Strong analytical ability to interpret production data and translate it into actionable plans.
• Proven people-management skills—hiring, performance reviews, and conflict resolution—in a high-volume plant setting.
• Comfortable working in a growth-oriented, fast-paced environment where priorities shift quickly.