Head of Operations - Food Manufacturing

Job Description

This Head of Operations role involves managing the daily operations and manufacturing of a leading company within the FMCG/ Food industry, based in Northwest London. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Engineering & Manufacturing withinFood manufacturing.Client DetailsOur client is a prominent player in the Food / Restaurant industry. This role is based in their Northwest London at their AA-grade BRC accredited manufacturing sites (two 25,000 sq-ft facilities) with both high care and low care disciplines where they produce£10M of product per year with yoy growth. They are known for their commitment to high-quality service and their dedication to creating memorable experience for their customers.Description

• Supervise day-to-day production activities to ensure compliance with safety, quality, and efficiency standards.
• Prioritize health and safety initiatives, conduct comprehensive risk assessments, and develop thorough risk management plans.
• Guarantee strict adherence to regulatory standards and quality specifications through robust quality control and surveillance measures.
• Spearhead the development and management of budgets, align financial plans with operational objectives, and ensure accuracy in costing and pricing. Maintain a focus on profit and loss (P+L) accountability to meet overall financial targets.
• Lead capital expenditure projects aimed at preserving and enhancing manufacturing capabilities and infrastructure.
• Oversee and execute all engineering activities, including statutory and non-statutory planned preventive maintenance (PPMs), improvement projects, and new capability initiatives.
• Foster innovative initiatives and collaborate closely with the food development team. Provide assistance for NPD/EPD projects, ensuring timely validations aligned with menu launch timelines.
• Showcase responsiveness in approving new suppliers/products, meeting tender timeline requirements, and conducting thorough due diligence on technical compliance and relevant trials.
• Efficiently oversee resources, including optimising equipment, planning workforce needs, and supervising raw materials and yields.
• Guarantee 100% fulfilment and accurate planning in supply management to sustain seamless production and avert disruptions to restaurant operations.
• Implement effective stock management practices, set par levels, enforce FIFO principles, and optimise overall stock levels to minimise holding costs while ensuring product availability.
• Act as interim Director of Operations when needed.

ProfileA successful Head of Operations should have:

• A strong educational background in Engineering & Manufacturing or other related field.
• Prior experience in a leadership role, within Lean and/or Small team sized Food Manufacturing sites.
• A deep understanding of operational processes and best practices; continuous improvement and identifying bottle neck issues, inefficiencies, etc.
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, HIGH sense of urgency, CAPA skills, decision making skills, etc.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, HIGH volume and super lean environments.
• Prior exposure to BRC environments, high care/low risk, short shelf life, chilled or frozen food environments.

Job Offer

• An attractive salary package between £60,000 - £80,000 per annum, plus a bonus.
• Car allowance
• Generous holiday leave of 25 days plus bank holidays.
• Attractive pension scheme with 5% employer contribution and up to 3% employee contribution.
• Private medical insurance and life insurance at 4 times the salary.

We invite local candidates who are excited to contribute to a leading company in the Food Manufacturing industry and who are eager to take on the role of Head of Operations in Northwest London to apply.