Manufacturing Manager

Andrews Meat; Council of the City of Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer in Sydney seeks a Manufacturing Manager to oversee operations at the Chullora site. The role involves managing production teams, ensuring compliance with food safety standards, and driving performance metrics. Applicants should have leadership experience in FMCG or manufacturing, particularly in meat or smallgoods. This key position offers an opportunity to impact safety, quality, and efficiency in a diverse workplace.

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG or manufacturing, ideally in meat or smallgoods.
• Hands-on leadership in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong stakeholder communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operations across production areas ensuring compliance and performance.
• Drive KPIs across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Yield, and Throughput.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

People leadership

Conflict resolution

Knowledge of food hygiene standards

Job description

Manufacturing Manager

About Us

Primo Foods is Australia’s most recognised and trusted smallgoods brand, proudly part of JBS Australia, the country’s largest and most respected meat and food producer. From our beginnings in a small butcher shop in 1957, we’ve grown into the market leader in high quality smallgoods.

At Primo, our people are the key to our success. Their passion, skill and care go into every product we make, combining traditional methods with modern techniques to deliver food that’s simply made better to taste better.

Join a team that takes pride in what we do and is driven to keep raising the bar; there’s good, there’s great, and then there’s Primo.

About the Role

We’re seeking an experienced, hands‑on Manufacturing Manager to lead operations at our Chullora site across a two‑shift operation. You’ll oversee essential production areas including Thawing, Pumping, Trimming, Roast Pork, Ham, and Bacon and manage up to 100 team members, including team leaders.

You’ll be actively involved in the factory floor while also setting direction, embedding lean manufacturing practices, and shaping continuous improvement. You'll be responsible for:

• Championing safety, consistent quality, throughput, and operational excellence.
• Ensuring compliance with GMP, QCP, HACCP, and QA standards.
• Driving key KPIs across Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Yield, and Throughput.
• Leading cross‑functional collaboration with QA, Continuous Improvement, Engineering, and Maintenance.
• Mentoring, developing, and empowering your team to identify and implement improvements and building resilience and capability within them.
• Fostering a culture of continuous improvement through shared vision, teamwork, and personal growth.

What You’ll Do:

• Own the safety culture, championing proactive risk management.
• Apply lean methodologies to elevate performance, measuring and managing critical KPIs like Safety, Quality, Service, Cost, Yield, and Throughput.
• Collaborate with internal teams to resolve issues quickly, maintain compliance, and ensure audit readiness, aiming for zero CARs.
• Support room leaders in capability-building.
• Embody Primo’s values and reinforce them at every level.

About You:

• You bring substantive experience in people leadership, ideally in FMCG or manufacturing, with preference for meat or smallgoods.
• You’re a resilient, hands‑on leader who thrives in modern, physically demanding, fast‑paced environments.
• You possess strong knowledge of food hygiene and manufacturing standards, and pair that with proactive communication and stakeholder skills.
• You’re solutions‑oriented, adept at conflict resolution, and focused on outcomes.

Why Join Us?

This is a key leadership opportunity at one of Australia’s most trusted food manufacturers. Here, you’ll deliver tangible improvements across safety, quality, and efficiency while leading with purpose.

At Primo Foods, we’re committed to creating a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and abilities. If you require any adjustments throughout the recruitment process to support you, please let us know.