Plant Manager

Blackbook Recruitment; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackbook Recruitment seeks a Plant Manager for a fast-paced FMCG site in Sydney, NSW. You will own site performance and lead a hands-on leadership team on the factory floor to deliver safety, quality and productivity targets.

You will drive continuous improvement using Lean, TPM and Six Sigma, optimize labour and waste, and ensure HACCP/GMP compliance while partnering with Engineering, Planning and Logistics to meet customer demands.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale production operations in a fast-paced FMCG environment.
• Strong Lean, TPM or Six Sigma background to drive continuous improvement.
• Track record of improving operational performance, change management and team development.

Responsibilities

• Take full accountability for the site's short, medium and long-term operational performance.
• Lead and develop the Site Leadership Team to drive a high-performance culture.
• Drive OEE, production efficiency, yield and right-first-time performance across the site.
• Maximise equipment uptime in collaboration with Engineering and support future automation.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

Safety Culture

Change Management

Regulatory Compliance

Cost Control

People Development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing/Engineering

Job description

My client is a fast-paced FMCG manufacturer with a strong reputation for producing high-quality fresh consumer products. With a focus on operational excellence, continuous improvement and ongoing investment in manufacturing capability, an exciting opportunity has become available for a Plant Manager to take full accountability for site performance.

This role is based in Sydney, NSW.

The Role

Reporting into the National Operations function, the responsibilities of the role includes:

• Taking full accountability for the site's short, medium and long-term operational performance
• Leading from the front with a highly visible and hands-on presence across the factory floor
• Leading and developing the Site Leadership Team to drive a high-performance culture
• Driving OEE, production efficiency, yield and right-first-time performance across the site
• Working closely with Engineering to maximise equipment uptime and support future automation initiatives
• Driving continuous improvement projects focused on productivity, capacity and waste reduction
• Optimising labour utilisation to consistently deliver production plans in a cost-effective manner
• Ensuring compliance with HACCP, GMP and food safety requirements across the operation
• Working closely with Technical, Planning, Engineering and Logistics teams to deliver customer and production requirements
• Building organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and succession planning
• Leading change initiatives and supporting the ongoing development and automation of the manufacturing operation

Your Background

In order to be successful in this role, you will be:

• An experienced Plant Manager, Site Manager, Operations Manager or senior Production Manager within FMCG
• Experienced leading large-scale production operations in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Ideally from a fresh produce, short shelf-life food, food & beverage or similar FMCG background
• A highly visible and hands-on leader who is comfortable spending significant time on the factory floor
• Proven in driving continuous improvement through Lean, TPM, Six Sigma or similar methodologies
• Experienced managing change, improving operational performance and developing high-performing teams
• Strong commercially, with the ability to balance service, productivity, labour and cost
• Comfortable operating in environments involving regulatory and union interaction
• Passionate about safety and food safety, with a track record of embedding these into site culture
• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Manufacturing, Science, Business, Engineering or a related discipline will be highly regarded

What's On Offer:

In return, you will be given the opportunity to take genuine ownership of a significant FMCG manufacturing site, leading a high-performing operation through a period of continued improvement, automation and growth.

This is a highly visible leadership position where you will have the opportunity to influence site culture, operational performance and the future direction of the manufacturing operation.