Grading Station Manager

McCain Foods; Hannover; Hybrid; EUR 70.000 - 90.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

A global food processing company in Niedersachsen is seeking a Grading Station Manager for their Greenfield Project. This role involves overseeing all grading station operations, ensuring compliance with safety and quality standards, and leading a multidisciplinary team. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, along with at least 5 years of experience in manufacturing leadership. A competitive salary and relocation bonus are offered, alongside a hybrid work model.

Leistungen

Competitive salary

Relocation bonus

Health and Pension insurance

Hybrid work model

Qualifikationen

• 5+ years of manufacturing or engineering leadership experience required.
• Expertise in food process system design and operations is essential.
• Experience with cross-functional collaboration and project management.

Aufgaben

• Lead development and implementation of operational practices.
• Monitor and enhance grading operations for efficiency and safety.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and training.

Kenntnisse

Leadership in manufacturing processes

Communication skills in German

Problem-solving abilities

Team management

Ausbildung

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

KPI tools

Jobbeschreibung

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Grading Station Manager to play a pivotal role in our Greenfield Project in Germany. As Grading Station Manager, you will be accountable for all potatoes grading station operations, starting from project inception to full‑scale plant operations. Your key responsibilities include:

Before Start‑up

• Spearhead the strategic development and implementation of operational practices, ensuring all foundational systems are in place prior to plant start‑up with particular attention to the introduction of New Technologies and Digital Manufacturing. The opportunity to build a team from scratch is an additional benefit.
• Monitor, track, and enhance the efficiency of grading operations, driving continuous improvement and ensuring robust adherence to the grading station safety, quality and sustainability plan. Particular attention to optimize New Technologies and Digital Manufacturing tools.

After Start‑up

• Continue to monitor, track, and enhance the efficiency of grading operations, driving continuous improvement and ensuring robust adherence to the grading station safety, quality and sustainability plan. Particular attention to optimize New Technologies and Digital Manufacturing tools.

You will report directly to Plant Manager / SuM Manager and functionally to regional potatoes operations lead and work in close collaboration with SuM Team, Engineering Team, Regional and Global Support Team and Continuous Improvement Team.

Join this exciting assignment for a permanent contract. A relocation bonus is offered if a move is necessary.

What you’ll be doing.

Before Plant Start‑up

• Provide technical direction on design specifications, equipment selection, and installation.
• Oversee preparation and execution of comprehensive readiness checklists modelled on best‑in‑class McCain systems.
• Champion cross‑functional collaboration with project, engineering, agriculture, procurement, and external vendor teams.
• Ensure compliance with safety, sustainability, and food safety standards at every stage of engineering and commissioning.
• Lead risk management, proactively identifying and mitigating project risks.
• Drive continuous improvement and support training for project stakeholders.

After Start‑up

• Develop and implement the annual safety plan for the grading station; drive a culture of safety and compliance.
• Optimize potato supply allocation to meet plant requirements, maximizing yield and minimizing waste.
• Oversee operational downtime, plant maintenance, production planning, and quality management.
• Lead investment plans and CAPEX for grading station improvements.
• Foster strong partnerships across quality, maintenance, manufacturing, and supply chain teams.
• Champion the adoption of digital tools, process automation, and performance dashboards.
• Support sustainability initiatives and environmental responsibility in all grading operations.
• Engage regularly with European network peers to promote best practice sharing.

Team Leadership

• Build, motivate, and manage a multidisciplinary team, fostering a positive and high‑performing workplace.
• Identify and implement team development plans; oversee training and onboarding, ensuring a strong talent pipeline.
• Lead team assessments, performance reviews, and employee engagement initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Agricultural Engineering, Industrial Processing, Automated Logistics or a related area. Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 5 years of relevant manufacturing, process, or engineering leadership in food processing, automated mass warehouse or a similar environment.
• Strong expertise in food process system design, internal logistics automation and management, operations, and maintenance; advanced knowledge of relevant engineering practices, safety, and food quality standards (e.g., EHEDG).
• Demonstrated record leading cross‑functional teams and continuous improvement programs (e.g., Lean, Kaizen, 5S).
• Experience with Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) is considered a strong asset, especially for integrating digital tools and production data management in a modern manufacturing environment.
• Hands‑on experience in process automation, digitalization of manufacturing operations (KPI tools, supply chain planning systems).
• Strong understanding of food safety and hygienic design in processing equipment and environments.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and decision‑making skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in German and English.
• Experience with project management, budget oversight, and plant start‑ups is highly desirable.

Benefits

• Opportunity to be a part of a global iconic brand, fun and high performing team
• Opportunity to be a part of Greenfield Project in Germany
• A varied and responsible job in an effective and international team with flat hierarchies
• Competitive salary
• A relocation bonus is offered if a move is necessary
• Local benefit (Health and Pension insurance)
• Work in an environment you actively help to shape and create.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We’re big believers in the power of working together in person—it helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office‑based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

About McCain

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Leadership principles

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McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family‑owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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