Cookhouse Lead

Jdr Recruitment; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Jdr Recruitment is seeking an experienced Cookhouse Lead to oversee daily operations in a fast-paced food production environment. You will provide hands-on leadership, ensuring GMP compliance, quality standards and safe production to meet targets.

The role emphasizes developing people, driving continuous improvement and working closely with the Cookhouse Team Leader and stakeholders to maintain high performance and quality across the operation.

Qualifications

• Experience in a food manufacturing, production or similar fast-paced environment.
• Previous experience in a team leader, supervisor or frontline leadership role.
• Strong understanding of GMP, food safety and quality standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate daily Cookhouse operation to deliver production plans safely and on time.
• Provide visible frontline leadership and set clear expectations for performance and standards.
• Ensure GMP requirements are understood and followed across the team.
• Provide constructive feedback and address performance or standards issues.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance processes, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Coach and develop team members to build skills and confidence.
• Drive improvements in quality and food safety by addressing issues and root causes.
• Collaborate with Cookhouse Team Leader and stakeholders for effective communication.

Skills

Leadership

GMP

Food safety

Quality standards

Team leadership

Communication

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Cookhouse Lead to join our Food Production Company and play a key role in the day-to-day operation of the Cookhouse.

Monday - Friday, 06:00 to 14:00 / 14:00 to 22:00

Reporting to the Cookhouse Team Leader, you will provide visible, hands‑on leadership across the Cookhouse, taking responsibility for people, performance, food safety, quality and daily operational standards.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment, has strong leadership skills and is passionate about developing people and driving continuous improvement.

What You'll Be Doing

As Cookhouse Lead, you will be responsible for ensuring production is delivered safely, efficiently and consistently, while meeting all required quality, food safety and operational standards.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and coordinating the daily Cookhouse operation to ensure production plans are delivered safely, efficiently and on time.
• Providing visible and effective frontline leadership, setting clear expectations and ensuring team members are accountable for performance and standards.
• Ensuring Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements are understood and consistently followed across the team.
• Providing constructive feedback and addressing performance or standards issues appropriately.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives by identifying opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, productivity and operational performance.
• Coaching, developing and supporting team members to build skills, capability and confidence.
• Driving improvements in quality and food safety by reducing repeat issues, avoidable failures and IDNs through effective problem‑solving and root‑cause analysis.
• Working closely with the Cookhouse Team Leader and other key stakeholders to ensure effective communication and coordination across the operation.
• Supporting the effective use of people, equipment and resources to achieve production targets and KPIs.
• Promoting a positive, engaged and high‑performing team culture.
• Contributing to the development of a safe, efficient and high‑quality manufacturing environment.

What We're Looking For

To be successful in this role, you will ideally have:

• Experience working in a food manufacturing, production or similar fast‑paced operational environment.
• Previous experience in a team leader, supervisor or other frontline leadership position.
• A strong understanding of GMP, food safety and quality standards.
• The ability to lead, motivate and develop a team effectively.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to communicate with colleagues and key stakeholders at all levels.
• A proactive approach to problem‑solving and continuous improvement.
• The ability to identify root causes and implement effective corrective actions.
• A strong focus on safety, quality, performance and operational standards.
• The confidence to provide constructive feedback and manage performance where required.
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and meet production deadlines.

This is an opportunity to join a Food Production Company where you can make a genuine impact.

You'll have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills, influence operational performance and help build a high‑performing production team.

If you're ready for your next challenge and want to be part of a team where people, performance and quality matter, we want to hear from you.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.