CPU Manager

Ole & Steen; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free food whilst on shift

Pension scheme

GP Helpline

Colleague discount across our stores

Job summary

Ole & Steen is recruiting a CPU Manager to drive excellence on the production floor, owning the Food Production department and leading from the front. You will develop Team Leaders into real leaders, protect standards under pressure and embed continuous improvement in daily work.

We seek 5+ years in food manufacturing with real people leadership, plus SALSA/BRCGS audit experience and a data-driven approach to reduce waste, improve OTIF and ensure traceability.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in food manufacturing, with real people leadership responsibility.
• Proven track record of leading Team Leaders and operational teams in a fast-paced production environment.
• Strong understanding of food safety, GMP, hygiene, allergens and traceability.
• SALSA or BRCGS audit experience is critical — you know what audit-ready looks like daily.
• Working knowledge of Continuous Improvement tools — 5S, visual management, VSM, Kaizen, RCA.

Responsibilities

• Walking the production floor across shifts — setting clear priorities, checking deployment and running strong handovers.
• Monitoring throughput, OTIF, yield, waste, downtime and cost per unit, and acting fast on adverse trends.
• Owning food safety, GMP, hygiene, allergen and traceability standards — containing defects before they're passed forward.
• Coaching and developing Team Leaders — briefing, recognising, challenging and building their capability to own performance.
• Leading Continuous Improvement activity — 5S, Kaizen, structured problem solving — turning recurring losses into measurable projects.
• Keeping the site audit-ready every day (SALSA/BRCGS) — not just when the auditor's due.
• Managing labour, budget and material usage in partnership with Procurement, Warehouse and Logistics.
• Working cross-functionally with Technical, Safety, Engineering and People to solve problems and deliver site priorities.
• Supporting new product trials and launches, making sure the team's ready and the process stays stable.

Skills

People leadership

Audit readiness

Root cause analysis

GMP knowledge

Data-driven decisions

Tools

5S

Visual management

VSM

Kaizen

RCA

Job description

CPU Manager

At Ole & Steen, every product leaving our stores carries our name — and we're looking for someone who understands exactly what that means.

We need a CPU Manager who'll be visible where it matters most: on the production floor. Someone who leads from the front, develops Team Leaders into real leaders, protects our standards under pressure, and makes continuous improvement part of everyday work.

THE OPPORTUNITY

• Up to £52,000, depending on experience
• Night shift: 8 pm – 5 am
• 5 days out of 7
• A leading role across production, people leadership, quality and continuous improvement — with full ownership of the Food Production department

PACKAGE

• Free food whilst on shift
• Pension scheme
• GP Helpline
• Colleague discount across our stores

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• 5+ years' experience in food manufacturing, chilled food or CPU operations, with real people leadership responsibility
• A proven track record of leading and developing Team Leaders and operational teams in a fast-paced production environment
• Strong understanding of food safety, GMP, hygiene, allergens and traceability
• SALSA or BRCGS audit experience is critical — you know what "audit-ready" really looks like every day, not just before the auditor arrives
• Working knowledge of Continuous Improvement tools — 5S, visual management, VSM, Kaizen, structured problem solving / RCA
• Confident using KPIs and data to identify gaps, prioritise action and measure improvement
• A calm, visible and decisive leader who protects standards and people, even under pressure

A NIGHT IN THE LIFE

• Walking the production floor across shifts — setting clear priorities, checking deployment and running strong handovers
• Monitoring throughput, OTIF, yield, waste, downtime and cost per unit, and acting fast on adverse trends
• Owning food safety, GMP, hygiene, allergen and traceability standards — containing defects before they're passed forward
• Coaching and developing Team Leaders — briefing, recognising, challenging and building their capability to own performance
• Leading Continuous Improvement activity — 5S, Kaizen, structured problem solving — turning recurring losses into measurable projects
• Keeping the site audit-ready every day (SALSA/BRCGS) — not just when the auditor's due
• Managing labour, budget and material usage in partnership with Procurement, Warehouse and Logistics
• Working cross-functionally with Technical, Safety, Engineering and People to solve problems and deliver site priorities
• Supporting new product trials and launches, making sure the team's ready and the process stays stable