Factory General Manager

Valeo Foods; Lancashire; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life Assurance

Private Medical

And plenty more!

Job summary

Valeo Foods UK is seeking a Factory General Manager to lead our Blackpool confectionery site with confidence, clarity and commercial focus. You will own safety, quality, cost, service and people performance across Production, Engineering, Technical, HSE and Warehouse, partnering with central functions to drive operational excellence today and build capability for tomorrow.

With around 300 colleagues, the site offers scope to influence culture, develop talent and deliver sustainable improvements.

Qualifications

• Strong manufacturing leadership within a complex, fast-paced confectionery environment.
• Experience delivering sustainable performance improvements and driving cultural change.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Blackpool confectionery site with ownership of Safety, Quality, Cost, Service and People.
• Manage budgets, drive cost control and waste reduction.
• Develop talent, succession plans and foster continuous improvement across production, engineering, technical, HSE and warehouse.
• Collaborate with central functions to deliver operational excellence and future capability.

Skills

People leadership

Operational excellence

Budgeting & cost control

Job description

At Valeo Foods UK we bring together a family of much-loved UK food brands supported by the scale and ambition of a global investment partner. From Kettle’s bold crunch to Rowse’s natural sweetness, through to Matthew Walker and Barratt Sweets, our portfolio blends heritage, craft and category-leading innovation.

Alongside our branded portfolio, we are also one of the UK’s largest suppliers of private label products, partnering with major retailers to deliver quality and category expertise that meets the needs of millions of households every week.

As a business, we’re on a journey of transformation. We’re strengthening our operations, driving quality and investing in our people. It’s an exciting, fast-moving environment where heritage meets new thinking, and where every colleague contributes to shaping the future of food across the UK.

Join us and play your part in building the next chapter of some of Britain’s most loved brands.

Job Description

Blackpool is home to one of the largest confectionery manufacturing sites within the Valeo Foods Group and a business with a proud heritage, highly engaged workforce and exciting ambitions for future growth. Following a significant transformation journey over recent years, we've invested in the operation, strengthened our leadership team and created a strong platform for success. As we enter the next phase of that journey, we're looking for a Factory General Manager to lead the site with confidence, clarity and commercial focus.

This is a role with real breadth, influence and visibility. As Site Leader, you'll have full accountability for performance across Safety, Quality, Cost, Service and People, leading a multi-disciplined team spanning Production, Engineering, Technical, HSE and Warehouse. Working closely with central functions and category teams, you'll ensure the site continues to deliver operational excellence today while building the capability, systems and culture needed for tomorrow.

Employing around 300 colleagues, Blackpool is a substantial operation with a clear opportunity for continued improvement and growth. You'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future direction of the site, building on the strong foundations already in place while helping to unlock the next stage of performance. You'll provide visible leadership across the factory, creating clarity, driving accountability and developing talent at every level of the organisation.

You'll take ownership of budgets and financial performance, driving cost control, efficiency improvements and waste reduction while ensuring the site consistently delivers outstanding customer service. In a competitive FMCG environment, you'll balance operational priorities with longer-term strategic objectives, ensuring investment opportunities translate into tangible business benefits.

At its heart, this role is about people. Blackpool's success has been built on the commitment and expertise of its workforce, and your leadership will be central to maintaining and strengthening that culture. You'll continue to drive engagement, develop succession and talent plans, and foster an environment where continuous improvement, ownership and collaboration are embedded into everyday operations.

Qualifications

We're looking for a proven manufacturing leader who is comfortable operating within a complex, fast-paced food manufacturing environment. You'll bring strong operational and commercial acumen, experience of leading multifunctional teams and a track record of delivering sustainable performance improvements. Most importantly, you'll have the credibility and leadership capability to inspire people through change and create a culture where both individuals and the business can thrive.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Valeo Foods' flagship confectionery sites at an exciting point in its evolution. If you're motivated by operational excellence, energised by transformation and passionate about building high-performing teams, Blackpool offers a genuine platform to make a lasting impact and shape the future of a key manufacturing operation within Valeo Foods UK.

Additional Information

What we offer you in return

• Life Assurance
• Private Medical
• And plenty more!