General Manager (Food Operations)

FMCG Exec; England; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturer is seeking a dynamic General Manager (Food Operations) to lead its Suffolk production site. This hands-on role includes overseeing production schedules, managing a motivated team, ensuring safety, and delivering continuous improvement. The ideal candidate has 5+ years in operations management and experience in food production, with a focus on efficient resource planning. Competitive salary of up to £65,000 plus benefits offered.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in operations or plant management within food & drink.
• Experience with HACCP and retailer audits.
• Proven ability to manage production teams of 10–30.
• Experience transitioning from spreadsheets to MRP/ERP tools.
• Hands-on improvement experience utilizing Lean or Six Sigma.

Responsibilities

• Develop a two-week production schedule across product lines.
• Lead and develop a team of operators and line leads.
• Manage raw materials and packaging procurement.
• Ensure inventory control and reduce waste.
• Oversee health and safety compliance.

Skills

Operations management

Team leadership

HACCP knowledge

Data analysis

Lean/Six Sigma methods

Job description

A fast-growing food & beverage manufacturer is seeking a dynamic General Manager (Food Operations) to oversee its Suffolk production site. This is a hands-on leadership role with full responsibility for production, supply chain, safety, and continuous improvement. You’ll have the chance to build a strong team, introduce smarter systems, and ensure the factory delivers consistent, high-quality results during a period of exciting growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Turn customer demand into a clear two-week production schedule across multiple product lines, managing shifts, labour planning, and line changeovers to maintain on-time delivery above 98%.
• Lead and develop a motivated team of operators and line leads, driving effective recruitment, onboarding, training, and rota management.
• Manage raw material and packaging procurement, hold suppliers accountable for performance, and run efficient MRP/MPS processes.
• Ensure accurate inventory control across chilled and ambient storage, setting appropriate reorder levels and reducing ingredient and packaging waste.
• Take ownership of site health and safety, completing risk assessments, embedding SOPs, and managing incident reporting and follow-up in line with best practice standards.
• Deliver continuous improvement projects on the shop floor, improving yield, reducing changeover times, increasing labour productivity, and cutting giveaway.
• Build strong business cases for packaging line investment and deliver agreed capex projects on time and within budget.
• Oversee the transition from spreadsheets to a practical MRP-light solution, introducing barcoding, lot traceability, and simple WIP tracking.
• Create clear, real-time dashboards to track OTIF, yield %, scrap, stock turns, and right-first-time batch performance.

Who are you?

• At least 5 years’ track record running operations or plant management in the food & drink sector, ideally with exposure to chilled or fermented products.
• Solid grounding in HACCP, with direct involvement in retailer standards and audits (BRCGS/IFS) as well as CCP controls.
• Proven experience managing and motivating production teams of 10–30 people across shift patterns.
• Confident moving a site from spreadsheet-based planning to lighter MRP/ERP tools; highly analytical with a focus on KPIs and data-led decisions.
• Hands-on improvement experience, applying Lean or Six Sigma methods to deliver tangible efficiency and quality gains.
• A passionate but practical leader who thrives under pressure, gets stuck in, and leads by example.

Why Join?

• Full site leadership with ownership of a factory that’s scaling rapidly.
• Backing from a major UK retail customer, with your work directly impacting products on supermarket shelves.
• The chance to shape the function, build the team, and grow your remit as the business expands.

Location: Suffolk, UK

Salary: Up to £65,000 + benefits