Head of Operations

QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS UK GROUP LTD; Nantwich; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Heler Foods in Nantwich is seeking a Head of Operations to lead the site’s production, safety, quality and cost performance. You will drive end-to-end milk processing into value-added products, while managing multi-skilled teams and ensuring high standards of GMP and food safety.

You will champion continuous improvement, deliver OTIF targets, manage CAPEX projects with ROI, and report insights to senior leadership to shape strategic direction.

Qualifications

• Experience in chilled food manufacturing, preferably dairy or process manufacturing.
• Graduate or Diploma qualification in Management, Food Science or a related discipline.
• NEBOSH certification in Occupational Health & Safety.
• HACCP Level 3 or above.
• Proven experience delivering continuous improvement and cost efficiency.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day site operations, ensuring milk is converted to value-added products at the lowest sustainable cost.
• Own Health & Safety, food safety, quality and environmental standards and ensure compliance.
• Champion GMP, hygiene, CIP and food safety across the operation.
• Deliver annual volume targets OTIF with Planning and Supply.
• Lead performance against budgets, KPIs and business objectives.
• Establish robust meeting structures, KPI reviews and downtime management.
• Drive continuous improvement using data to deliver year-on-year gains.
• Deliver CAPEX projects with ROI and collaborate with Engineering.
• Provide updates to senior leadership and Board and support customer visits.

Skills

Operational leadership

People management

Stakeholder management

Data-driven

Continuous improvement

Strategic thinking

Decision making

Communication

Manufacturing knowledge

Excel

CAPEX projects

Education

Graduate or Diploma qualification in Management, Food Science or related

NEBOSH certified in Occupational Health & Safety

HACCP Level 3 or above

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

• Location LAURELS FARM, Crewe Rd,Hatherton, Nantwich, CW5 7PE,United Kingdom
• Employee Type Permanent - Full Time
• Manage Others Yes

Description

HEAD OF OPERATIONS

At Heler Foods, our people are part of our extended Heler Family — the driving force behind everything we do. From crafting award-winning cheeses to delivering service that sets new standards, we work together to shape the future of food.

CHEESEMAKERS. FUTURE SHAPERS. CHANGEMAKERS.

Rooted in tradition and growing into the future, we’re bold, ambitious and proud of where we’re going next.
Every colleague has a voice here — and every step you take helps move us forward.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We’re looking for an experienced and commercially minded Head of Operations to lead our site operations and play a pivotal role in driving safety, quality, service, people and cost performance.

This is a key senior leadership position, with responsibility for the end-to-end conversion of milk and value-added products across our site, including cheese, cream, water and WPC, while ensuring all waste streams are managed effectively.

You’ll lead through our operational and functional teams, creating a culture of high performance, continuous improvement and accountability — always with safety, food quality and customer service at the heart of what we do.

In this role, you will:

Lead the day-to-day operational performance of the site, ensuring milk is converted into value-added products at the lowest sustainable cost

Take ownership of operational Health & Safety, food safety, quality and environmental standards, ensuring all legislative and company requirements are met

Champion a strong culture of GMP, hygiene, CIP and food safety across the operation

Deliver annual volume requirements OTIF, working closely with Planning and the Head of Supply to effectively manage seasonality, inbound milk and outbound products

Lead operational performance against agreed budgets, KPIs and business objectives, driving improvements in cost per tonne/litre

Establish and maintain strong operational disciplines, including effective meeting structures, KPI reviews, downtime management, complaint reduction and performance routines

Use data and insight to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and deliver year-on-year and budget improvements

Drive improvements across energy consumption, waste streams and tankering costs

Develop and embed a culture of continuous improvement across plant, people, process and product

Ensure the operation is appropriately resourced, with multi-skilled teams, effective training plans and robust succession planning at every management level

Work collaboratively with Engineering and Projects to identify, scope and deliver tactical and strategic CAPEX projects, ensuring agreed ROI is achieved and benefits are embedded

Build strong relationships across Site Leadership, Directors, Commercial, Supply, Engineering, Technical and other key functions

Provide clear operational performance updates, insights and recommendations to senior leadership and the Board

Support customer visits and represent Heler Foods professionally with customers and external stakeholders

Take ownership of operational challenges, driving timely solutions and ensuring agreed actions are delivered

Lead by example, creating a high-performing culture where people take ownership, challenge standards and continuously look for ways to improve

You’ll be joining a team whereoperational excellence, collaboration and continuous improvement go hand in hand.

ABOUT YOU

You’re an experienced operational leader with a strong track record in chilled food manufacturing, ideally within dairy or process manufacturing.

You understand what it takes to run a safe, efficient and high-performing manufacturing operation — balancing people, productivity, quality, service and cost to deliver sustainable business results.

Experience & Background

Graduate or Diploma qualification in Management, Food Science or a related discipline

Minimum 5 years' experience in a senior management/operational leadership role

Proven experience within a chilled food manufacturing environment, ideally dairy or process manufacturing

NEBOSH certified in Occupational Health & Safety

HACCP Level 3 or above

Proven experience of applying continuous improvement methodologies and, importantly, delivering tangible improvements in a live manufacturing environment

Strong understanding of manufacturing KPIs, operational performance and cost management

Specialist knowledge of cheese and cheese manufacture or dairy processing

Good understanding of engineering principles and manufacturing equipment

Experience of identifying, evaluating and delivering CAPEX projects

Strong working knowledge of Excel and Word

Key Skills

Strong operational and commercial acumen, with the ability to balance safety, quality, service, people and cost

Excellent leadership and people-management skills

Strong influencing and stakeholder-management capability

Highly analytical, with the ability to use data to identify trends, solve problems and drive performance

Strong understanding of continuous improvement and operational excellence

Confident decision-maker who can remain calm and professional in challenging situations

Able to set clear objectives, monitor performance and take decisive corrective action where required

Strong communicator who can engage effectively from shop floor to Board level

Personal Qualities

You’re a visible and credible leader who leads by example.

You’re proactive, resilient and comfortable operating in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You know how to get yourself and others moving, overcome obstacles and maintain momentum when things get challenging.

You’ll be someone who:

Thinks strategically and looks beyond the immediate challenge

Creates a culture of accountability and high performance

Encourages others to think differently and identify opportunities

Adapts quickly to changing circumstances

Sets high standards and follows through on commitments

Remains professional, objective and solutions-focused under pressure

Develops people and creates a strong pipeline of future operational leaders

Takes ownership and drives things through to completion

You’ll also demonstrate behaviours aligned to our values:

Be Better. Be Collaborative. Be Inquisitive. Be Yourself. Take Ownership.

WHY JOIN HELER FOODS?

Because we don’t just offer jobs — we shape careers.

As we continue our exciting growth journey, this is a unique opportunity to take a leading role in shaping the operational future of an ambitious food manufacturing business.

Here, you’ll find:

A senior leadership role with genuine influence across the site

The opportunity to shape operational strategy and drive sustainable performance

A collaborative, cross-functional working environment

The opportunity to lead and develop a talented operational team

A culture built on trust, ownership and continuous improvement

The opportunity to deliver meaningful improvements across people, plant and process

The chance to work with high-quality, innovative food products

An exciting platform to make a measurable impact on safety, quality, service and profitability

This is a place where you’ll be empowered to lead, influence and make a difference.

JOIN THE EXTENDED HELER FAMILY

Are you ready to take the next step in your operational leadership career?

If you’re passionate about manufacturing excellence, developing people and delivering outstanding operational performance, we’d love to hear from you.

Heler Foods: Rooted in tradition. Growing into the future.