Operations Manager

LIPTON Teas and Infusions; Manchester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

LIPTON Teas & Infusions is seeking a senior operations leader to run the Trafford Park factory, uniting Manufacturing, Warehouse and Distribution under one accountable function. You will report to the Factory Director and guide a team of managers to deliver safe, reliable, and compliant operations that meet customer needs.

You will own the Autonomous Maintenance pillar within the Lipton Management System, driving disciplined daily management, improvement, and loss elimination across the site.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in FMCG, food manufacturing or high-volume, regulated environments.
• Experience leading Manufacturing, Warehouse and Distribution with a sizeable workforce.
• Proven track record in safety, quality, service, cost, people, productivity and continuous improvement.
• Experience owning an operational budget, P&L or cost-improvement plan with Finance collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Set direction across Manufacturing, Warehouse and Distribution with practical plans and daily routines.
• Lead through Shift Managers and the Logistics Manager.
• Drive safety, food safety, quality, service, inventory, dispatch, OTIF, OEE, waste and cost.
• Own the Operations P&L and deliver financial plans with Finance.
• Embed Autonomous Maintenance and continuous improvement across the site.
• Collaborate with Engineering to improve equipment reliability and factory performance.

Skills

Senior operational leadership

Lean

Autonomous Maintenance

TPM

WCM

LMS

Data-driven decisions

People leadership

Unionised environment experience

Education

Engineering/Manufacturing/Operations/Supply Chain degree

Tools

Autonomous Maintenance tools

Operational budgeting

Job description

LIPTON Teas & Infusions is the world’s leading tea business, home to iconic, purpose‑driven brands like Lipton, Pukka, Tazo, T2, Lyons and PG Tips.

We craft great teas for every occasion, to bring joy and inspire a healthier lifestyle. Guided by our values of people first, ownership, passion for excellence, and consumer and customer centricity, we create long‑term value for our people, trade partners, suppliers, and the communities where we operate.

If you’re a diverse thinker who takes personal ownership to connect ideas and make impactful things happen, someone who shares our values around humanity and courage and someone who enjoys a good cup of tea (on the house!), then we could be a good match!

Your role:

This is a senior, high-impact leadership role at the heart of our Trafford Park factory. You will lead Manufacturing, Warehouse and Distribution as one connected operation, from the production plan through to customer dispatch.

Reporting to the Factory Director and joining the Site Leadership Team, you will set the operational direction, lead through experienced managers and take ownership of the Operations P&L. Your focus will be clear: safe and compliant operations, reliable service, stronger performance and an environment where people can contribute, grow and deliver at their best.

You will also lead the Autonomous Maintenance pillar within the Lipton Management System, helping embed disciplined daily management, continuous improvement and sustainable loss elimination across the site.

Your key responsibilities:

Lead the operation

• Set a clear direction across Manufacturing, Warehouse and Distribution, translating site priorities into practical plans, standards and daily routines.
• Lead through three Shift Managers and the Logistics Manager, strengthening ownership, decision‑making and accountability across the operation.
• Drive end‑to‑end performance across safety, food safety, quality, service, inventory, dispatch, OTIF, OEE, waste, labour, cost and engagement.
• Lead daily performance through Tier meetings, short interval control, shift handovers, escalation and disciplined action follow‑up.
• Own the Operations P&L and deliver agreed financial plans in close partnership with Finance and Planning.

Build a strong, inclusive team

• Create a visible leadership presence on the shop floor and make priorities, standards and expectations clear.
• Coach and develop operational leaders, build succession strength and ensure the right structure, skills and resources are in place.
• Encourage employee voice, recognise contribution and address performance or behaviour fairly and promptly.
• Lead change constructively in a unionised environment and build trusted relationships with employee representatives and trade unions.

Protect safety, quality and compliance

• Champion a zero‑harm culture and maintain strong standards across safety, environment, food safety, quality, hygiene and GMP.
• Ensure effective investigation, deviation closure, corrective action and audit readiness, with learning embedded into everyday work.
• Maintain robust operational risk control across production, warehousing and distribution.

Drive continuous improvement and transformation

• Own the Autonomous Maintenance pillar within the Lipton Management System and embed it into daily operational delivery.
• Use data, shop‑floor insight and structured problem solving to remove losses and improve reliability, productivity, service, waste and cost.
• Represent Operations in NPD, capital, digital and transformation projects, ensuring operational requirements, resources and risks are understood early.
• Ensure new investments and ways of working are successfully commissioned, handed over, adopted and sustained.

Work across the site

• Act as the senior Operations voice in site leadership and cross‑functional forums.
• Build strong partnerships with Engineering, Quality, Safety, Planning, P&O, Finance and Manufacturing Excellence.
• Create particularly close alignment between Operations and Engineering to improve equipment performance and factory reliability.
• Keep production, materials, maintenance, labour and dispatch plans aligned with customer requirements.

What success looks like

• A safer workplace with strong environmental and operational risk control.
• Right‑first‑time quality, excellent hygiene and GMP standards, and consistent audit readiness.
• Reliable production, inventory and dispatch performance that supports customer service and OTIF.
• Delivery of agreed financial plans through stronger OEE, labour efficiency, productivity, waste reduction and cost control.
• A confident leadership team, engaged employees and stronger capability and succession across Operations.
• Sustained improvement through Autonomous Maintenance, disciplined daily management, Kaizen and loss elimination.
• Smooth integration of innovation, capital investment, digital systems and other transformation projects.

What we are looking for:

• Proven senior operational leadership experience in FMCG, food manufacturing or another high‑volume, regulated environment.
• Experience leading Manufacturing together with Warehouse and Distribution, including leadership through managers and responsibility for a sizeable workforce.
• A strong track record across safety, quality, service, cost, people, productivity and continuous improvement.
• Experience owning an operational budget, P&L or cost‑improvement plan and partnering closely with Finance and Planning.
• Practical knowledge of Lean, TPM, WCM, LMS or comparable daily management systems, including Autonomous Maintenance.
• Strong people leadership, including engagement, capability building, workforce planning, succession and fair performance management.
• Experience leading change in a unionised environment.
• Experience integrating NPD, capital investment, digital manufacturing or operational technology into day‑to‑day operations.
• The ability to use data and balanced judgement to make decisions, raise risks early and turn plans into sustained results.
• A degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Supply Chain or a related discipline. Relevant Lean, safety, food safety or leadership qualifications are an advantage.

What’s in it for you:

This role offers real breadth, visibility and ownership. You will shape how a major Lipton factory operates, influence site‑wide decisions and lead an end‑to‑end function that directly connects production with our customers. You will work in a business where leaders are expected to be close to the operation, improve what matters and create the conditions for people to succeed.

If you enjoy leading through others, making practical improvements and taking accountability for the full operational picture, we would like to hear from you.

What to expect from us:

We know that the whole recruitment process can be stressful, so we promise to make it as straightforward as possible. Our process is usually 2-3 stages (depending on the seniority of the role) and we are aiming to review every CV within 2 weeks.

We are an organization committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. We are interested in every individual bringing their whole self to work and this includes you!