Operations Manager

Ambitions Personnel; Retford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm

No shifts, nights or weekends

Competitive salary

Full-time, permanent position

Company pension from commencement

Full training provided

Job summary

Ambitions Personnel is seeking an experienced food manufacturing professional to step up into an Operations Manager role in Retford. The position is Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm, with no nights or weekends.

You will work closely with the Factory General Manager across production, procurement, quality and continuous improvement to drive site performance and profitability. This is a hands-on role requiring practical leadership, commercial awareness and the ability to develop and mentor production

Qualifications

• Experience in food manufacturing and readiness to take the next step.
• Ability to lead production teams and drive performance improvements.
• Experience with Lean, 5S and continuous improvement methods.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day production operations and meet targets.
• Collaborate with production teams to improve output and efficiency.
• Identify process improvements using Lean, 5S and CI principles.
• Plan resources and shift patterns for efficient factory operation.
• Support procurement and supplier liaison to manage materials.
• Maintain compliance, quality, safety and hygiene standards.
• Work with the Factory General Manager to improve site profitability.
• Develop and coach production teams to build a high-performing culture.

Skills

Food manufacturing experience

People leadership

Continuous improvement

Job description

Ready for your next step — and ready to leave shift work behind?

Are you an experienced food manufacturing professional who feels ready to step up into an Operations Manager position?

Perhaps you're currently a Production Manager, Production Supervisor, Assistant Operations Manager, Assistant Production Manager, Production Team Leader or similar, and you're ready to take on more responsibility, broaden your experience and progress your career.

And here's the big plus — this is a Monday–Friday, daytime role. No rotating shifts, no nights and no weekends.

Retford, Nottinghamshire | Full-Time, Permanent | Monday–Friday | 8:00am–5:00pm

You'll work 8:00am–5:00pm, Monday to Friday, giving you the opportunity to progress your career within food manufacturing while enjoying a much better work-life balance.

The Opportunity

Working closely with the Factory General Manager, you'll play a key role in the day-to-day running and continued improvement of the manufacturing site.

This is a hands‑on role where you'll get involved across production, procurement, suppliers, stock, quality, compliance, people and continuous improvement.

It's a genuine opportunity to move beyond managing a production area and develop your experience across the wider factory operation.

You don't need to have spent years with the job title "Operations Manager" — we're much more interested in what you've actually done and what you're capable of.

If you're already an experienced food manufacturing professional and feel ready to take that next step, you'll be supported by an experienced senior team while having the opportunity to make your mark.

What You'll Be Doing

• Taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of production, ensuring targets are achieved.

• Working alongside production teams to improve output, efficiency, yields and downtime.

• Identifying opportunities to improve processes using Lean, 5S and Continuous Improvement principles.

• Helping to plan resources and shift patterns to ensure the factory operates efficiently.

• Getting involved in raw material and packaging procurement, supplier management and commercial negotiations.

• Building relationships with suppliers and helping to control material costs.

• Working with warehouse teams to manage stock and minimise waste.

• Playing an important role in BRCGS audits and site compliance.

• Ensuring strong food safety, traceability and hygiene standards are maintained.

• Investigating problems, identifying root causes and putting effective corrective actions in place.

• Supporting and developing production teams, helping to create a positive and high-performing working environment.

• Working closely with the Factory General Manager to improve the overall performance and profitability of the site.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone with food manufacturing experience who is ready to take that next step.

You might already be a:

• Production Manager

• Production Supervisor

• Assistant Operations Manager

• Assistant Production Manager

• Production Team Leader

• Senior Production Supervisor

• Factory Supervisor

Or you may have another similar background where you've gradually taken on more responsibility for people, production and operational performance.

What matters is that you're now ready to step up and broaden your experience.

You don't have to tick every single box.

We're particularly interested in people who are ambitious, practical, commercially minded and genuinely ready to progress.

What's In It For You?

• Monday–Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm
• No shift work, nights or weekends
• Competitive salary
• Full-time, permanent position
• Company pension from commencement
• Full training provided
• Genuine opportunity to step up into Operations Management
• Broad exposure across production, procurement, quality, compliance and operations
• The opportunity to work closely with the Factory General Manager
• A role where your ideas and improvements can have a genuine impact

Ready to Step Up?

If you're an experienced food manufacturing professional who is ready for more responsibility, wants to progress your career and would love the chance to work Monday–Friday, days instead of shifts, we'd love to hear from you.

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