Operations Manager

ForFarmers N.V.; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading feed production company in the UK is seeking an Operations Manager responsible for cost, quality, and compliance in manufacturing and logistics. The ideal candidate will drive performance in staff and operations while ensuring health and safety standards are met. Applicants should have experience in a similar role, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This full-time position offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Benefits

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to work scheme

Options to enhance pension contributions after 12 months

Qualifications

• Strong communication and influencing skills.
• Ability to motivate and drive strategy.
• Experience with manufacturing and logistics.

Responsibilities

• Create business plans for operational efficiency.
• Manage safety and compliance across the site.
• Develop and oversee training programs for staff.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Health and Safety Awareness

Problem-solving

Analytical Skills

Team Collaboration

Education

Work experience in a similar quality environment

Tools

IT literacy

Job description

Hours: Full time 37.5 hours Monday - Friday

Reporting to: Regional Operations Manager

Your role

The Operations Manager is functionally responsible for cost, output, quality, service, health and safety, environmental and legal compliance, mill performance, logistics and customer service. The successful candidate will work in conjunction with the Operations Director to produce a business plan for manufacturing and logistics to achieve agreed objectives. In this role, you will motivate and shape a high performing the site leadership team to drive results. The Operations Manager is also responsible for staff engagement with the strategic vision of the site and the wider business. You will also ensure that the mill and logistics operate within current legislation, compliance and company procedures including Health and Safety, Environmental and Energy.

Your responsibilities

Business Unit Plan

• To produce a Business Plan to ensure all departments understand the objectives and tasks to be achieved.
• As part of the Business plan, address cross functional issues such as logistics, order lead time, late orders, load size, CSD and credit control issues.
• Use all available resources to full effect, i.e. operations, engineering, transport, sales, administration and finance to achieve the Business Plan. Ensure cross functional relationships are developed to support the team objectives.
• Detail maintenance and capital spend in the Business Plan, either replacement or new technology, in accordance with the budget.
• Agree a maintenance plan to ensure the mill is kept at the company standards.
• Ensure that raw materials are used in accordance with formulations.
• Ensure that finished product inventory is managed to avoid stock loss and devaluation of material.
• Ensure that the use of working capital is minimised by controlling stock holding levels within agreed targets.

Commercial

• Achieve the EBITDA target as set by the Business Unit.
• Through regular improvement and profitability review meetings ensure effective liaison between sales, manufacturing, CSD and logistics to get the most cost effective solution commensurate with customer service.
• Liaise with the Raw Material and Formulation department, giving feedback on quality, performance and delivery to make best use of Raw Materials purchased.
• Ensure effective Raw Material planning so that stock outs are avoided.
• Manage resource deployment/utilisation, expenses and operational costs in line with budget.
• Agree changes in manufacturing and logistics strategy or tactics with the Operations Director.
• Be responsible for appropriate capital expenditure, managed to budget and ensure budgeted performance.

People Management

• Establish a training and development programme to suit the individual requirements of each direct subordinate.
• Manage, motivate and develop employees to achieve a personal plan in line with the key Business Unit objectives.
• Develop a plan of succession to identify key personnel for promotion and exclusive projects to enhance their career.
• Ensure that correct numbers and quality of staff are maintained.
• Continually monitor levels of absence and address problems as necessary

Health, Safety & Environment

• Ensure a safety first culture operates across the site, and ensure that all company procedures and statutory requirements are fully adhered to.
• In conjunction with the Operations Director, it is your responsibility to work towards these objectives by planning, training, supervising, consulting, investigating and preventing.
• Manage the sites to the requirements of Environmental permits and compliance to ISO14001 and ISO50001.
• Encourage good Health & Safety practice on site for employees, visitors and contractors, achieving continued improvement on behaviour, accident prevention and near miss reporting
• Ensure audits are conducted on a regular basis to ensure compliance with UFAS standards and relevant Feed legislation.

Public Relations

• Ensure Forfarmers brand image is maintained and promoted throughout the manufacturing departments to support the company image.
• Maintain contact with key accounts and all the local principle influencers in the industry, e.g. statutory bodies, competitors, consultants, veterinaries, local and national publications.

Your profile

• Work experience in a similar quality environment/previous role.
• Affinity with the business and markets would be beneficial
• Knowledge of and experience of manufacturing
• Knowledge of and experience of transport & logistics
• The ability to constantly drive for improvement and development
• Team Player
• IT literate
• The ability to motivate and bring strategy to life
• Strong communication, collaboration and influencing skills to network at all levels internally & externally.
• Good Health and Safety awareness
• Self-Motivated and confident to challenge
• Commercial and analytical mind-set
• Great organisational skills
• Live within 30 miles of the mill (ideally but not a deal breaker)
• Employee Assistance Programme (offering support on a range of topics).
• No two days are the same offering variety in your role.
• Options to enhance your pension after 12 months service (increased employer contributions).
• Opportunities to grow personally and develop within the business
• Cycle to work scheme.
• B&Q Trade card offering 10% discounts in-store and online.
• And much more!

About ForFarmers

Do you ever stop to wonder where your Sunday morning poached egg came from? Or the milk in your cafè latte? Or what about the sausage and bacon served with full English? It will come as no surprise to you that the animals which produce these products need to eat themselves too. And that’s where ForFarmers comes into the equation.

ForFarmers produces feed for cattle, pigs and poultry in both conventional and organic livestock farming. And that probably sounds a great deal simpler than it actually is. Make no mistake: an awful lot of knowledge, research and innovation has gone into one of those seemingly simple-looking chunks of animal feed. And these are the kind of things we, as a company, invest a great deal in.

PASSIONATE

Working for ForFarmers is more than a job; it's a passion. The farming business is what makes us tick. We do everything we can to future-proof the sector, and this ambition shines through in our behaviour and our way of working. We push back boundaries and go the extra mile for our customers, suppliers and colleagues.

RESPONSIBLE

Our actions have an impact. We help farmers work in a sustainable way so that together we can safeguard the continuity of the farming business. The same principle applies to our day-to-day operations: we take good care of our customers and other stakeholders, and always aim for the best, most efficient and most sustainable result.

OPEN-MINDED

Keeping an open mind enables us to support farmers in the rapidly changing agricultural sector. We are able to adapt to the needs and working methods of the industry and are always on the lookout for new opportunities. We are clear about our intentions and expectations and prefer to listen than to speak.

UNITED

Addressing the challenges with which the agricultural industry is faced requires a joint effort and mutual trust. We join forces with colleagues and customers and work as one team towards our shared goals. In many cases we take the lead but we are also able to follow if that produces better results.

DELIVERING

We have a natural ambition to get things done, regardless of how difficult the job is. We do what we say and say what we do. We are respectful, honest and direct at all times. It is the sign of a ForFarmers employee.

We value diversity in our workplace and welcome enquiries from everyone.

Please make us aware if your need any reasonable adjustments to participate in this process.

We encourage you to submit your application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

About Us

We believe in the future of farming, what about you?

ForFarmers is European market leader in the feed industry and plays a vital part in the value chain of food production. Our main challenge is how to feed a growing population in a sustainable way.

We are therefore continuously looking for talent with the ambition to work with us For the Future of Farming. Our culture is open and friendly, professional and business-like, creative and entrepreneurial.If you are looking for an opportunity to progress your career and work for an innovative and fast moving organisation then ForFarmers may just be the employer for you.