Operations Manager - Food Hygiene

Mitie Group plc.; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Mitie Group plc. seeks an Operations Manager - Food Hygiene to lead hygiene operations across two major food manufacturing facilities in Harlesden and Leicester. You will drive safety, quality and performance while developing high-performing teams and maintaining strong client relationships.

The role requires hands-on leadership, travel between sites, and a focus on continuous improvement within a fast-paced FMCG manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in FMCG or hygiene services.
• Experience managing teams across multiple shifts/locations.
• Strong understanding of food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading sites through audits (BRC or customer audits).

Responsibilities

• Lead hygiene operations across two large food manufacturing sites (Harlesden & Leicester).
• Ensure services meet contractual KPIs and SLAs.
• Develop site management teams and frontline colleagues.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on engagement and accountability.
• Maintain top safety, quality, compliance and food hygiene standards.
• Lead audit readiness activities and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Control labour and budget performance to maximise profitability.
• Build strong relationships with senior client stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement and innovation.
• Produce and present operational performance reports.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Multi-site management

Food safety

Regulatory compliance

Audits

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Travel willingness

Communication

Job description

Operations Manager - Food Hygiene

Harlesden (North West London) & Leicester | Multi-Site Leadership Role

Are you an experienced Operations Manager with a background in FMCG manufacturing, a passion for leading people, and the ability to drive operational excellence across multiple sites?

Mitie is looking for a highly capable Operations Manager - Food Hygiene to lead hygiene operations across two major food manufacturing facilities in Harlesden and Leicester. This is a visible leadership role where you'll be responsible for delivering exceptional service, maintaining the highest food safety standards, and developing high-performing teams.

A role for a hands-on leader

This is a genuine multi-site leadership position and regular travel between both locations is essential. The successful candidate will typically spend one week based in Harlesden, followed by regular overnight stays in Leicester the following week, ensuring strong leadership presence, operational consistency, and excellent client relationships across both sites.

If you're someone who enjoys being visible, developing people, improving performance, and working within a fast-paced manufacturing environment, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• Leading hygiene operations across two large food manufacturing sites in Harlesden and Leicester.


• Ensuring services are delivered in line with contractual KPIs and SLAs.


• Managing and developing site management teams and frontline colleagues.


• Creating a positive, high-performance culture focused on engagement, accountability, and continuous improvement.


• Maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, compliance, and food hygiene.


• Leading audit readiness activities, ensuring compliance with BRC standards and customer requirements.


• Managing labour and budget performance to maximise profitability and efficiency.


• Building strong relationships with senior client stakeholders.


• Identifying opportunities for innovation and operational improvement.


• Producing and presenting operational performance reports to internal and client stakeholders

What We're Looking For

• Proven leadership experience within an FMCG, food manufacturing, hygiene services, or facilities management environment, managing diverse operational teams and delivering high standards of performance, safety, and compliance.


• Strong people management experience, including performance management, employee engagement, coaching, and development.


• Experience managing operational teams across multiple shifts or locations.


• Strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and regulatory compliance.


• Experience leading sites through BRC and customer audits.


• Excellent stakeholder management and customer-facing skills.


• Commercial awareness with experience managing budgets and labour costs.


• A hands-on leadership style with the ability to influence and motivate diverse teams.


• Willingness to travel regularly between Harlesden and Leicester, including overnight stays.