Operations Manager - Nights

2 Sisters Food Group; Tetford; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bus service

Employee discount

Restaurant discounts

Cycle to work

Free parking

Hot drinks on site

Employee of the Month

Career development

In-house training

Job summary

2 Sisters Food Group is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead night shift operations at Thetford, overseeing preparation, frying and packing while ensuring production targets, quality standards and customer specifications are met.

You will be a visible and approachable leader across production, engineering, hygiene and logistics, drive continuous improvement, uphold food safety standards, and coach supervisors to strengthen capability and performance.

Qualifications

• Experience in the food industry management setting.
• Strong people management, leadership and coaching skills.
• Experience delivering production plans in fast-moving environments.
• Effective communicator across all levels with a flexible approach.

Responsibilities

• Lead night shift operations across preparation, frying and packing.
• Be a visible, approachable night-time leader supporting all site functions.
• Act as an escalation point for senior stakeholders outside core hours.
• Drive a culture of accountability, engagement and teamwork.
• Monitor labour hours and ensure ETI and time regulations compliance.
• Improve OEE by removing bottlenecks and reducing downtime.
• Ensure HACCP, BRC and H&S compliance and stop unsafe practices.
• Lead continuous improvement to improve yield and efficiency.
• Coach and develop supervisors and team leaders for capability growth.
• Support site KPIs including cost control, waste reduction and service levels.

Skills

People management

Production planning

Communication skills

Flexibility

Job description

Our Thetford operation is a breaded/coated product centre of excellence. As a value added, non-kill site we have no live animals or butchery onsite. It uses best in class equipment, which enables the site to deliver significant environmental benefits. The low-energy building is the flagship development within the 2 Sisters group.

With 18 sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We employ over 13,500 staff, all of whom have the opportunity to progress as we focus on promoting from within and you can be part of that too.

Knowing that our business is only as good as the people we employ, we ensure that we invest in people like you to enhance skills and professional development.

Company Description

Our Thetford operation is a breaded/coated product centre of excellence. As a value added, non-kill site we have no live animals or butchery onsite. It uses best in class equipment, which enables the site to deliver significant environmental benefits. The low-energy building is the flagship development within the 2 Sisters group.

2 Sisters Food Group is one of the UK’s biggest food manufacturers providing great tasting products to the nation, from chicken to cookies and pizza to pies!

With 18 sites in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. We employ over 13,500 staff, all of whom have the opportunity to progress as we focus on promoting from within and you can be part of that too.

Knowing that our business is only as good as the people we employ, we ensure that we invest in people like you to enhance skills and professional development.

Job Description

Operations manager Key Responsibilities

• Lead night shift operations across preparation, frying, and packing departments, ensuring consistent delivery of production targets, quality standards, and customer specifications.
• Act as a visible and approachable leader on nights, supporting all functions across the site (production, engineering, technical, hygiene, and logistics) to maintain operational continuity.
• Serve as a key escalation point for senior stakeholders, providing clear communication, rapid decision-making, and effective resolution of operational issues outside core business hours.
• Drive a culture of accountability, engagement, and teamwork, ensuring all colleagues understand customer expectations, site priorities, and performance targets.
• Accurately track and manage labour hours across shift, ensuring full compliance with ETI (Ethical Trading Initiative) standards, working time regulations, and site policies, proactively identifying and addressing any potential breaches.
• Monitor production performance in real-time, working cross-functionally to remove bottlenecks, minimise downtime, and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, quality, and legal standards (e.g. HACCP, BRC, H&S), proactively addressing risks and stopping unsafe practices where necessary.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives, driving gains in yield, efficiency, and right-first-time production through data-led decision-making.
• Build strong working relationships across departments, enabling seamless communication between day and night operations and supporting site-wide objectives.
• Coach and develop supervisors and team leaders, strengthening capability, succession planning, and overall team performance.
• Support site KPIs including cost control, waste reduction, labour efficiency, and service levels, contributing to overall business profitability.
• Manage incident response on shift, including technical, engineering, or staffing challenges, ensuring minimal disruption to production schedules.
• Champion a positive safety culture, Lead and chair the monthly Health and Safety Meeting, while also embedding best practice and ensuring all team members operate in a safe and compliant manner.

Qualifications

Experience within the food industry, preferably chilled / high-risk products at a Management level.
Strong people management, leadership & coaching skills. Being able to motivate, engage and develop a team.
Experience in delivering production plans within a fast-moving environment.
Effective communicator across all levels with a flexible attitude & approach.

Additional Information

• Company Bus Service from Norwich, Attleborough, Wymondham and Thetford Centre
• Exclusive 2 Sisters employee discount - offering savings of up to 60% with brands including Asda, Morrisons, Marks and Spencer and Tesco.
• 50% off your total bill in all of our group restaurant brands
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free onsite parking
• Hot food available on site plus free hot drinks
• Employee of the Month awards
• Fantastic development opportunities available for promotion and career development
• In-house training

Expected Salary (this is not sent to the employer)