Operations - Site Manufacturing Lead

Finsbury Foods; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Finsbury Foods is seeking a Site Manufacturing Lead to own the site's Manufacturing, Planning and Hygiene performance. You will provide strategic direction to the shift leadership and operations teams, aligning priorities and driving operational discipline across all manufacturing areas.

You will champion Lean principles, data‑driven decision making and continuous improvement to boost productivity, reduce waste, improve labour utilisation and OEE while ensuring safety, quality and GMP compliance.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in food manufacturing or FMCG.
• Proven ability to build high‑performing leadership teams and drive accountability.
• Strong grasp of manufacturing operations, planning, hygiene and end‑to‑end performance.
• Experience using data to drive Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Solid knowledge of Health & Safety, GMP and related legislation.
• Commercial awareness with budget and labour cost management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead site Manufacturing, Planning and Hygiene to achieve objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership to shift leads and wider operations.
• Drive operational excellence through Lean, standardisation and data‑driven decisions.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Technical, Planning, Warehouse and People teams.
• Champion Health & Safety, Food Safety, Quality and GMP compliance.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Lean manufacturing

Data-led decision making

Operational excellence

Safety & GMP compliance

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Education

Degree in Manufacturing/Engineering

Job description

This is what you'll actually do!

As Site Manufacturing Lead, you'll be accountable for the overall performance of the site's Manufacturing, Planning and Hygiene functions, ensuring the safe, efficient and consistent delivery of operational objectives.

You'll provide strategic leadership to the Manufacturing Shift Lead population and wider operational leadership team, creating alignment, clear priorities and operational discipline across all manufacturing areas.

A key part of the role will be driving operational excellence through continuous improvement, standardisation and data-led decision making. You'll focus on improving productivity, labour utilisation, service performance, waste reduction and overall equipment effectiveness while embedding Lean principles and structured problem solving across the operation.

You'll work collaboratively with Engineering, Technical, Planning, Warehouse, Supply Chain and People teams to optimise end-to-end performance, manage risk and ensure customer expectations are consistently achieved.

You'll also champion a culture of Health & Safety, Food Safety, Quality and GMP compliance, ensuring standards are maintained, audit readiness is achieved and operational risks are proactively managed.

As a member of the Site Leadership Team, you'll contribute to strategic planning, organisational development, capital investment projects, business transformation initiatives and the future success of the site.

Ideally this is you!

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within a food manufacturing or FMCG environment, leading large multi-functional operations.


• Proven ability to develop high-performing leadership teams and create a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and operational excellence.


• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, production planning, hygiene management and end-to-end operational performance.


• Demonstrable experience of driving business performance through data-led decision making, Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement methodologies.


• Excellent knowledge of Health & Safety, Food Safety, GMP and relevant legislative requirements within a manufacturing environment.


• Strong commercial awareness with experience managing operational budgets, labour utilisation and cost improvement initiatives.


• Highly effective leadership, communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of an organisation.


• Experience leading organisational change, transformation programmes or significant operational improvement initiatives.

Desirable

• Degree or professional qualification in Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations Management or a related discipline.


• IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH or equivalent Health & Safety qualification.


• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement qualification.


• Experience within the bakery or wider food manufacturing sector.


• Experience supporting automation, capital investment or large-scale operational transformation projects.