Head of Operations

AER Temp; Leinster; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

AER Temp in Ireland seeks a senior operations leader to oversee a 24/7 production operation, including production, dispatch and stores. You will lead a team of 150+ employees, supporting their development, performance and continuous improvement.

Fresh food experience is essential for this role. As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will help develop and implement site initiatives while maintaining high standards of product quality, safety and operational performance.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior production/operations role within fresh food manufacturing.
• Strong LEAN manufacturing knowledge and continuous improvement experience.
• Excellent communication, people-management and organisational skills.
• Proven ability to lead large cross-functional teams in a 24/7 environment.
• Experience with budgeting and controlling production costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead Health & Safety programs, ensuring ongoing improvements and compliance.
• Maintain and improve product quality and hygiene standards site-wide.
• Drive production performance, optimize capacity and reduce waste.
• Set standards, coach Line Leaders, and ensure accountability and performance.
• Contribute to site strategy and lead development of staff through 24/7 operations.

Skills

Fresh food experience

LEAN manufacturing

People management

24/7 operations

Cross-functional leadership

Budget management

Job description

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the successful candidate will have responsibility for a 24/7 production operation, including production, dispatch and stores. You will lead a team of 150+ employees, supporting their development, performance and continuous improvement.

*** Fresh Food Experience is Essential for this role ***

As part of the Senior Leadership Team, you will help develop and implement site initiatives while maintaining consistently high standards of product quality, safety and operational performance.

Key ResponsibilitiesHealth & Safety

• Ensure all company Health & Safety procedures are fully implemented and continuously improved.
• Promote a proactive safety culture, ensuring teams identify and eliminate workplace hazards.
• Ensure Risk Assessments are completed and maintained across all areas.

Quality

• Maintain and improve product quality and hygiene standards across the site.
• Manage the introduction of new products into the bakery.
• Work closely with the Quality team to ensure effective cleaning and hygiene standards.
• Ensure the site is fully prepared for customer audits.
• Ensure all required shift paperwork and documentation is accurately completed.

Production

• Establish clear KPIs for each area and monitor performance daily and weekly.
• Drive performance improvements across all production areas.
• Ensure the bakery operates at optimal capacity, minimising changeovers and improving yields.
• Identify improvement opportunities, lead implementation and ensure improvements are sustained.
• Drive waste reduction through effective measurement and performance management.
• Manage production costs and key cost inputs to achieve budget targets.
• Work closely with the Maintenance team to ensure equipment operates efficiently and maintenance work is completed as required.
• Manage relationships with external maintenance contractors where appropriate.
• Lead staff training and development to ensure the bakery has the skills required for efficient 24/7 operation.
• Promote employee engagement, continuous improvement and the development of skills and knowledge.
• Hold regular meetings with Line Leaders and Deputy Line Leaders to coach and improve performance.
• Build strong working relationships with employees and the Senior Management Team, promoting an open, professional and approachable culture.
• Develop strong communication between Line Leaders, sharing best practice and supporting effective problem-solving.
• Ensure company values are consistently demonstrated across production and packing operations.
• Ensure all employees understand their roles, responsibilities, accountabilities and performance expectations.
• Set clear standards and hold team members accountable through agreed action plans and timelines.

General Responsibilities

• Identify root causes of operational problems and implement effective, sustainable solutions.
• Support the delivery of site strategy and investment projects.
• Provide strong leadership in delivering reliable customer service.
• Undertake other duties reasonably within the scope of the role.

Key Attributes & Experience

• Proven experience in a similar production/operations management role within freshfood manufacturing.
• Knowledge of bakery products and production processes is desirable.
• Strong understanding of Health & Safety and creating a safe, compliant workplace.
• Experience with LEAN Manufacturing and delivering measurable process improvements.
• Proven ability to lead large, cross-functional teams in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Strong organisational, time management and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and people-management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and focus on achieving operational objectives.
• Commercial awareness, including experience managing budgets and controlling production costs.
• Self-motivated, results-driven and committed to seeing projects through to completion.
• Minimum 1–2 years' experience in a similar senior role.