Dairy Process & Performance Manager – Whey

Dairy Process & Performance Manager – Whey

Northern Ireland

Blakeney Point Search & Selection is recruiting a Dairy Process & Performance Manager for a major dairy processing business investing significantly in its manufacturing facilities and processing capacity.

This position suits someone with a strong dairy processing background who enjoys understanding plant performance, analysing data, and turning improvement opportunities into measurable gains in yield, quality, and efficiency.

With an accelerated expansion programme and a highly automated processing environment, you can influence how the operation develops and performs.

The opportunity

You will be responsible for the performance of a whey ultrafiltration facility producing whey protein and lactose-based ingredients for international customers in the infant nutrition, health, and food sectors.

The emphasis is on understanding and improving the process: how inputs, processing parameters and operating conditions affect output, and where changes can deliver better results.

Alongside this technical focus, you will lead and direct the team, working closely with operations, engineering, technical, and process improvement colleagues. An established Assistant Manager and planned handover support will help you settle into the role.

What you will be doing

• Optimising upstream and downstream whey processing to improve yield, throughput, product consistency and cost.
• Using operational data and process trends to identify performance gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Reviewing recipes and processing parameters, conducting trials and assessing the impact of changes.
• Investigating quality and performance issues, identifying root causes and implementing corrective actions.
• Working with engineering to remove bottlenecks and improve plant efficiency and reliability.
• Leading continuous improvement projects and supporting investment and capacity expansion.
• Developing the team’s technical understanding and supporting the Assistant Manager.
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, quality, health and safety, and operational compliance.
• Working across functions to meet production targets and customer expectations.

What we are looking for

Dairy processing experience is essential, together with strong technical and analytical capability and a track record of improving manufacturing performance.

You could currently work in dairy production management, process management, process improvement, or manufacturing excellence. Your ability to understand processes, interpret data, and deliver improvements will be central to your success.

You will bring:

• At least five years’ management experience in food processing or a comparable manufacturing environment, including relevant dairy experience.
• A third-level qualification, ideally in applied science, food science or engineering.
• Evidence of improving yield, quality, efficiency or output within a continuous processing environment.
• Experience leading and developing teams and working effectively across operational and technical functions.
• A practical approach to troubleshooting, root cause analysis and continuous improvement.

Experience of whey processing, filtration technology or nutritional ingredients would be particularly valuable. Familiarity with systems such as Ignition would also be useful.

What is on offer

• Salary of circa £65,000.
• Monday to Friday daytime working.
• A technically challenging role within a highly automated dairy processing facility.
• Significant investment and an accelerated expansion programme.
• Planned handover and support from established operational and process improvement colleagues.
• Relocation support may be considered on a case-by-case basis.