Production Function Manager

dnata is one of the world’s largest air and travel services providers, offering ground handling, cargo, travel and catering & retail services at over 130 airports in more than 30 countries across six continents. At dnata, we are by your side for the entire travel experience. dnata Catering and Retail is one of the world’s leading in-flight hospitality providers, delivering world-class culinary services and innovative products that enhance our passengers’ experience.

We are currently seeking an experienced Senior Operations Manager to join our business to oversee the production department at our Manchester catering unit. The Production Manager will proactively manage the daily production operation across a singular large scale department or multiple departments and/or sites. Ensuring either directly or through management of direct reports the delivery of safety, cost, quality, compliance, and people KPIs in line with company, legal, and airline standards. The Senior Operations Manager will also actively maintain an effective and productive team, setting clear direction, focusing on results and developing and sustaining effective customer relationships.

Some of the key responsibilities within this role will include the following:

• Strategy Involvement
  • Define and implement tactical steps to align to and achieve business goals.
  • Champion change initiatives and improvements with OPS Ex.
  • Contribute to the development and implementation of strategic plans both for own area of responsibility and to the wider team/business.
• Day to Day Operation
  • Carry out day-to-day activities in accordance with the role's demands. Execute all tasks assigned to the required standard.
  • Plan and organise own work (and/or coordinate and supervise the tasks of subordinates) over a 1 day to 1-month planning horizon.
  • Ensure work is completed according to the daily work schedule, all costs are within agreed targets, and any issues are escalated to the General Manager when necessary.
  • Responsible for ensuring all site(s) and/or department(s) activities are planned and organised in a timely manner to meet scheduled targets, utilising the identified best practice tools or in line with agreed recommendation from planning.
• Policy and Process
  • Enforce and ensure that site(s) and/or department(s) are managed in line with agreed company policies and procedures to guarantee efficient performance and compliance standards.
  • Contribute to the identification, reporting and management of all risks within the site(s) and/or department(s).
• Financial Management
  • Manage the operation within approved budgets and set targets, aiming at maximising the usage of resources, controlling costs and increasing profitability.
• Continuous Improvement
  • Implement agreed-upon improvements of systems, processes, and practices to maximise business efficiencies in line with agreed targets.
  • Analyse, report on analytics and recommend procedural improvements to support business strategies.
  • Proactively review all accidents/incidents/delays to determine root causes and implement appropriate solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
  • Champion change initiatives and improvements with OPS Ex.
  • Lead a specific improvement programme or project.
• Problem-Solving
  • Proactively review all investigations into accidents/incidents/delays to determine the root cause and provide solutions to prevent further reoccurrences.
  • Review the effectiveness of solutions after implementation and provide guidance and recommendations for further corrective action where required, including escalating issues as appropriate.
  • Deals with complex issues and makes decisions for area of responsibility.
• Governance & Controls
  • Responsible for ensuring compliance to the required standards as set in ‘The dnata Way’ and local legislations are successfully met in all dealings pertaining to the area of responsibility (site(s) and/or department(s), i.e., food safety, HACCP, and Health & Safety).
  • Responsible for the implementation and review of the site and or department(s) progress against compliance and training targets.
  • Adhering to all legislation, company policy, and compliance standards are met.
• Risk Awareness & Responsibility
  • Act in the best interest of the company always, ensures all business decisions are made based on authority level limits and after the appropriate level of due diligence and risk analysis has been carried out.
  • Responsible for ensuring performance against compliance and corrective action plans are introduced and reviewed as required for site(s)/departments(s) within area of responsibility.
• Customers
  • Ensure standards of external and internal customer service are met, with effective pro-active communication with all internal and external key stakeholders.
  • Deal with all customers’ interactions as required, review investigations and manage complaints in line with SLA’s.

What do you need to be successful in this role?

• Proficient in IT and computer literacy - Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Demonstrable evidence of leading people management, e.g. dealing directly or with escalations for performance issues, holidays, rosters and absence management.
• Experience in a fast-moving and changing shop floor environment such as manufacturing, logistics, or FMCG.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of cost and control management.
• Stakeholder management and experience.
• Experience in managing forecasts within budget.
• Level 5 qualification i.e. HND or equivalent experience.
• GCSE English and Maths grade C/4 or above.
• Any professional or trade licenses required for the role.

If you believe your skills and experience align with what we’re looking for, we encourage you to apply — we’d love to hear from you!