Production & Process Manager

Lakeland Dairies Co-operative Society Limited (The Group) is the second largest dairy processor on the island of Ireland. The business is complex and ambitious with a milk supply pool of 2 billion litres of milk, drawn from over 3,200 family farms across 16 counties. With the most modern dairy manufacturing facilities in 8 locations on a cross-border basis, the Group supplies to a broad customer base including some of the world's foremost blue chip companies across the dairy food ingredients, foodservice and consumer food channels on a domestic Ireland, UK, European and global basis. Internationally we export some 240 different products to over 100 countries worldwide.

The Group's Agribusiness Division (Lakeland Agri) operates a state-of-the-art Animal Feed Manufacturing Facility and is a leading and innovative provider of the highest quality feeds and agricultural inputs to dairy, beef and sheep farmers across the north and south of Ireland.

Applications are invited for the position at our Artigarvan site:

The Role:

Our new Production and Process Manager will lead our production operations and drive process engineering initiatives across our dairy powder plant. The successful applicant will ensure high productivity, consistent quality, cost optimization, and continuous improvement of milk powder processing systems including evaporation, drying, and powder handling.

Key responsibilities will include (Not limited to):

• Production Management: Plan and supervise end-to-end production of dairy powder (WMP, SMP, FFMP, etc.). Manage and monitor daily operations of evaporators, spray dryers, and powder packing lines.
• Process Engineering & Optimization: Analyse and optimize dairy powder production processes for efficiency and sustainability. Lead process trials for new products and modifications in line with R&D inputs.
• Quality, Safety & Compliance: Ensure processes meet all relevant food safety and regulatory standards (FSSAI, HACCP, ISO, etc.). Collaborate with QA/QC and ensure timely corrective actions based on quality deviations.
• People & Project Management: Lead and train production and process teams for skill development and cross-functional capability. Manage capex projects related to process equipment installation or upgrade.
• Cost & Resource Optimization: Track and control consumption of raw milk, energy, steam, and utilities in line with budgets. Review process parameters to minimize rework, downtime, and product loss.

The person:

To be successful in this role applicants shall require:

• A 3rd level qualification in Dairy Technology, Process Engineering, Mechanical/Chemical Engineering, or Food Technology.
• Substantial experience from within the food processing industry (preferably dairy) to include managerial/leadership experience with a process engineering focus.
• Expertise in food production process flow (ideally Dairy) pasteurisation, evaporation, spray drying, powder conveying & packing.
• Hands-on experience with SCADA/DCS systems, P&IDs, and CIP processes.
• Proactive, data-driven approach with excellent team leadership and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certified and/or Experience in commissioning or scaling up dairy/powder lines would be advantageous.

Application Process:

To apply for this role, please submit a copy of your CV by mid-day on Monday 30th June 2025. Lakeland Dairies Ltd is committed to having an inclusive workplace where every employee feels they belong. If you require accommodations to be made during the recruitment process or have questions relating to accessibility, please contact us.