Head of Operations/COO in Derby

ABOUT MMC

Magical Mushroom Company® is scaling a new generation of high performance; home compostable Mushroom Packaging made from mycelium and agricultural by-products.

From our Beeston manufacturing facility, we already produce millions of pieces each year and are now building the people, processes, automation, and operational discipline required to manufacture millions each month.

Our objective is to convert strong technical capability into reliable, repeatable, and high-volume commercial production, while moving ever closer to price parity with Expanded Polystyrene.

This appointment will be central to that ambition.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Head of Operations will be accountable for the safe, compliant, efficient, and reliable operation of the Beeston facility.

The role owns production output, quality, labour productivity, customer delivery, inventory, asset performance, cost control and people development.

This is not a role for someone who simply wants to maintain an established operation.

We need an ambitious manufacturing leader who can build systems, strengthen management capability, commission automation and create the disciplined operating rhythm required for sustained growth.

Subject to performance, continued Company growth and Board approval, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the capability required to quickly progress into the position of Chief Operating Officer.

• WHAT YOU WILL LEAD
• Deliver daily, weekly and monthly production plans across all shifts, while ensuring customer orders, prototypes and trials are completed accurately and on time.
• Build practical capacity plans across labour, equipment, moulds, racks, growing and drying, then identify and remove the bottlenecks that restrict safety, quality, output, cost or delivery.
• Maintain a visible safety culture, full audit readiness, robust quality controls, complete traceability and disciplined investigation of incidents, defects and deviations.
• Implement Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, standard work, visual management and structured root cause analysis across the production operation.
• Commission, stabilise and optimise MMC’s automated PLC controlled filling line and other manufacturing assets, establishing preventative maintenance, reliable first line checks and meaningful OEE measures.
• Lead and develop operational managers, engineers, technicians, shift leaders and production teams, setting clear standards for behaviour, accountability and performance.
• Use ERP, production and financial data to improve labour productivity, yield, equipment utilisation and manufacturing cost, then present clear risks and investment cases to the CEO and Board.
• WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Essential experience

• A Master’s degree, such as an MSc or MEng, in Engineering, Science or a closely related discipline.
• Substantial and sustained senior leadership experience in technically complex, high volume manufacturing, with a strong record of operational improvement over a number of years.
• Experience leading sizeable, multi shift manufacturing teams in a high care, high risk or highly controlled food manufacturing environment, complex automated food production or a comparable regulated operation.
• Practical experience of PLC controlled manufacturing systems, industrial automation and the commissioning or optimisation of production equipment.
• A strong record of improving safety, quality, output, reliability, productivity and cost.
• Practical application of Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma and 5S within production operations.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, capacity, inventory, quality systems, operational risk, ISO 9001 or a comparable controlled management system.
• Strong financial understanding, including labour budgets, manufacturing variances, yield, operating expenditure and capital investment.
• Experience using ERP and manufacturing data systems, with the ability to manage and influence people at every organisational level.
• Particularly valuable
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience implementing OEE, standard work, visual management and structured root cause analysis.
• Experience scaling manufacturing through a significant increase in volume and building operational systems rather than simply inheriting them.
• Experience within a start up, scale up or rapidly growing manufacturing business.
• Experience working with biological materials, controlled environments or perishable feedstocks.
• Experience presenting operational performance and investment proposals at Board level.
• THE PERSON

You will be exceptionally ambitious, naturally curious and comfortable moving between detailed production problems and strategic business decisions.

You will ask intelligent questions, investigate root causes rather than treat symptoms and combine operational discipline with pace, sound judgement and decisive action.

You will be highly visible and credible on the factory floor, listen to employees with practical process knowledge and use data without losing operational judgement.

Above all, you will be motivated by the opportunity to build a world class manufacturing organisation rather than simply maintain an existing one.

• WHAT MMC OFFERS
• Salary of £80,000+ per annum, negotiable depending on experience, plus bonus and benefits.
• A fully site-based leadership position at Beeston, Nottingham.
• The opportunity to shape a fast-growing manufacturing operation at a pivotal stage of scale.
• Potential progression to Chief Operating Officer, subject to performance, Company requirements and Board approval.
• Experienced interim operational leaders will also be considered.
• LOCATION AND APPLICATION

Candidates must be based in Nottingham or the wider East Midlands or be willing to relocate.

To apply for this role please submit your CV and a cover letter explaining why your experience is relevant to scaling MMC’s Beeston operation and your motivation to support this next stage of growth.

Applications should be sent by email to