At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to ensure accurate manufacturing data and improve factory performance.
- Company: Join Ornua, Ireland's largest dairy exporter with a mission-driven culture.
- Benefits: Generous salary, 33 days holiday, discounts on cheese, bikes, and tech.
- Other info: Inclusive workplace with opportunities for career progression and global mobility.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a growing company while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in team management and a keen eye for detail required.
The predicted salary is between 30000 - 40000 £ per year.
Reports to: MES Controller
Location: Leek, Ornua Foods UK
Salary: Generous salary depending on experience
Hours: 36.25 hours per week, flexibility required to cover our shift patterns
Benefits: Matched Pension Scheme, 33 Days Holiday Allowance, Discounted Cheese and Butter, Subsidised Staff Canteen, Sports & Social Club, Staff Lottery, Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme, Confidential Employee Assist Programme
Ornua (meaning “new gold”) is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years. Ornua is actively seeking a Materials Leader to join our Operational department as we continue our growth trajectory. The Materials Leader will play a key role in ensuring the accuracy, integrity and timeliness of reporting manufacturing orders and factory performance data.
Why Ornua? Ornua operates as a commercial organisation from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa. Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values-led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families. Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together. We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities. Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.
Why This Role Is Valuable: As our Materials Leader you will be responsible for leading on:
- Manage and develop a team of three Materials Administrators across multiple shifts
- Act as a key subject matter expert for MES and M3 systems, supporting operational teams in resolving system-related issues.
- Champion the accuracy and integrity of manufacturing data in line with established documentation and process standards.
- Support the delivery of weekly reporting in a timely and accurate manner, including providing holiday cover for MES Controller reporting
- Investigate manufacturing orders with variances outside of tolerance and ensure corrective actions are taken
- Act as MES product editor and subject matter expert, identifying and resolving system-related challenges
- Build strong partnerships with Factory teams, including Manufacturing Services and Technical, to improve understanding and usage of Manufacturing Orders
- Support and contribute to New Product Development processes from an MES system perspective
- Engage with teams to identify opportunities for process improvement within MES and manufacturing reporting
- Respond to ad hoc queries and provide insightful analysis and reporting as required
What You Bring To The Role:
- Experience managing and developing a small team across multiple shifts
- Proven ability to lead, coach and support team members to achieve performance targets
- High level of attention to detail with a commitment to data accuracy
- Naturally curious with a proactive approach to problem-solving
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Understanding of production/manufacturing environments (preferred)
- Intermediate to advanced Excel skills
- Comfortable working across multiple systems and adapting to changing priorities
Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes a first stage via Teams to allow us to get to know you better and to understand your skills and experiences and, if successful, a second stage face-to-face interview that will build upon the first stage and give you the opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working. Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we’re building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward-looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua. Would you like to make an impact?
Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company’s continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.
Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know — we’re here to support you.
Materials Leader in Leek employer: Ornua
Ornua is an exceptional employer located in Leek, UK, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises collaboration and continuous improvement. With comprehensive benefits including a matched pension scheme, generous annual leave, and opportunities for career progression, Ornua fosters an environment where employees can thrive and make a meaningful impact. Join us to be part of a purpose-driven organisation that values diversity and empowers its people to achieve great things together.
