Senior Operations Manager

At PepsiCo UK, we’re proud to make some of the nation’s favourite snacks and drinks—like Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, and Monster Munch. With sites across the UK, including our Quaker mill in Cupar and Doritos factory in Coventry, we’re also home to one of the world’s largest crisp factories in Leicester.

To provide leadership and delivery of Operations at the Skelmersdale site. Responsible for delivery of the balanced scorecard across Quality, Cost, Delivery & Morale (QCDM) across the 5 production lines (Potato Crisp, Baked, Extruded and 2* SAJ lines) and Warehousing, meeting AOP targets and driving continuous improvement year on year. Active development of direct reports ensuring that a pipeline for talent is identified and their growth facilitated.

Responsibilities

• Set the direction, the culture and the standards for people and performance at the Skelmersdale site and ensure we meet those commitments by holding individuals accountable for the delivery of their responsibilities.
• Development and Delivery of Skelmersdale AOP (including Productivity commitments) through daily/weekly/period management of all aspects of Operations performance.
• Deliver customer service: daily compliance with Supply Planning requirements (through management of shift-based teams), and flawless execution of all product-related change (NPD, trials, promotions, etc) for Skelmersdale.
• Deliver product quality standards and food safety/hygiene standards through operation/maintenance of production equipment, and management of shift-based teams to defined daily AIB and BRC audit standards.
• Ensuring that Skelmersdale culture continues to evolve and that embracing ‘The PepsiCo Way’ is promoted and upheld.
• Manage all aspects of performance of direct reports. This includes: PDR, ACE, Training needs analysis, performance management, motivation and resource planning.
• Work with the Mfg Excellence Mgr and CI team on the delivery of PepsiCo core operating processes such as IPS, Spark, Lean Six Sigma, CI etc.
• Personal (and legal) ownership for the health, safety and welfare of >500 employees, and improvement of safety results to define and comply with internal procedures/policies.
• Ensure that all commercial change is executed in line with agreed plans.
• Manage operational relationship with agency supplier for temporary labour.
• Assist in the development and implementation of capital investments on lines to support the efficient control of the site's capital plan.
• A key member of the hub leadership team for Skelmersdale and Cupar (apart from the ops roles the rest of the LT are dual site) – influencing the broader site agenda and ensuring consistency of approach / best practice development across the Ops agenda.
• Play a collaboration role outside of the Skelmersdale facility as part of the broader Operations Manager network and supporting the UK Operations strategy.

Qualifications

• Significant operational manufacturing experience & knowledge (products, processes, maintenance).
• Very capable people leader: standard setting, holding people accountable, influencing, motivating and coaching skills.
• Located remotely from line-manager so senior site based manager.
• High ability to communicate and be credible at all levels in the organisation (shop floor to senior executives).
• Ability to balance short term need to supply business with long-term strategic thought.
• Broad understanding of end to end Supply Chain Operation.
• Understanding of financial processes and systems (AOP, forecasting, cost of goods detail).
• Analytical skills, including LSS capability (preferably Green Belt) and the ability to make short and long term recommendations on the basis of available data.
• Excellent understanding of an Integrated Work System and, ideally, experienced in the implementation and development of the IWS.
• A proven track record of project management and affecting change.
• Influencing skills across Operations peers and seniors.

Why Join Us?

We offer a competitive salary, bonus, and a wide range of benefits—from critical illness cover and discounted gym memberships to enhanced parental leave and electric car schemes. Our commitment to wellbeing and career growth makes us a Top Employer for 14 years running. We celebrate individuality and are committed to building an inclusive workplace. Our Employee Resource Groups help embed inclusion into our culture, ensuring everyone feels valued and heard.

Equal Opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer, committed to the Equality Act 2010. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and will provide any necessary adjustments to support you through the recruitment process.