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- Tasks: Lead a complex food manufacturing facility and drive high-performance across multiple functions.
- Company: Dynamic FMCG company committed to innovation and sustainability.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, strong leadership support, and investment in your development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by transforming operations and fostering a positive culture.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in food manufacturing leadership and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Other info: Join a supportive team that values ownership and collaboration.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 £ per year.
This is not a role where you inherit a smooth-running machine and simply keep it ticking over. This is a role where your leadership will truly matter. In this role you will take full accountability for a large, highly complex, 24/7 food manufacturing facility. The site brings together multiple functions – Production, Engineering, Logistics, Health & Safety and Continuous Improvement and your role will be to align them behind one clear, high-performance vision.
You will set the tone. From early morning production reviews to strategic conversations at board level, you will move confidently between the shop floor and the senior leadership team. You will know your numbers – labour, materials, overheads – and you will know your people. This is a role that requires both operational grip and emotional intelligence.
The Environment
This is complex FMCG manufacturing at scale. The site produces a broad mix of branded and own-label products for major retail customers, operating in a high-SKU, high-volume environment where expectations are uncompromising. Audit standards are rigorous. Food safety is non-negotiable.
The manufacturing processes themselves demand strong technical understanding and operational discipline, including extrusion technology and other specialist production systems. Balancing safety, quality, cost and delivery without allowing one to compromise another is the daily challenge. For the right leader, it is exactly the kind of environment that energises rather than intimidates.
Key Responsibilities
- Your remit will span the full spectrum of site leadership.
- You will champion a zero-harm culture, ensuring health, safety and environmental standards are not just policies on paper, but lived behaviours across the operation.
- At the same time, you will ensure absolute compliance with food safety legislation and customer requirements, protecting both the consumer and the reputation of the business.
- Financial performance will sit firmly within your control. Delivering the in-year budget across labour, raw materials and overheads will require discipline, data-led decision-making and close collaboration with your senior team.
- Service performance and schedule adherence will demand structure and pace, particularly within a fast-moving retail supply environment.
- Beyond the numbers, your impact will be cultural. The site has strong foundations, but like many complex operations, it needs alignment, clarity and consistency.
- You will build a leadership team that is accountable, engaged and visible. You will strengthen succession planning and capability development.
- You will foster constructive union relationships built on openness and mutual respect.
- You will work collaboratively with peers across the wider group, sharing best practice and contributing to a broader operational strategy that extends beyond one site.
The Person
We are looking for a senior food manufacturing leader who has walked this path before. You will have operated at site leadership level within a complex FMCG environment and will be able to demonstrate tangible improvements in KPIs, culture and commercial performance. Continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma or TPM will not just be qualifications on your CV — they will be tools you have actively used to deliver change.
You will understand the dynamics of unionised environments and know how to build constructive, solutions-focused relationships. Financial acumen will be second nature, as will the ability to translate strategy into operational reality.
Most importantly, you will be a leader people choose to follow. Visible. Credible. Calm under pressure. Comfortable influencing at board level, yet equally present on the shop floor. Someone who develops others, sets clear expectations and holds themselves — and their team to high standards.
Investment & Support
This business understands that sustainable performance does not happen by accident – it happens through investment and strong leadership. There is a clear capital roadmap in place, with meaningful investment being directed into equipment, automation, systems and site capability. This includes enhancements to technical processing areas such as extrusion-based manufacturing, alongside broader operational improvements designed to strengthen efficiency and resilience.
Importantly, the support is real. The C-suite team are engaged, visible and pragmatic. They recognise both the strengths of the site and the challenges it has faced, and they are committed to building a stronger future.
This is a defining opportunity for an experienced food manufacturing General Manager who is motivated not just by running a site, but by elevating it.
General Manager employer: Zest Food Jobs
Contact Detail:
Zest Food Jobs Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land General Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn or at local events. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know that can land you that General Manager role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews by researching the company inside out. Understand their values, recent news, and challenges in the FMCG sector. We want you to walk in confidently, ready to discuss how your leadership can elevate their operations.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your achievements! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, highlight specific examples of how you've improved KPIs or fostered a strong culture in previous roles. We want them to see the impact you can make!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we’re always looking for passionate leaders who can drive change in complex environments like food manufacturing.
We think you need these skills to ace General Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Leadership Style: In your application, let us see your unique leadership style shine through. Share examples of how you've led teams in complex environments and the impact you've made. We want to know how you set the tone and inspire others!
Know Your Numbers: Make sure to highlight your financial acumen in your written application. We’re looking for someone who knows their labour, materials, and overheads inside out. Use specific examples to demonstrate your data-led decision-making skills.
Emphasise Continuous Improvement: Don’t forget to mention your experience with continuous improvement methodologies like Lean or Six Sigma. We love seeing how you've used these tools to drive change and improve KPIs in previous roles. Show us your results!
Be Authentic: Finally, be yourself! We value authenticity and want to get a sense of who you are beyond your qualifications. Share your passion for food manufacturing and why you’re excited about this opportunity. Apply through our website and let’s start the conversation!
How to prepare for a job interview at Zest Food Jobs
✨Know Your Numbers
As a General Manager, you’ll need to be on top of your financials. Brush up on your understanding of labour, materials, and overhead costs. Be prepared to discuss how you've managed budgets in the past and how you can apply that knowledge to this role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Style
This role requires a leader who can inspire and align teams. Think about examples from your past where you’ve successfully built a high-performance culture. Be ready to share how you’ve developed others and fostered accountability within your teams.
✨Demonstrate Technical Understanding
Familiarise yourself with the specific manufacturing processes mentioned in the job description, like extrusion technology. Be prepared to discuss how your technical knowledge has helped improve operational efficiency in previous roles.
✨Emphasise Safety and Compliance
Food safety is non-negotiable in this role. Prepare to talk about your experience with health and safety standards, and how you’ve ensured compliance in past positions. Highlight any initiatives you’ve led that contributed to a zero-harm culture.