Head of Operations and Food Production

Head of Operations - Food Production

Location: Nottingham area (site-based with occasional WFH)
Salary: £50,000 £60,000 (up to £70,000 for exceptional experience)
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Benefits: 25 days holiday + bank holidays, loyalty holiday scheme, pension, and performance-related bonus

Are you an experienced operations leader with a strong background in food production, logistics, and compliance?
Do you thrive in fast-paced, high-quality environments where teamwork, efficiency, and consistency are key?

We re seeking a Head of Operations to take full ownership of production and operational performance for a well-established, high-volume food business with an excellent reputation for quality and service.

You ll lead and inspire two key operational functions - production and logistics/warehouse ensuring they work seamlessly together to deliver outstanding results every day. Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you ll be responsible for:

• Overseeing all aspects of food production, ensuring quality, safety, and compliance standards are consistently met (HACCP, SFBB, allergen control, etc.)

• Driving efficiency across logistics, warehousing, and fleet operations to meet daily delivery and production targets

• Managing budgets, KPIs, and operational performance, with a strong focus on cost control, productivity, and margin improvement

• Leading and developing two Team Leaders, creating a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement

• Managing fleet, facilities, and health & safety compliance across all operational areas

• Partnering with senior leadership on strategic direction, systems optimisation, and business growth

You ll be a natural leader with the ability to balance hands-on management and strategic thinking. You ll combine operational know-how with commercial acumen, ensuring that production, logistics and compliance align perfectly to deliver quality and efficiency.

Essential experience:

• Senior leadership experience within food production, catering or FMCG operations

• Strong knowledge of HACCP, food hygiene and UK compliance standards

• Proven ability to manage multi-disciplinary teams and deliver measurable performance improvements

• Skilled in budget management, KPI tracking and process optimisation

• Confident, practical, and proactive with excellent communication and problem-solving skills

Desirable:

• Experience within a multi-channel catering or food service environment

• Level 3 (or above) Food Hygiene qualification

• Understanding of digital production/logistics systems (e.g. Lolly or similar)

• Full UK driving licence

This is a pivotal, hands-on leadership role where you ll have the autonomy to shape operations, implement best practice, and make a visible impact every day. If you re passionate about food quality, operational excellence and developing high-performing teams, this is your opportunity to lead from the front and drive success in a growing, people-focused organisation.

EMA25