Operations Director

Norwich
3 days ago
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The Role: The Operational Architect to create a £100m+ Food Powerhouse

  • Location: Norfolk (Relocation support available)

  • Package: £7,000 car allowance. Bupa family cover, life assurance (4 x salary) and 25 days holiday from day 1. Salary sacrifice pension scheme 6%. Discretionary Bonus.

    The Opportunity This isn’t just a "job" in food manufacturing. This is a rare invitation to join the Board of one of the UK’s most successful, privately-owned food businesses.

    Operating at the intersection of high-spec agricultural heritage and advanced manufacturing technology, this business is a critical partner to the UK’s "Big 4" retailers. They have spent 70 years perfecting the "Farm-to-Fork" model. Now, they are looking for a visionary Operations Director to lead their multi-site portfolio into a new era of automation and scale.

    The Mandate

    Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will hold a seat on the Board with total accountability for the physical pulse of the business. You aren't here to "tweak" the status quo; you are here to architect the future.

  • Strategic Growth: You will design and execute the 5-year Operational Roadmap, ensuring the infrastructure keeps pace with aggressive commercial ambitions.

  • Technological Sovereignty: As the Board’s "Tech Ambassador," you will identify and implement the next generation of robotics, AI-driven sorting, and sustainable processing technologies.

  • Cultural Leadership: You will transform a loyal, hard-working workforce into a high-performance elite team, embedding a culture where safety and "Manufacturing Excellence" are instinctive, not just audited.

    The "Unicorn" Profile

    We are looking for a PLC-level brain with a family-firm heart.

  • The Experience: You have a proven track record at the Board or Senior Executive level within high-care food manufacturing, complex chilled/frozen processing, or massive-scale FMCG.

  • The Mindset: You are tired of the red tape and slow decision-making of global corporations. You want the autonomy to build a business case on Monday and see the ground break on Friday.

  • The Toolkit: You have a mastery of modern manufacturing methodologies (OEE, TEEP, CI) but you understand that data is useless without the leadership skills to inspire the people on the factory floor.

    Why This Move?

    Most roles at this level offer a "competitive salary." This role offers Legacy. You will be joining a business that is debt-free, highly profitable, and possesses a unique "vertical integration" that most competitors can only dream of. You will be the primary driver behind their transition from a traditional leader to a global technological benchmark in food processing.

    In the first instance reach out to Will Palgrave-Moore @ Atkinson Moss Leadership Recruitment

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