Head of Operations

Culina Group; Spalding; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job description

Company Description

Fowler Welch (Part of the Culina Group) operates in the fresh produce sector providing time critical logistics solutions for major retailers, growers and manufacturers across the UK.

At Culina we have a winning culture, we believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive… A place where you're valued, challenged, and inspired!

Job Description

The role of Head of Operations is pivotal in ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of business operations across designated sites. This position involves a comprehensive focus on key areas such as people management, safety protocols, cost efficiency, profitability, and service quality.

Key responsibilities include establishing a balanced improvement agenda and implementing a framework for tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to drive operational excellence.

The Head of Operations coaches and mentors senior managers, supporting their development and succession planning. Additionally, the role encompasses strategic responsibilities, including site infrastructure projects, business development initiatives, and compliance with transport and warehouse regulations.

Key Duties

• Provide senior leadership and motivation to ensure operational performance in line with budget and an on-going drive for efficiencies and continuous improvement in all core KPIs.
• Facilitate commercial and customer growth for the sites, through regular liaison with the Commercial team to ensure future plans are aligned, and through the Network development team to ensure efficiencies are maximised.
• Sponsor collaboration across all sites to provide end to end ‘whole service solutions’ to customers.
• Ensure an appropriate organisational design is in place in each site, with the relevant management and supervisory structure, and efficient spans of control.
• Sponsor the design and delivery of comprehensive people plans that increase engagement and reduce negative colleague indicators e.g. turnover, sickness absence, grievances and litigation.
• Challenge the robustness of succession planning and talent management activity, and the pace and range of solutions in place to achieve it, developing leadership capability on an on-going basis.
• Promote a safety culture with high standards of hygiene, zero RIDDOR targets, minimal incidents and high levels of near miss reporting.
• Oversee the operational contribution to the production of site budgets and KPI targets on an annual basis, and take accountability for their overall delivery through encouraging innovation and strong cost control focus.
• Ensure legal and operational compliance across all areas in agreed sites, and create an environment for sharing best practices network wide.
• Contribute to the shaping of the overall business agenda and priorities in support areas e.g. Finance, HR, SHEQ, IT, fleet and compliance, network development and sponsor a business partnering approach to delivery.
• Ensure the transport fleet, MHE and all other site assets are operated in a commercially viable way.
• Sponsor a continual review of the balance of operational resource across sites, to ensure maximum efficiency, operational capability and service, including own colleague and agency numbers, fleet and wider group / sub-contractor utilisation.
• Ensure the sustainability and carbon reduction agenda is promoted with clear actions and owners.
• Lead strategic projects in line with business priorities, including site infrastructure projects, business development initiatives, transport and warehouse compliance requirements.

Qualifications

• Relevant degree and /or management qualifications.
• Significant experience of multi-site, operational management in the FMCG industry, specifically Chilled.
• Experience of leading operational senior managers and their teams.
• Experience of overseeing temperature controlled fleet and warehouses.
• Budget and cost management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of major retailer supply chain requirements.
• A comprehensive knowledge of the sector and commercial marketplace.
• Strategic planning and commercial solution development capability.
• Project management skills.
• Understanding of business partnering and its benefits.

Additional Information

As part of our drive to make Fowler Welch a great place to work, we are proud to be an inclusive and diverse organisation where we are committed to employee development and recognising success for hard working performers.

Our dedicated learning and development programmes are open to every employee to give you the opportunity to shape your own future within logistics and continue to work in an environment where team culture thrives.

Our People are the driving force behind our success, which is why we offer a wide range of benefits which include:

• Annual Leave – Competitive holiday entitlement of 25 days plus bank holidays.
• Company Bonus – We do our best work to succeed together. When we achieve our goals you'll be rewarded through our bonus scheme.
• Private Medical Cover – This gives you peace of mind, you have choice, flexibility and speed of access to the most clinically appropriate care via Bupa.
• Company Car or Car Allowance.
• Pension scheme – we want colleagues to enjoy a comfortable retirement so we offer a great contribution of 4.5% employee and 10% employer.
• Life Assurance - x3 your annual salary.
• Wellness – Via our Employee Assistance Programme we offer immediate access to a confidential telephone counselling and legal information service that operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
• Eye Care Vouchers – We can provide you with substantial savings with free eye tests and discounts on prescription glasses.
• Reward & Recognition – We recognise that employees have gone the extra mile via Employee of the month and year, special recognition and long service awards.
• Everyday discounts - via our benefit platform you will have access to over 50 retailer discounts for everyday savings!

If you meet the requirements for the above role and are looking for your next career opportunity please apply now and become a part of our #WinningTeam!