Operations Manager

Date: 27 Feb 2025

Location:

Blackpool, GB

Place of Work: On-Site

Employee Shift: Monday- Friday Core Hours

Company Description

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company.

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Albans. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.

We are currently the second biscuit manufacturer in the UK market with a strong ambition of becoming UK Market Leader.

Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?! We knead people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact.

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences.

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals.

About The Role

As the Operations Manager, you’ll be a member of the Senior Leadership Team at our Blackpool site. You will play a pivotal role in overseeing the day-to-day operations of our production facilities, ensuring efficient manufacturing processes, and maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety. You will be responsible for managing a diverse team of professionals, optimising workflows, and supporting the Factory General Manager with implementing strategic initiatives to drive operational excellence and meet business objectives.

Main Responsibilities

• Collaborates with senior management to develop and execute strategic plans and initiatives aligned with the site goals and objectives.
• Provides input and insights into operational strategies to drive growth, efficiency, and profitability.
• Continuously evaluates and improves processes to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and increase productivity using Lean Manufacturing techniques.
• Identifies opportunities for innovation and implements new technologies or methodologies to optimize operations.
• Acts as the conduit for all site wide projects via the gate process.
• Develops and manages the operations budget, tracking expenses and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Provides strong leadership to the operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Coaches, mentors, and develops direct reports to enhance their skills and capabilities as leaders of the operations department.
• Creates a safe working environment and ensures compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Leads the Site Operation Leads to continually develop the FBC UK Ltd production system to maximise performance across all metrics.
• Supports and coordinates budget objectives (labour, energy, maintenance, investments) for production unit – productive, maintenance, investments and general exp. budget interacting with the specific functions.

What are the key ingredients for the role?

• Bachelor’s degree in food science, Engineering, or equivalent experience in a similar role.
• A formal qualification or significant experience in continuous improvement.
• In-depth knowledge of Lean manufacturing principles, Six Sigma methodologies or other continuous improvement frameworks.
• Proven and extensive experience in a leadership role within the manufacturing industry, supporting and leading cross-functional teams.
• Certification in food safety (e.g., HACCP, SQF, GMP) is highly desirable.

Diversity Statement

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.