Factory Manager
23 days ago
London
Factory Manager We’re recruiting for an experienced manufacturing leader to take full responsibility for a scaling food manufacturing site in London. This role carries end-to-end accountability for operational performance, site culture, compliance, and commercial delivery. You will lead from the front — building a high-performing team, ensuring rigorous safety and food standards, and driving operational improvements as the business scales. This is a visible, hands-on leadership role suited to someone who thrives in a fast-paced food production environment. What You’ll Own End-to-End Site Performance • Full accountability for production output, service levels, and operational efficiency, • Delivery against daily and weekly production plans, • Oversight of Production, Site, and Stock leadership teams, • Clear KPI management across yield, waste, labour utilisation, and downtime, • Strong coordination across planning, warehouse, and manufacturing functions Safety, Compliance & Accreditation • Leadership of all Health & Safety practices in line with UK legislation, • Embedding a proactive, safety-first culture across all departments, • Maintaining food manufacturing compliance standards (transitioning from SALSA to BRC accreditation), • Management of internal audits and external regulatory/customer inspections, • Ensuring risk assessments, SOPs, and training frameworks remain robust and current Food Integrity & Quality Standards • Accountability for food safety and product integrity across the entire site, • Close partnership with Technical and QA to protect traceability and compliance, • Driving a “right first time” production mindset, • Oversight of raw material controls, allergen management, and stock rotation processes Leadership & Team Development • Visible leadership presence on site, five days per week, • Coaching and development of direct reports to strengthen management capability, • Clear structures for accountability across shifts and departments, • Workforce planning, recruitment support, and succession development, • Building a culture of ownership, engagement, and continuous improvement Commercial & Operational Efficiency • Management of site budgets and operational cost control, • Identification of efficiency gains without compromising safety or quality, • Improvement of productivity, stock accuracy, and labour performance, • Contribution to long-term capacity planning and strategic operations discussions Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence • Leading lean initiatives and structured improvement programmes, • Reducing waste, downtime, and operational bottlenecks, • Implementing practical problem-solving methodologies, • Promoting innovation and best practice within a food manufacturing setting Reporting & Risk Management • Regular operational reporting to the Operations Director, • Early escalation of risks relating to compliance, safety, or performance, • Contribution to board-level updates on production, H&S, and quality metrics About You You are an experienced manufacturing leader with a strong operational backbone and the ability to inspire teams in a growing SME environment. You will bring: • A proven track record in senior manufacturing leadership, • Experience within food production (chilled, fresh, or high-care environments preferred), • Strong working knowledge of UK Health & Safety and food safety standards, • Demonstrable success managing cross-functional leadership teams, • Commercial awareness with experience managing budgets and cost controls, • A hands-on, decisive leadership approach, • Strategic thinking balanced with attention to operational detail, • Resilience, pragmatism, and a solutions-oriented mindset, • Strong communication and organisational capability