Operations Coordinator (Depositing & Dispatch)
20 days ago
£13.75–£14.9 hourly
Full-time
London
Join one of the UK's fastest-growing food businesses. Are you looking for an opportunity to grow your career in a fast-paced, ambitious food business? Do you enjoy leading a team, solving problems on the production floor, and making sure operations run smoothly? If you're passionate about food production, efficiency, and delivering high-quality products to customers, we'd love to hear from you. We're Planthood, one of the UK's fastest-growing health food companies. Our mission is simple: to help people live healthier, happier lives by making delicious plant-based whole foods more accessible. From our production kitchen in East London, we prepare and deliver thousands of meals across the UK every week. Since launching from Hilary & Will's kitchen in 2020, we've cooked over 4 million meals, appeared on BBC Dragons' Den, and grown by more than 300% year-on-year. As we continue to grow, we're looking for an Operations Coordinator (Depositing & Dispatch) to take ownership of one of the most important stages of our production process. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys leading a team, improving processes and making a real impact on the day-to-day success of our operation. Role Overview The Operations Coordinator (Depositing & Dispatch) is responsible for coordinating and leading one of the most important areas of Planthood's production operation. Our production process is divided into two key departments: Kitchen Production and Packing & Dispatch Production. Once our chefs have prepared sauces and meal components, your team takes over. You'll oversee the depositing process, ensuring our chef made sauces are accurately portioned into pouches using our Riggs Autopack depositing machines, before being sealed using our continuous stand-up sealing machine and prepared for dispatch. As Planthood continues to scale, you'll help lead the introduction of our new twin-head depositing machine and support the launch of our hot filling operation, playing an important role in the next phase of our production growth. You'll coordinate a small production team, keep production running efficiently, maintain high food safety and quality standards, and ensure customer orders are produced accurately and on time. This role combines production coordination, team leadership, equipment ownership, food safety, operational reporting and continuous improvement. Working closely with Production, Quality Control, Warehouse and Operations teams, you'll play a key role in ensuring products move efficiently through production and into our customers' homes. Key Responsibilities Production Coordination • Coordinate daily depositing and packing operations to achieve production targets., • Allocate tasks and manage workflow across the team throughout the shift., • Monitor productivity, efficiency and output during production runs., • Adapt production plans in real time to respond to operational changes., • Ensure production plans are completed accurately and on schedule., • Lead by example and create a positive, motivated and accountable team culture. Depositing Operations • Coordinate the daily operation of our Riggs Autopack Model 1000 depositing machines., • Ensure hot and cold sauces are deposited accurately and consistently., • Oversee the sealing process using our continuous stand-up sealing machine., • Ensure packaging, sealing and labelling standards are maintained., • Monitor allergen controls and food safety procedures throughout production., • Minimise waste and maximise production efficiency., • Support new product launches and production trials. Equipment Ownership & Process Management • Become the operational owner of the depositing and sealing equipment., • Carry out machine start-up, shut-down and routine operational checks., • Troubleshoot day-to-day equipment issues and resolve minor faults where possible., • Escalate maintenance issues where required and work with relevant teams to minimise downtime., • Support the implementation of new equipment and production technologies. Dispatch & Stock Control • Coordinate finished goods counts and dispatch readiness., • Ensure products are organised, labelled, counted and prepared correctly for shipment., • Maintain accurate production and dispatch records., • Support stock accuracy and product traceability., • Work closely with the Warehouse and Dispatch teams to ensure smooth operational flow. Food Safety & Compliance • Ensure team adherence to HACCP, allergen management and food safety standards., • Complete and review production records and operational documentation., • Support investigations into quality issues and operational incidents., • Escalate food safety, quality and compliance concerns appropriately., • Maintain audit readiness within the depositing and dispatch areas. Team Leadership & Development • Lead, support and motivate the depositing and dispatch team., • Train and onboard new team members on production processes and equipment., • Monitor team performance and maintain accountability to standards., • Conduct regular coaching and feedback conversations., • Support the development of team capability and future talent. Communication & Stakeholder Liaison • Act as the main point of contact for depositing and dispatch operations., • Communicate effectively with Production, Quality Control, Warehouse and Operations teams., • Use Slack, spreadsheets and production reporting tools to communicate operational updates., • Flag production risks, delays, shortages and operational concerns., • Support coordination across departments to ensure production targets are achieved. Continuous Improvement • Identify inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement., • Drive improvements in production efficiency, workflow and organisation., • Support the implementation of new systems, processes and operational changes., • Contribute ideas that improve productivity, quality and team performance. Key Skills & Competencies • Previous experience in a food manufacturing or production environment., • Experience leading or coordinating a small production team., • Strong organisational and time management skills., • Confident leadership skills with the ability to motivate, coach and support others., • Good understanding of food safety, hygiene and HACCP principles., • Confident numerical skills and ability to work with production targets and operational data., • Good IT skills, including Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets., • Comfortable using communication tools such as Slack and email., • Ability to troubleshoot operational and equipment issues., • Strong communication skills and ability to work across multiple departments., • Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced production environment. Key Behaviours • Strong sense of ownership and accountability., • Leads by example and sets high standards., • Proactive and solutions-focused., • Calm and organised under pressure., • Positive, professional and supportive., • Committed to food safety, quality and operational excellence., • Strong attention to detail., • Open to learning and continuous improvement., • Ambitious and motivated to grow with the business. What We Offer • A chance to join one of the UK's fastest-growing food businesses., • Opportunities to develop your leadership skills and progress your career., • A supportive, ambitious and collaborative team environment., • The opportunity to make a real impact as we continue to grow.
