The Oval Partnership is proud to be supporting an exciting and highly significant leadership appointment within the UK food manufacturing sector.

This is a rare opportunity to lead the transformation of a significant food manufacturing operation at a pivotal point in its journey.

The business has committed to a major investment programme, culminating in the move to a purpose-built, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility scheduled for completion in 2027.

The successful Site Director will play a central role in ensuring the organisation, its people and its operating systems are ready to maximise the potential of this investment.

This opportunity requires more than an experienced Site Director. We are seeking a transformational leader who has successfully led organisations through significant operational and cultural change.

Ideally, you will have worked within businesses that have implemented TPM or other world-class manufacturing methodologies, giving you first-hand experience of what "good" looks like and, more importantly, how to take an organisation on that journey. You will understand that sustainable operational excellence is achieved through leadership, capability development and disciplined processes rather than individual heroics.

You will bring the credibility, resilience and coaching style needed to shift a reactive culture into one where accountability, continuous improvement and operational discipline become the norm. Above all, you will be passionate about developing people and building a leadership team capable of sustaining high performance long after the transformation has been delivered.

The Role

Reporting into the CEO and sitting as part of the executive team, the Site Director will have full accountability for the operational performance of the manufacturing facility, ensuring the business consistently delivers exceptional standards of safety, quality, service, people development and financial performance.

The role combines operational leadership with long-term strategic planning, ensuring the site is positioned to support future growth, innovation and increased manufacturing capability.

The Site Director will lead the site through one of the most significant periods in its history, balancing today's operational priorities while preparing the business for tomorrow.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead the safe and efficient operation of the manufacturing site.
• Deliver performance across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People KPIs.
• Ensure food safety and product quality consistently exceed customer and brand expectations.
• Create operational discipline through robust daily and weekly management routines.
• Develop a culture of accountability throughout the operation.

Culture & Leadership

• Develop a high-performing leadership team capable of leading through empowerment rather than firefighting.
• Coach, mentor and develop senior operational leaders.
• Build capability across all levels of the organisation.
• Create a culture where ownership, engagement and continuous improvement become embedded behaviours.

Business Transformation

• Lead organisational readiness for the transition into a new purpose-built manufacturing facility.
• Ensure operational processes, systems and people are fully prepared for the move.
• Balance current operational performance while leading significant organisational change.

Continuous Improvement

• Champion Lean Manufacturing, TPM and Operational Excellence.
• Implement sustainable continuous improvement systems.
• Deliver measurable improvements in labour efficiency, yield, waste reduction and productivity.
• Drive data-led decision making across the operation.

Strategic Planning

• Develop and deliver a rolling 1–3 year operational strategy.
• Build capacity and productivity plans aligned with business growth.
• Support innovation and future product development.
• Deliver capital investment programmes that generate measurable ROI.

Systems & Process Development

• Support implementation of ERP and integrated planning systems.
• Develop mature S&OP processes.
• Improve planning horizons through better forecasting and operational visibility.
• Replace manual and spreadsheet-driven planning with scalable business systems.

Leadership Responsibilities

Direct reports include:

• Head of Operations
• Head of Engineering
• Head of Technical
• Procurement Manager
• Continuous Improvement Manager
• Health, Safety & Environment Manager
• Warehouse and Logistics Manager

Supported by HR and Finance through a matrix reporting structure.

The Site Director will be responsible for approximately 125 indirect reports and will be a key member of the wider strategic leadership team.

Experience Required

We're looking for an accomplished manufacturing leader with a proven track record of leading complex food manufacturing operations through periods of significant change.

The successful candidate will ideally demonstrate:

• A minimum of 10 years' senior operational leadership experience within food manufacturing.
• A proven track record of leading a manufacturing site through major transformational change, whether that be cultural transformation, operational turnaround, organisational redesign, implementation of new ways of working, or the transition into a new manufacturing facility.
• Significant experience of embedding Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) or a comparable Operational Excellence framework, with a clear understanding of what world-class manufacturing standards look like.
• Experience of moving an organisation from reactive firefighting to structured, process-led performance management.
• A history of developing high-performing leadership teams and creating accountability at every level of the organisation.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience delivering measurable improvements in productivity, cost, quality and customer service.
• Experience delivering capital investment programmes and major operational improvement projects.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, capable of influencing both operational teams and executive leadership.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic Agility
• Managing Vision & Purpose
• Drive for Results
• Process Management
• Developing Direct Reports & Others

Why This Role?

Few Site Director opportunities offer the chance to influence an organisation to this extent.

This is an opportunity to:

• Lead a genuine business transformation.
• Shape the culture of an entire manufacturing operation.
• Prepare a business for a state-of-the-art greenfield facility.
• Build an operational team capable of sustaining long-term success.
• Leave a lasting legacy across people, processes and performance

The Oval Partnership is a specialist recruitment agency and executive search and selection consultancy focused exclusively on the UK food and drink manufacturing sector.

We are committed to supporting senior professionals in finding their next career opportunity and would welcome a confidential conversation about this role.

Please get in touch for more information on this exciting opportunity or apply with your CV today.