Job Title: Operations Manager
Location: Portbury
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time
Reporting to: Operations Director
Your role
The Operations Manager is functionally responsible for cost, output, quality, service, health and safety, environmental and legal compliance, mill performance, logistics and customer service. The successful candidate will work in conjunction with the Operations Director to produce a business plan for manufacturing and logistics to achieve agreed objectives. In this role, you will motivate and shape a high performing the site leadership team to drive results. The Operations Manager is also responsible for staff engagement with the strategic vision of the site and the wider business. You will also ensure that the mill and logistics operate within current legislation, compliance and company procedures including Health and Safety, Environmental and Energy.
Your responsibilities

Business Unit Plan

• To produce a Business Plan to ensure all departments understand the objectives and tasks to be achieved.
• As part of the Business plan, address cross functional issues such as logistics, order lead time, late orders, load size, CSD and credit control issues.
• Use all available resources to full effect, i.e. operations, engineering, transport, sales, administration and finance to achieve the Business Plan. Ensure cross functional relationships are developed to support the team objectives.
• Detail maintenance and capital spend in the Business Plan, either replacement or new technology, in accordance with the budget.
• Agree a maintenance plan to ensure the mill is kept at the company standards.

Inventory

• Ensure that raw materials are used in accordance with formulations.
• Ensure that finished product inventory is managed to avoid stock loss and devaluation of material.
• Ensure that the use of working capital is minimised by controlling stock holding levels within agreed targets.

Commercial

• Achieve the EBITDA target as set by the Business Unit.
• Through regular improvement and profitability review meetings ensure effective liaison between sales, manufacturing, CSD and logistics to get the most cost effective solution commensurate with customer service.
• Liaise with the Raw Material and Formulation department, giving feedback on quality, performance and delivery to make best use of Raw Materials purchased.
• Ensure effective Raw Material planning so that stock outs are avoided.
• Manage resource deployment/utilisation, expenses and operational costs in line with budget.
• Agree changes in manufacturing and logistics strategy or tactics with the Operations Director.
• Be responsible for appropriate capital expenditure, managed to budget and ensure budgeted performance.

People Management

• Establish a training and development programme to suit the individual requirements of each direct subordinate.
• Manage, motivate and develop employees to achieve a personal plan in line with the key Business Unit objectives.
• Develop a plan of succession to identify key personnel for promotion and exclusive projects to enhance their career.
• Ensure that correct numbers and quality of staff are maintained.
• Continually monitor levels of absence and address problems as necessary

Health, Safety & Environment

• Ensure a safety first culture operates across the site, and ensure that all company procedures and statutory requirements are fully adhered to.
• In conjunction with the Operations Director, it is your responsibility to work towards these objectives by planning, training, supervising, consulting, investigating and preventing.
• Manage the sites to the requirements of Environmental permits and compliance to ISO14001 and ISO50001.
• Encourage good Health & Safety practice on site for employees, visitors and contractors, achieving continued improvement on behaviour, accident prevention and near miss reporting

Feed Legislation

• Ensure audits are conducted on a regular basis to ensure compliance with UFAS standards and relevant Feed legislation.

Public Relations

• Ensure Forfarmers brand image is maintained and promoted throughout the manufacturing departments to support the company image.
• Maintain contact with key accounts and all the local principle influencers in the industry, e.g. statutory bodies, competitors, consultants, veterinaries, local and national publications.

Your profile

Essential:

• Work experience in a similar quality environment/previous role.
• Affinity with the business and markets would be beneficial
• Knowledge of and experience of manufacturing
• Knowledge of and experience of transport & logistics
• Management skills
• The ability to constantly drive for improvement and development
• Proactive / results driven
• Team Player
• IT literate
• The ability to motivate and bring strategy to life
• A positive can do attitude
• Strong communication, collaboration and influencing skills to network at all levels internally & externally.
• Good Health and Safety awareness
• Effective decision making skills.
• Self-Motivated and confident to challenge
• Commercial and analytical mind-set
• Great organisational skills

Desirable:

• Live within 30 miles of the mill (ideally but not a deal breaker)

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Programme (offering support on a range of topics).
• No two days are the same offering variety in your role.
• Options to enhance your pension after 12 months service (increased employer contributions).
• Opportunities to grow personally and develop within the business
• Cycle to work scheme.
• B&Q Trade card offering 10% discounts in-store and online.
• And much more!

About ForFarmers
Do you ever stop to wonder where your Sunday morning poached egg came from? Or the milk in your cafè latte? Or what about the sausage and bacon served with full English? It will come as no surprise to you that the animals which produce these products need to eat themselves too. And that’s where ForFarmers comes into the equation.
ForFarmers produces feed for cattle, pigs and poultry in both conventional and organic livestock farming. And that probably sounds a great deal simpler than it actually is. Make no mistake: an awful lot of knowledge, research and innovation has gone into one of those seemingly simple-looking chunks of animal feed. And these are the kind of things we, as a company, invest a great deal in.
Proud values:

Please refer the Job description for details