Factory Manager - Nocton in Branston, Lincolnshire

Factory Manager - Nocton

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Factory Manager – Nocton

Role

As the senior leader at our Nocton site, you will take overall responsibility for the safe, compliant and profitable operation of the site. You will lead and develop the site team, ensuring the timely supply of quality materials to our local factories. You will drive operational excellence, continuous improvement and effective change management, making best use of people, processes and resources to deliver outstanding performance and customer service.

About the site

Nocton is a distinctive site built around a single, high-tonnage grading line and a small, multiskilled team. It is not a multi-line factory. It does, however, play a critical part in the end-to-end supply chain for every one of our Lincoln business units, so the quality, consistency and reliability of what leaves Nocton are felt right across the business.

Nocton sits at the heart of our supply chain, taking in and storing crop and processing secondary material for our added value business units, and we are developing it into a more production-led operation, with the systems, standards and ways of working to match. There is real scope to improve how we optimise the crop – working with colleagues across the business to make best use of specifications and yield – and this is an equal part of the role alongside running the site day to day. If you want a role where you can see the direct impact of your decisions and shape how a site develops, this is it.

Key responsibilities

Take full accountability for site performance, including health and safety, quality, hygiene, production and financial control.

Ensure the effective supply of materials to internal customers, meeting agreed service levels and production plans.

Lead stock management, forecasting, stock rotation and supply planning to minimise waste and maximise availability.

Work with procurement, agronomy, technical and the factories we supply to optimise crop use, specifications and yield.

Drive operational efficiency, productivity, yield improvement and site profitability through KPI management and continuous improvement.

Ensure compliance with BRC, FEMAS, TFMS and all relevant food safety, quality and audit standards.

Lead, motivate and develop a high-performing small site team.

Manage labour, budgets, equipment and site infrastructure to optimise performance.

Build strong working relationships with internal departments, customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders.

Skills and experience

Experience in food manufacturing, ideally within fresh produce or potato supply – essential.

Experience leading a whole site and managing multi-functional teams across production, quality, H&S and stores – essential.

Strong stock management, forecasting and supply planning skills – essential.

Financial management and budgeting experience – essential.

Minimum five years' senior management experience within FMCG, ideally in a high-risk food manufacturing environment – preferred.

Degree-level qualification – preferred.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a hands-on and influential leader who can take ownership of site performance and inspire a team to deliver results. You will be an excellent communicator, a confident decision-maker and passionate about continuous improvement, with the ability to build strong relationships across the wider business. You will be equally comfortable working with crop, specifications and yield as you are leading a production line, and motivated by helping a crop-focused site develop into a production-led operation. Most importantly, you will lead by example, champion our Branston values and create a culture where safety, quality, accountability and teamwork are at the heart of everything we do.

Benefits

·       Company bonus scheme 

·       Enhanced pension contributions

·       Private Health Insurance

·       Life Assurance & critical illness cover

·       Onsite Parking

·       Free fruit & potatoes

·       Electric salary sacrifice car scheme