Operational Excellence Manager (OpEx Manager)

The Compleat Food Group Limited; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - GBP 80,000; Full time

Job description

Operational Excellence Manager (OpEx Manager)

Location: Middlesbrough

Salary: £65,000 per annum

Operational Excellence Manager (Opex Manager)

We have an exciting opportunity for an Operational Excellence Manager to join our team in Middlesbrough.

About The Compleat Food Group

At The Compleat Food Group, we’re proud to be a food business built on purpose and passion. Formed in 2021, we’re on a mission to createFood to Feel Good – great quality, tasty and affordable food that people love to eat.

We’re home to some of the UK’s most exciting and loved food brands, includingWall’s Pastry, Pork Farms, Wrights, The Real Yorkshire Pudding Co., unearthed, Vadasz, Squeaky Bean, Palace Culture, andHarvey & Brockless. Alongside our branded portfolio, we’re a leading supplier of delicious own-label pastry, sweet bakery, party food, olives and antipasti, added-value egg products, continental meats, dips and sauces and plant-based food to the UK’s major retailers, as well as across foodservice.

Withover 6,000 talented colleagues across 17 sites, and an annual turnover of £1.3bn, we’re united by a shared ambition to shape the future of food for the better.

We are backed by European private equity firm PAI Partners.

Location: Middlesbrough

Working Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8:30am – 5pm & Friday: 8:30am – 4pm

Salary: £65,000 per annum

Job Purpose:

We are looking for a highly motivated professional to drive the identification and quantification of the improvement agenda in collaboration with the site leadership team, ensuring maximum focus and return on key strategic challenges. You will act as a leading change agent within the business, identifying and closing gaps in operational efficiency, capacity utilisation, wastage, quality, and safety against approved targets. A key part of the role is embedding an Operational Excellence (OpEx) culture across the site by coaching, facilitating, and developing colleagues at all levels, contributing to ongoing OpEx delivery. Additionally, you will manage projects from concept through to handover, taking full responsibility for delivering them to the required time, cost, and specification standards while maintaining the highest levels of safety and quality compliance.

Key Duties, Responsibilities & Accountabilities:

• Lead the diagnostic cycle to define the annual ‘bottom up’ Operational Excellence budget
• To collaborate with manufacturing colleagues to identify improvement opportunities, utilising data analysis, process observations and industry best practices and implementing flight plans to delivery.
• Provide analytic support to enable an understanding of Current state, baseline performance and capture existing issues.
• Implement principles of project governance and administration, including reporting on progress to plan and reporting of benefits delivery
• Collaboratively support and lead multi skilled/cross functional teams
• Use industry knowledge, product and equipment knowledge, project management experience and relationships across the organisation to enable successful delivery of complex/challenging projects.
• Collate data and present in an understandable format to be able to deliver required change
• Coaching and developing of Compleat Food colleagues from management to shop floor
• Develop and upskill colleagues in lean manufacturing principles, tools and techniques
• Facilitate, coach and support the effective deployment of a tiered Performance Management system at site level

Knowledge,Skillsand Experience:

• Formal qualification in an OpEx methodology such as but not limited to Lean Six sigma, Lean, TPS
• Bachelor’s degree or qualification in a vocational or specialised field short of a degree level (HNC/HND) or Apprenticeship
• Minimum 5 years of work experience, preferably in manufacturing environments
• Proven experience of implementing and leading teams in delivery of continuous improvement projects and embedding an OpEx culture with quantifiable business impact
• Experience of coaching, developing, facilitating and leading teams
• Strong financial acumen including the ability to accurately value the monetary impact of initiatives
• Formal Lean/Lean Six sigma, Continuous Improvement/ OpEx methodology knowledge
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to analyse complex data and communicate findings
• Resilience and perseverance to establish an OpEx culture
• Experience of seeking and identifying cost opportunities, improving efficiencies, improving safety and quality capability, generating innovative/creative solutions
• Proven leadership skills and business acumen and the ability to work with different functions within the organisation.
• Integrity to handle sensitive topics and respect/value the contributions of others
• Strong analytical, logical and numerical competence
• Highly developed influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing and career growth:

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• 33 days annual leave with an option to purchase extra days
• Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in-store
• Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
• EV charging points – available at selected sites
• 24/7 access to Grocery Aid for free financial, emotional, and practical support
• Physical Wellbeing Hub – free on-demand exercise classes, gym discounts
• Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of healthy recipes
• Online wellbeing support – from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
• Financial wellbeing tools – including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid
• Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS)
• Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role
• Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations
• Company Mentoring Scheme to add depth and really support your career journey
• Recognition through Club Compleat rewards

Community & Culture:

• 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you
• Charity initiatives and fundraising events
• Team socials to connect and celebrate together
• Employee networks & support groups – including Women @ Compleat
• New baby gift for new parents

The Compleat Food Group fosters an inclusive, respectful culture where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. We welcome diverse talent, knowing it drives exceptional results and a better workplace.

We are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect, we ensure all colleagues can thrive by bringing their whole selves to work. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we provide all the support you need to succeed.

Contact us with any questions about Diversity & Inclusion or accessibility during the application process.

Recruitment Agencies:

We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.

If you would be interested in working with us please send a message to [e-mail] and should we have any roles we need additional support with we will reach out to you.

By submitting your CV and personal information, you consent to The Compleat Food Group processing your personal data for the purposes of assessing your application for employment. Your data will be processed in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We will use your personal data solely for recruitment and selection purposes, and it will be securely stored and accessible only to authorized HR and hiring personnel. If your application is unsuccessful, we will retain your details for up to 24 months unless you request earlier deletion.

You have the right to:

• Access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data
• Withdraw your consent at any time
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data has been mishandled

For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our Privacy Policy .