Head of Operations
| Company: | The Compleat Food Group |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £75-85k + Car Allowance + Bonus |
| Hours: | Full-time |
| Location: | Ebbw Vale, NP23 5SD |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Posting date: | 8 Jul 2026 |
| Closing date: | 15 Aug 2026 |
Summary
Job Advert
Head of Operations
Ebbw Vale, South Wales
£75,000 - £85,000 + Car Allowance + Bonus
Perm
The Compleat Food Group
Lead Operational Excellence in a Fast-Paced FMCG Environment
The Compleat Food Group is one of the UK's leading food manufacturers, producing Food to Feel Good for major retailers and
consumers across the country.
We are looking for an experienced and driven Head of Operations to join our Ebbw Vale site, taking responsibility for the
end-to-end manufacturing operation across multiple chilled product lines. This is a key leadership role, reporting directly to the
Site Director and playing a pivotal role in delivering operational performance, service excellence, product quality and continuous
improvement.
The Role
As Head of Operations, you will lead the manufacturing operation from order receipt through to product delivery, overseeing both
inbound and outbound supply chains while managing multiple Factory Managers.
You'll be responsible for ensuring the site delivers against financial, service, quality and people objectives, whilst driving a
culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
* Lead and develop a team of Factory Managers across multiple manufacturing areas.
* Deliver budgeted financial performance, service levels and operational KPIs.
* Set, manage and forecast operational budgets and overhead expenditure.
* Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve efficiency, quality and profitability.
* Work closely with Development teams to support successful product and process launches.
* Champion food safety, quality and hygiene standards across all operations.
* Build strong relationships with customers and host customer visits when required.
* Lead capital investment projects, from business case development through to implementation and delivery of benefits.
* Develop talent and succession plans across the manufacturing leadership team.
* Support recruitment, coaching and development of future operational leaders.
* Ensure a positive employee relations culture and effective people management practices.
* Collaborate closely with Supply Chain, Technical, Engineering, HR and Commercial teams to achieve business objectives.
What We're Looking For
Essential Experience
* Minimum 10 years' experience within FMCG manufacturing.
* Strong background in chilled food production, ideally supplying major UK retailers.
* Experience operating within a high-care manufacturing environment.
* Proven track record of leading large operational teams through change and continuous improvement programmes.
* Strong financial acumen, including budget ownership, forecasting and P&L accountability.
* Experience managing operational performance through KPIs and data-driven decision making.
* Knowledge of food safety, quality and technical standards.
* Strong employee relations and people leadership experience.
* Experience managing cross-functional projects and capital investment programmes.
* Understanding of end-to-end supply chain operations.
Desirable
* Experience working with major retail customers.
* Commercial awareness and customer-facing experience.
* Degree qualified, ideally in a Food Science, Manufacturing or Engineering-related discipline.
* Formal leadership or management qualification.
Why Join The Compleat Food Group?
At The Compleat Food Group, we are committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive and develop their careers.
Benefits Include:
* Competitive salary of £75,000 - £85,000
* Car allowance
* Annual bonus scheme
* Private medical insurance
* Life assurance
* Enhanced pension options
* 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
* Salary sacrifice schemes
* Employee discounts and wellbeing support
* Ongoing learning and development opportunities
* Career progression within a growing food manufacturing business
If you're an experienced operational leader with a passion for manufacturing excellence and a track record of delivering results
in a fast-paced FMCG environment, we'd love to hear from you.