The Vacancy
Location: Craigavon, Northern IrelandDepartment: OperationsCompany: Pilgrim’s Europe
Lead Operational Excellence in a Fast-Paced Food Manufacturing Environment!
Pilgrim’s Europe is looking for an experienced Operations Manager to join our Craigavon site.
This is a key leadership role responsible for driving operational performance across a busy food manufacturing operation. You’ll lead production teams to deliver exceptional standards in safety, quality, service, cost, and people development, while championing a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Working as part of the site leadership team, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring the site achieves its operational and strategic objectives through strong leadership, effective decision-making, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and develop manufacturing teams to achieve production, quality, safety, and service targets.
- Drive operational efficiency through continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and best practice methodologies.
- Ensure the highest standards of Health & Safety, Food Safety, GMP, and compliance are maintained at all times.
- Deliver site KPIs including productivity, yield, labour utilisation, waste reduction, and customer service performance.
- Manage budgets, operational costs, and resource planning to maximise profitability.
- Coach, develop, and build capability within operational management teams.
- Lead performance management, succession planning, and employee engagement activities.
- Collaborate with Technical, Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, and Commercial teams to deliver business objectives.
- Support the implementation of strategic initiatives, capital projects, and operational improvement programmes.
- Ensure the site remains audit-ready and fully compliant with customer, legal, and company standards.
About You
Essential
- Proven Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Production Manager, or Factory Manager experience within food manufacturing or FMCG.
- Strong leadership experience managing large teams within a fast-paced production environment.
- Excellent understanding of food safety, quality standards, and operational compliance.
- Experience managing KPIs, costs, labour planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Strong problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Results-focused with a passion for people development and operational excellence.
Desirable
- Degree or equivalent qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Food, or a related discipline.
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement experience.
- IOSH, NEBOSH, HACCP, or Food Safety qualifications.
- Experience within chilled, fresh food, or protein manufacturing.
Why Join Pilgrim’s Europe?
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Bonus opportunity.
- Pension scheme.
- Life assurance.
- Employee discount platform.
- Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
- Career progression within one of Europe’s leading food manufacturing businesses.
At Pilgrim’s Europe, our values of Ownership, Determination, Discipline, Humility, Availability, Simplicity, and Sincerity are at the heart of everything we do.
If you’re an ambitious operational leader looking to make a significant impact within a leading food manufacturing business, we’d love to hear from you.
Apply today and take the next step in your leadership career with Pilgrim’s Europe.
Our Story
Pilgrim’s Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland, including Fridge Raiders, Rollover, Denny, Richmond, Oakhouse and Moy Park, alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork, lamb and chicken, working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.
Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals, snacking ranges, added value and food service products.
Across Pilgrim’s Europe we combine 20,000 of the best people in the industry, united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality, most delicious and innovative food, which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK, Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrim’s Europe team are based in our Pilgrim’s UK, Moy Park, Pilgrim’s Food Masters and Pilgrim’s Shared Services businesses.
To be considered for this role you will be redirected to and must complete the application process on our careers page. To start the process, click the Apply button below to Login/Register.
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