Department:
Operations
Reporting to:
Operations Director, with accountability to the Tozer Seeds Operational Board
Direct reports:
Warehouse operations team – Warehouse Operative, Warehouse Supervisor, Processing Manager.
Key internal and external relationships:
- Internal: Operations Director; Operational Board; Group Stock Manager; Commercial; Customer Services; Sales Administration; Agronomy; Health & Safety / Facilities; UK and international colleagues.
- External: Third-party logistics and storage providers; relevant transport, maintenance and equipment suppliers.
Location:
Cobham, UK, onsite five days per week, with flexibility during transition and occasional UK and international travel.
Contract type:
Interim fixed-term contract. Approximately 18 months. Starting ASAP.
Contractual hours:
40 hours per week.
Working pattern:
Onsite in Cobham, five days per week, with flexibility required for the transition/start and finish/days of work.
Role Summary:
The Interim Operations Manager provides hands-on operational leadership during a critical period of transition. The role will stabilise day-to-day warehouse operations, improve team and process performance, maintain customer service and stock integrity, and prepare the operation for the planned relocation at the end of 2027 / early 2028. The postholder will balance immediate operational control with longer-term transformation and continuous improvement. Our aim is to have worldclass disciplines, optimised operations and a modern/best in class warehouse.
Role Purpose:
Lead and improve UK warehouse and related operational activity so that customer service, stock control, safety, quality and compliance are maintained and enhanced throughout the transition. Establish clear accountability, robust standard operating procedures, reliable performance measures and relocation readiness, while building an operating framework that can be sustained by the future team.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead day-to-day warehouse operations across current UK sites, providing visible, hands-on leadership, clear priorities, coaching and accountability for the team.
- Deliver accurate, timely order fulfilment and customer service, including picking, packing, dispatch, repack activity, shipment booking, transport planning and stock transfers to UK and overseas locations.
- Maintain accurate, traceable stock records and movements across Tozer sites and third-party storage, resolving discrepancies and system issues in conjunction with the Group Stock Manager.
- Develop, complete and embed standard operating procedures and stronger SAP disciplines across warehouse processes, including preparation for barcode scanning where agreed.
- Establish an operational excellence framework using clear KPIs, daily and weekly reviews, structured problem solving, process mapping, waste reduction and documented continuous improvement.
- Manage operational relationships with third-party logistics, storage, processing, transport and service providers, driving reliability, simplification, efficiency and cost control.
- Lead operational readiness for the planned relocation by organising legacy stock, documenting workflows, capturing knowledge transfer, automating and defining the framework and team requirements for the future operation.
- Work in accordance with the Company’s health, safety, environmental and quality requirements, supporting audits and safe working practices.
- Undertake other reasonable responsibilities consistent with the purpose and level of the role.
Essential knowledge and experience:
- Proven experience leading warehouse or operational activities.
- Experience improving team performance and leading change in an operational environment.
- Strong knowledge of warehouse operations, stock control, logistics and distribution (international).
- Experience using SAP or a comparable ERP / stock control system.
- Experience designing, implementing and embedding SOPs and process improvements.
- Health and Safety
Essential skills and capabilities:
- Credible, visible and hands-on leadership style.
- Ability to balance immediate service delivery with longer-term transformation.
- Strong problem-solving, troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capability.
- Highly organised, accurate and attentive to detail.
- Resilient and effective in a changing environment.
- Strong stakeholder management across functions, suppliers and international colleagues.
- Forklift truck licence
- Driving licence
Desirable Criteria:
- Experience in agriculture, seeds, food or another regulated sector.
- Experience of international logistics and export documentation.
- Experience leading a site transition, warehouse reset or relocation.
Measures of Success:
- Customer orders continue to be delivered accurately and on time throughout the transition, with agreed pick-accuracy measures in place.
- Stock accuracy, traceability and system discipline improve, with discrepancies and obsolete stock reduced against agreed baselines.
- Priority warehouse SOPs are complete, current, implemented and consistently followed.
- A sustainable operating rhythm is established, including clear KPIs, daily and weekly performance reviews, ownership and structured problem solving.
- The operation is demonstrably ready for relocation, with legacy stock organised, processes documented, knowledge transfer captured and the future operating framework defined.
- Agreed milestones are met and exceeded.
Scope and Decision Making Authority:
- Direct reports: warehouse operations team
- Geographic / operational scope: current UK warehouse sites, third-party storage and processing partners, with collaboration across the Netherlands, Spain and the USA.
- Operational scope: warehouse leadership, fulfilment, stock movement and integrity, logistics, SOPs, systems discipline, continuous improvement, suppliers and relocation readiness.
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