Chief Operating Officer Job at West Midlds Full Time

The opportunity

This is a senior operational leadership role at a pivotal stage in the development of a UK manufacturing organisation.

The business has grown through acquisition and now operates multiple established production sites, each with strong local capability and long‑tenured teams. Having reached a strategic inflection point, the focus is on moving from successful, independently run sites to a fully integrated UK operation with consistent standards, shared ways of working and improved year‑round performance.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer will hold full accountability for manufacturing performance across the UK. This newly created role exists to unify operations, strengthen integration capability and raise expectations across the leadership team. It requires a visible, hands‑on leader who can balance group priorities with site realities and deliver tangible results through people, process and disciplined execution.

Key accountabilities

• Lead and align all UK manufacturing operations under a consistent operating model and performance framework.
• Drive group‑level decision‑making, reducing siloed and site‑led optimisation.
• Improve base profitability and reduce reliance on seasonal volume peaks.
• Embed practical continuous improvement and lean thinking, with a focus on capability, mindset and asset utilisation.
• Lead the integration of existing and future acquisitions across systems, processes, culture and leadership.
• Coach and challenge experienced site leaders with differing styles and legacy practices.

Candidate profile

• This role will suit a senior manufacturing leader from food or beverage manufacturing with considerable experience across multi‑site operations, transformation and integration.
• You will bring strong commercial judgement, emotional intelligence and the confidence to challenge constructively.
• Your leadership style is calm, pragmatic and delivery‑focused, with credibility on the shop floor and at executive level.

This is a newly created role that offers you the opportunity to create and develop an effective manufacturing strategy for a UK multi-site food manufacturing business that is continuing to grow, invest and expand for the future.