Operations & Purchasing Director (food)

The organisation

We are conducting an executive search for an Operations & Purchasing Director for a food manufacturing organization based in South Germany (Bayern). The organization is poised for growth; a company which has embraced the vision to delight its customers, while out-performing its competitors,is a leader in complex manufacturing and supply chain solutions and is focused on being a best-in-class employer. The organization seeks diverse and passionate people who thrive in a dynamic environment and are focused on continuous learning.

The position

The Operations & Purchasing Director runs the strategic and day-to-day operations of three large production facilities and oversees purchasing of important raw materials. They are responsible for directing daily operational activities within the manufacturing sites to improve safety, quality, cost, productivity, reliability, sustainability, and service performance. Liaison between commercial leadership and the sites to ensure programs are executed consistently across all sites and in compliance with customer requirements and regulations. Champion the coaching and development of the team on site. The Operations & Purchasing Director plays an important role in connecting with the agricultural suppliers, so affinity with farming is a plus.

Tasks & responsibilities

• Develop and drive implementation of company strategies into the manufacturing facilities that contribute to the success of the business
• Establish the leadership and set the strategic direction for the plant teams. Inherent in this are the establishment of the vision and the nurturing of a culture that achieves the company's goals and the development of plant personnel and the leadership team
• Conducts negotiations with potential and/or current major suppliers
• Formulates short- and long-term operating objectives in areas such as quality improvement, cost reduction, manufacturing/processing efficiency, and new product development
• Develops and implements plans to achieve appropriate production volumes and profit projections
• Develop and be accountable for operations, capital and productivity budget
• Drive a continuous improvement mindset
• Ensure that all operations facilities comply with internal guidelines and external legislation related to quality, safety, environmental, and ethical requirements
• Monitor key plant metrics on periodic basis and manage plant resources to achieve company goals, to include financial accountability for all Plant operations.
• Work with manufacturing facilities to ensure employee and food safety
• People development including creating succession plans to support growth

Candidate profile

The ideal candidate has experience as a Plant Manager for a single plant or as Operations Director for multiple sites in food manufacturing and is ready for the next step in his or her career. The best cultural fit will be found with a professional, no-nonsense leader with a 'lead by example' mindset. 

Are you a highly motivated, hands-on, results driven, forward thinking professional who can thrive in a team-oriented environment? Do you have demonstrated success in developing and implementing continuous improvement initiatives? Do you want to lead these dynamic plants producing daily fresh products into the future?

Professional Experience/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Several years of successful senior management of food products manufacturing, with emphasis on high performance organizations producing multiple products in multiple locations
• Experience with applicable leading-edge practices in production, sourcing, human capital development and continuous improvement methodologies. Of special interest are experiences in the following:
  • Building a culture of continuous improvement
  • Run-right processes
  • Servant leadership concepts
  • Employee selection and development, utilizing servant leadership principles
  • Building credibility with front-line employees through proven touchpoints
  • Financial acumen, able to understand and improve production costs and efficiencies.
• Strong team orientation, with experience in culture and team development
• Self-starter with a desire to get things done, with enthusiasm
• Must be willing to work in the meat industry

Interested?

You can apply to this postion by using the link below. 

Procedure:

• Selection based on resume
• Intake with AFF Recruitment & Executive Search
• 4 interviews
• Guided tour
• Assessment