Position:            Site Lead  

Location:           Ultrapharm, Pontypool  

Shift:                  Monday to Friday  

Salary:               Competitive with Opportunity for Growth 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Site Lead to join and lead our manufacturing team at our Ultrpaharm site as part of Finsbury Food Group. This role is ideal for an inspirational people leader looking for their first Site Lead role, or someone who is looking to join a site that's within a larger group structure. Opportunities for progression are available for a successful candidate who can deliver sustained performance over time.  

Ultrapharm is a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery specialising in only Gluten Free Product since 1993. The Company’s unique approach to craft and baking creates premium gluten – free products with the flavour and taste of traditional bread. If you have special dietary need or nutritional preferences, then our Pontypool bakery has you covered. Our Products range from artisanal bread to our award winning Hot cross buns and Mince pies for Major Retailers such as M&S and Waitrose. 

The Site Lead will lead our Operations team on site at our bakery, which employs approximately 145 people. They will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the bakery with 4 direct reports across Operations, Engineering, Hygiene & CI and dotted lines across Supply Chain, Safety & Environment. They will report to the Southern Cluster Manufacturing Director and be involved delivering the Group-led strategy. 

This role has two principal areas of accountability; the first is to deliver optimum operational performance and subsequent profitability for the site. The second is to develop and implement the operational strategy, ensuring alignment with the wider Finsbury Food Group goals. 

The successful candidate will have worked in a similar Operations/Manufacturing management position in a fast-paced environment with a proven track record in delivering profit. They will have a CI mindset with experience of leading CI programs within Operations.  They will have excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence cross-functionally in a matrix organization. Talent development is a key requirement in this role, so a proven ability to develop a strong succession pipeline will be key. 

This is what you’ll actually do! 

As Site Lead, you will lead and develop the site functions to deliver safety, quality, service, cost and people objectives. Continuous Improvement initiatives will be identified and driven to improve profit performance. Key to this is preparing robust business justifications for improvement / investment projects and working closely with peers to lead initiatives from concept to completion. 

You will lead by example in encouraging appropriate behavioural standards in support of the company’s values and culture, while also coaching teams in the implementation and training of the company’s systems and procedures. You lead and develop the Site operational teams, inspiring a shared vision, developing and implementing formal development plans. You will carry out performance development review cycle activity and dealing appropriately with poor performance. Ensuring that a clear succession plan is in place for key roles within the site. 

As Site Lead you will be expected to build and adhere to site operating and capital investment budgets. The Site Lead should also lead the team to prepare and deliver business improvement overlays based on deliverable profit improvement activities to ensure YOY improvement in direct and indirect spending. 

Key to your success as the Site Lead requires drive and determination, the ability to work strategically and operationally in implementing and overcoming resistance to change, while managing cross functional inputs with tenacity until targeted outcomes are achieved. 

Ideally this is you! 

• Previous experience in a similar management role within the manufacturing/ FMCG industry 

• Experience of managing full site P&L 

• Significant exposure to implementing and leading continuous improvement programmes 

• Demonstratable experience of delivering multiple profit improvement activities concurrently and sustainably  

• Strongly determined and shows tenacity when facing challenging situations and feedback; resilience must be prevalent! 

• A leadership style which ensures respect, drives teamwork, demonstrates honesty, robust communication and ownership 

• Demonstrable experience of successful talent development 

Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK, and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!