Senior Operations Manager - Fresh Produce

We are looking for an experienced operational leader to join as Senior Operations Manager – Fruit Packing & Citrus Operations .

This role will be responsible for leading the operational management of our fruit packing centres while supporting one of the company's most important strategic projects: the development and implementation of a new citrus packing platform that will play a key role in the companies future growth.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys building operations, developing people and contributing to the creation of a high-performance operational culture within a fast-growing business.

Mission

Lead fruit packing operations, ensuring operational excellence, customer satisfaction, food safety, people development and continuous improvement while supporting the implementation of the company's long-term citrus strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead the day-to-day operations of the multiple fruit packing centres.
• Coordinate production, packing, warehouse and logistics activities.
• Ensure production plans are executed safely, efficiently and on time.
• Balance operational capacity with commercial requirements and customer demand.
• Monitor operational performance through KPIs and implement corrective actions whenever required.
• Drive operational consistency and best practices across different business units.

Citrus Operations Development

• Support the implementation of the company's new citrus packing platform.
• Contribute to operational planning, process definition and facility layout.
• Participate in equipment selection, commissioning and operational start-up.
• Develop operational procedures and performance standards.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding and development of future operational teams.
• Help build a scalable operational model capable of supporting future business growth.

Team Leadership

• Lead multidisciplinary operational teams.
• Coach and develop Production Supervisors, Coordinators and Team Leaders.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous development.
• Promote collaboration across departments and operational excellence.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, efficiency and operational performance.
• Standardise operational processes between different packing centres.
• Reduce operational waste and improve resource utilisation.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with IFS, BRC, HACCP and customer requirements.
• Promote a strong food safety culture.
• Support internal, customer and certification audits.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety standards.