Factory Manager

Factory Manager Kitchen Range Business Unit

Huntington / Peterborough Operations Full-Time

Lead Performance. Drive Profit. Deliver Excellence.

We have an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced Factory Manager to join our Kitchen Range Business Unit based in Huntington/Peterborough.

Reporting to the Site Director you will take full responsibility for leading factory operations delivering against profit performance and customer expectations. This is a senior leadership role where you will drive operational excellence lead high-performing teams and ensure the factory consistently achieves its strategic goals.

As part of the Pilgrims Europe way of working this is a site-based leadership role requiring visible hands-on engagement with teams and stakeholders across the factory.

What Youll Be Responsible For

• Own factory budget cost control and variance management
• Deliver profit improvement plans (PIP) and strategic cost-saving initiatives
• Manage capital expenditure and drive operational efficiencies
• Lead all factory operations to deliver output yield quality and service targets
• Ensure effective planning for peak and off-peak production periods
• Maintain strong customer service levelsinternal and external
• Work closely with Engineering to maximise plant uptime and reliability
• Champion a strong Health & Safety culture ensuring full compliance and continuous improvement
• Drive safety performance across the factory embedding accountability at all levels
• Ensure the site is fully compliant with audit legal and internal standards
• Deliver against all technical KPIs ensuring product quality and food safety standards are met
• Build strong relationships with key customers and support business development
• Lead and participate in customer and internal audits
• Lead and develop a team of Production Managers and operational leaders
• Build a high-performance engaged culture across the factory
• Drive capability through coaching training and succession planning
• Partner with HR to ensure effective workforce and talent strategies
• Embed a structured Operational Excellence (OPEX) approach across the factory
• Drive lean initiatives and continuous improvement programmes
• Deliver improvement plans to enhance performance and efficiency
• Lead initiatives to reduce energy consumption and environmental impact
• Ensure compliance with environmental standards and internal policies

What Were Looking For

• Senior leadership experience within FMCG manufacturing
• Proven track record of delivering operational and financial performance
• Strong people leadership and team development experience
• Experience driving continuous improvement and change
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Strong commercial acumen and problem-solving ability

Desirable:

• HACCP and/or IOSH qualifications
• Degree-level education or equivalent
• Experience in high-risk manufacturing environments

What Success Looks Like

• Achievement of factory financial targets and profit improvement plans
• Strong performance across safety quality and audits
• Improved production efficiency and customer service levels
• Engaged and high-performing workforce
• Sustainable improvements driven through continuous improvement

Why Join Pilgrims Europe

At Pilgrims Europe we offer more than just a rolewe offer the opportunity to lead within a global high-performing business:

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package
• Career progression across a leading international organisation
• Ongoing leadership development and training
• Performance-driven culture that recognises and rewards success
• Collaborative supportive senior leadership environment
• Employee wellbeing initiatives and support programmes
• Access to employee benefits platform and discount schemes
• Strong commitment to sustainability and responsible operations

Our Values

Our values shape everything we do:
Availability Humility Discipline Sincerity Ownership Determination Simplicity

Ready to Lead at Scale

If youre a results-driven manufacturing leader ready to take ownership of a complex operation and drive real impact wed love to hear from you.

Apply now and take the next step in your career with Pilgrims Europe

Pilgrims Europe produces some of the best-known and most iconic brands in the UK and Ireland including Fridge Raiders Rollover Denny Richmond Oakhouse and Moy Park alongside a diverse range of industry leading own-label products in categories including fresh pork lamb and chicken working with all the major retailers and food service outlets.

Our portfolio extends to authentic chilled and frozen ready meals snacking ranges added value and food service products.

Across Pilgrims Europe we combine 20000 of the best people in the industry united by a shared set of core values and a passion for producing the highest quality most delicious and innovative food which is enjoyed by millions of people in the UK Ireland and Europe every day. Our Pilgrims Europe team are based in our Pilgrims UK Moy Park Pilgrims Food Masters and Pilgrims Shared Services businesses.