Factory Manager

Company Description

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company.

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Pauls. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations. 

Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the Jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?!  We need people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact.

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences.

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial, and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals.

About the Role

The Factory Manager holds full accountability for leading and managing the assigned Production Units, ensuring optimal performance in quality, output, and cost efficiency through the effective use of all production resources. This role plays a pivotal part in driving operational excellence and delivering results across all key performance areas.

In addition to overseeing daily production operations, the Factory Manager leads the Site Leadership Team, providing strategic direction, fostering cross‑functional alignment, and ensuring that site-wide objectives are achieved. Acting as the central reference point for all activities related to the development, enhancement, and continuous improvement of production processes, the Factory Manager champions a culture of efficiency, safety, and continuous improvement across the site.

Main Responsibilities

Production Management & Execution

• Lead and manage production budgets (labour, energy, maintenance, investments) with relevant functions.
• In conjunction with the Area Engineering Manager ensures effective maintenance and reliability of all production assets.
• Deliver production plans on time, within cost, and to required standards.
• Optimise end‑to‑end production resources to maximise efficiency.
• Ensure full compliance with safety, environmental, food, and regulatory requirements.
• Guarantee product quality through adherence to defined standards.
• Ensure production processes follow approved technical specifications.

Development & Improvement

• Identify and implement improvements to production processes, organisation, and equipment.
• Lead and prioritise improvement initiatives aligned with group strategy.
• Drive development of the plant’s industrial systems through continuous improvement.
• Own the plant master plan for the assigned production area.

People Management

• Define development plans and support the growth of team members.
• Motivate, coach, and enable teams to deliver high performance.
• Ensure effective communication and information cascade across all production teams.

Continuous Improvement

• Collect and implement improvement ideas for processes, organisation, and plant performance.
• Strengthen the plant’s industrial system through structured continuous improvement.
• Prioritise improvement activities in line with FBC UK guidelines.

Quality

• Ensure production meets defined quality standards.
• In conjunction with the QFS function maintains compliance with hygiene, quality, and certification requirements (e.g., ISO, IFS).
• Act as point of accountability for product quality and safety for site-produced goods.

Technological Process

• Ensure all operations follow agreed technical standards.
• Align and update production processes in line with new technologies.

Safety & Environment

• Guarantee compliance with all safety, environmental, and food legislation.
• Oversee implementation of all regulatory requirements.
• Maintain responsibility for health and safety performance to external bodies.

Personnel Management

• Allocate resources to lines in line with operational needs.
• Support medium‑term workforce planning with the Shift Planner.
• Manage daily workforce changes (allocation, breaks, cover, holidays etc.).
• Support conflict resolution and participate in disciplinary processes.
• Lead medium‑ to long‑term resource planning for the production area.
• Support strong communication and alignment through line managers.

Who we are looking for

Education & Technical Background

• Degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations Management, or a related technical field (or equivalent experience).
• Strong knowledge of production processes, industrial operations, and manufacturing best practice.
• Demonstrated understanding of safety, environmental, food, and regulatory compliance requirements.

Experience

• Significant experience in a production, operations, or factory management role in a manufacturing environment.
• Proven track record of leading teams and managing performance in a high‑volume or fast‑paced production setting.
• Experience managing production budgets and optimising cost, quality, and efficiency.
• Hands‑on experience with continuous improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Kaizen, Six Sigma).
• Experience implementing quality standards and maintaining certifications (e.g., ISO, IFS, BRC, HACCP).
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross‑functional teams and act as part of a senior site leadership team.

Skills & Capabilities

• Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience developing and coaching teams.
• Excellent problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.
• Strong planning, organisational, and prioritisation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex activities simultaneously while maintaining focus on operational results.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Competence in using production systems, reporting tools, and standard Microsoft applications.

Diversity Statement

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.

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