Technical Manager

About

First Milk is a wholly British farmer-owned dairy co-operative. They produce award-winning cheddar, regional cheeses and dairy ingredients, and market fresh milk through collaborative milk sourcing and supply chain management services. Their award-winning cheeses are produced by experienced cheesemakers around the UK. They have creameries in the English Lake District and at the idyllic South West tip of Wales. Where they produce a fantastic range of greattasting Cheddar, Red Leicester and Double Gloucester, that are all made with fresh milk and packed full of flavour. The majority of their cheese is sold as high-quality block cheddar through their partner, Ornua.

In addition to producing cheese, they produce bulk cream and whey proteins. They also focus on providing high quality, traceable fresh milk to a range of dairy manufacturers and processors across the UK. This is a key part of their business and they work with many customers as their long-term supply partner, helping them to deliver their objectives through their responsible sourcing and supply chain management services.

The Opportunity

At this time First Milk seeks an outstanding individual to join the site leadership team at their Haverfordwest site in the role of Technical Manager, with the aim of transforming the site and engaging its people to deliver excellence. In a competitive global economy, the core principles of the plan is to develop a commercially focused workforce to provide great service and value to its customers; that is highly efficient; and is relentlessly focused on food safety, quality and manufacturing excellence.

An opportunity has arisen for a Technical Manager with demonstrable transformation and exceptional leadership expertise to join the senior leadership team of the site with a view to developing in to a more senior technical leadership role in the business within two years.

The company is committed to a continuous improvement programme underpinned with a long term capital investment plan to upgrade the site. This role requires a ‘hands on’ leader who knows how to get results; improvements to food safety and quality performance will be second nature!

If you are someone who relishes a challenge we would love to hear from you.

The successful candidate

In addition to leading the technical team in the pursuit of delivering manufacturing excellence; the successful candidate is likely to demonstrate the following qualities, experience and background.

• a committed leader who has a real passion for Technical management in FMCG manufacturing
• a team player as well as a team leader
• setting high standards of outputs, seeks to ‘get it right first time’
• ensures the site puts safety and quality first
• enjoys a challenge – demonstrable experience of transforming a food manufacturing site and engaging people
• consistently delivers all KPI’s
• significant technical management experience and the ability to utilise cross functional capability when necessary
• inspires and motivates people at all levels to optimise results
• reporting to the site director you will have full accountability for successfully driving the technical element of the site business plan
• effectively coaching, mentoring and developing the team to reach their full potential is key to achieving success
• doesn’t accept failure
• Is technically qualified to a level which is commensurate with this role. The successful candidate would be joining a forward thinking company, with ambitious targets and growth plans.

The location

This role is based at the Haverfordwest site in rural Wales, this is a site based position and support to relocate to this idyllic location would be offered.

Haverfordwest can be found in the centre of Pembrokeshire, positioned on the western arm of the upper reaches of the River Cleddau and is home 14,000 people. It dates as far back into history as the Saxons, although Iron Age Settlers were nearby on Beacon Hill, Romans, and Viking Invaders have all left their mark. Its surrounded by pleasing rich green countryside and is only six miles or so from the sea. The town nudges the border of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park so walkers and cyclists are often kept busy, whilst those who prefer to explore the town will certainly uncover a myriad of shops, bars, and restaurants with tasty morsels to try, and there is even an ancient Coaching Inn dating back to the 1700’s, which continues to play its part to visitors just as it did when Haverfordwest was on a coaching route in centuries past. The town has an industrial legacy of coal mining and stone quarrying, together with dairy farming which today provides the creamery with milk.

To apply, please send your CV to Jaclyn Needham, Director at FWB Park Brown at applications@fwbparkbrown.com.  For an initial confidential conversation please contact 0131 539 7087.