Director of Operations Overview A rapidly growing, family-owned food processing business with multiple production sites in County Cork is seeking to appoint a Head of Operations. The business supplies leading retail customers in Ireland and internationally and continues to scale its operations following recent investment in production capacity. This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for driving operational performance, supporting long-term growth, and ensuring consistently high standards across all sites. The Role Reporting to the owners, the Director of Operations will provide strategic and hands-on leadership across a multi-site production network. The role has full accountability for operational excellence, capacity planning, and cost control while developing strong management capability throughout the organisation. Key responsibilities include: Leading day-to-day operations across multiple fresh and frozen production lines, ensuring quality, efficiency, and delivery targets are met. Managing and developing a large operational workforce through a team of supervisors and managers. Driving operational planning, performance management, and budget control. Contributing to long-term strategy, including capacity expansion, process improvement, and major capital projects. Identifying and delivering continuous improvement and cost reduction initiatives across production, procurement, and workflows. Ensuring full compliance with food safety, quality, health & safety, and regulatory standards. Requirements Minimum 15 years' experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within food processing supplying Irish or UK retail customers. Significant senior leadership experience in multi-site or complex operations. Strong technical understanding of production equipment, maintenance planning, and asset development. Proven experience operating under BRC or equivalent food safety standards. Experience with ERP systems and continuous improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma). A track record of leading change, building high-performing teams, and scaling operations in a growing business. Skills: Production Operations Manufacturing Benefits: bonus pension health