HOURS 40 hours per week
SALARY £35,000+ based on experience
REPORTS TO: CEO
DATE: August 2026
ABOUT US
Freedom Bakery is an artisan bakery with a wholesale trade across Glasgow and the West of Scotland. As a social enterprise, we have spent over a decade working with individuals in the prison system, providing training and employment opportunities. In 2026, this work will expand further through the launch of a dedicated charity. Our bakery specialises in sourdough and slow-fermented breads, crafted primarily for the high-end restaurant sector and independent retailers. With a strong focus on quality, craftsmanship, and purpose, we have built a reputation for exceptional products with a meaningful social impact that have been rewarded at the BBC Food and Farming Awards and Slow Food Scotland.
THE ROLE:
We are looking for a hands-on Operations Manager to lead the day-to-day bakery operation and help implement a significant programme of operational improvement.Working closely with the CEO, an external consultant and the bakery team, the Operations Manager will be responsible for embedding improved production processes, increasing product consistency, improving quality and customer feedback, and building a more disciplined and scalable operation.This is not a desk-based management role. The successful candidate will spend significant time on the bakery floor, working directly with the team, understanding problems, improving processes and ensuring agreed standards are followed.The role will become the CEO's operational No.2 and will have responsibility for managing the bakery production team.
KEY TASKS:
- Lead and manage the bakery production team.Implement and embed new production processes and working practices.
- Ensure recipes, production methods and agreed standards are consistently followed.
- Improve consistency and overall quality across all existing product lines.
- Reduce production errors, waste and avoidable customer complaints.
- Establish clear accountability and performance expectations within the team.
- Coach and develop employees while addressing poor performance or resistance to change where necessary.
- Work alongside the CEO, external consultant and bakers to refine production processes.
- Introduce appropriate quality controls, operating procedures and performance measures.
- Identify bottlenecks and opportunities to improve productivity and production capacity.
- Support the introduction and successful scaling of new product lines.
- Improve production planning, scheduling and utilisation of staff and resources.
- Create an operational environment capable of supporting increased volumes and sales.
- Provide the CEO with clear visibility of operational performance, risks and priorities.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
We are looking for someone who combines strong operational management with excellent people leadership.
The successful candidate will:
- Have experience managing operational change within a small or medium-sized business.
- Be comfortable taking responsibility for an established team where existing working practices need to change.
- Be confident managing difficult conversations and addressing performance issues directly.
- Be able to gain the respect of experienced employees without being intimidated by resistance to change.
- Be practical and hands-on rather than purely managerial.
- Have strong organisational and problem-solving skills.
- Understand how to turn processes and procedures into everyday working practices.
- Be comfortable operating in a fast-moving SME environment where management structures are relatively lean.
- Be commercially aware and understand the relationship between quality, productivity, capacity, customer satisfaction and sales.
EXPERIENCE:
Ideally:
- Bakery production management experience.
- Food manufacturing or food production experience.
- Experience implementing quality and process improvement programmes.
- Experience managing production teams.
However, bakery experience is not essential.
We would consider candidates from other food manufacturing, production or operational environments where they have successfully led teams through significant operational change.
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:
The individual needs to be: Calm but assertive; Direct and comfortable holding people accountable; Fair and consistent; Resilient when facing resistance; Comfortable challenging established practices; Able to build trust with experienced production staff; Highly visible and engaged on the production floor; Pragmatic rather than overly corporate or bureaucratic; and Comfortable working closely with an entrepreneurial CEO.
INITIAL PRIORITIES:
During the first three months the Operations Manager would be expected to:
- Understand the current production operation and team.
- Establish clear expectations and accountability.
- Work with the CEO and consultant to implement the new production processes.
- Introduce practical quality controls across all product lines.
- Identify employees who require additional support, development or performance management.
- Identify immediate opportunities to improve quality, productivity and capacity.
- Begin establishing the operating disciplines required for the bakery to grow.
MEASURES OF SUCCESS:
Over the first 6–12 months we would expect to see:
- Significant improvement in product consistency and quality.
- Agreed production processes consistently followed.
- Reduction in customer complaints.
- Improved customer feedback.Greater accountability across the production team.
- Increased production capacity and volumes.
- Successful introduction of additional product lines.
- Improved productivity and reduced waste.
- Increased sales enabled by a more reliable and scalable production operation.
BENEFITS:
● A salary of £35,000+ with annual reviews (we are a Living Wage Foundation employer)
● A company pension scheme with a 7% employer contribution
● An annual end-of-year bonus
● A small, friendly team from all walks of life
- As much free bread and pastries as you can carry!
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Discounted or free food
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
