Operations & Supply Chain Manager (Food Manufacturing)About Purition
Purition is a growing health and wellness food brand based in Shrewsbury. We manufacture minimally processed, whole-food nutrition products using real-food ingredients, protein, fibre and healthy fats.
We have a strong direct-to-consumer e-commerce business, a loyal customer base and ambitious plans for future growth. This is an opportunity to improve and shape the operational foundations of a growing food-manufacturing business.
The role
We are looking for an experienced, hands-on Operations & Supply Chain Manager to take responsibility for the performance of our manufacturing operation and end-to-end supply chain.
Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you will lead and develop our Factory Manager, strengthen production planning and purchasing, improve inventory control and take ownership of our Cin7 ERP system.
You will connect customer demand with purchasing, stock, production capacity and factory output. Working closely with the Factory Manager and Technical & Compliance Manager, you will ensure the business has the materials, people, information and processes required to manufacture safely, efficiently and consistently.
This role combines practical factory leadership with planning, data and systems. You must be comfortable spending time on the factory floor while also working confidently with forecasts, spreadsheets, suppliers and ERP data.
Key responsibilities
- Take overall responsibility for day-to-day manufacturing and supply-chain performance.
- Lead, support and develop the Factory Manager, helping them improve their management skills and accountability.
- Provide clear priorities, structure and support to the wider production team.
- Convert sales forecasts, subscriptions and promotional plans into production and purchasing requirements.
- Create and maintain weekly and longer-term production plans.
- Balance demand, production capacity, stock availability and supplier lead times.
- Purchase ingredients, packaging and other production materials.
- Manage supplier lead times, order quantities, pricing and delivery performance.
- Work with Technical to ensure that suppliers and materials meet the required approval and specification standards.
- Maintain appropriate stock levels while reducing shortages, excess stock, waste and expiry.
- Improve stock accuracy across raw materials, packaging, work in progress and finished goods.
- Take ownership of the day-to-day use, accuracy and development of Cin7.
- Maintain accurate product, purchasing, inventory and production information within the ERP system.
- Develop practical MES-style systems for recording production activity, output, material usage, yields, waste and downtime.
- Monitor operational KPIs including output, plan attainment, labour efficiency, yield, waste, stock accuracy and customer service.
- Identify capacity, staffing, equipment and supply risks before they affect customers.
- Coordinate maintenance planning and support improvements to factory layout, equipment and processes.
- Strengthen operational routines, procedures, reporting and accountability.
- Promote high standards of health and safety, housekeeping and good manufacturing practice.
- Work closely with the Technical & Compliance Manager to ensure operational improvements support food safety, quality and compliance.
- Report clearly to the Managing Director on performance, risks, priorities and improvement plans.
About you
You will be an organised, commercially aware and practical operations professional who understands how production, purchasing, inventory and customer demand fit together.
You will be confident leading people and developing a junior manager, but you will also be comfortable working directly with detailed data and systems. You should be someone who sees problems early, creates clear plans and follows actions through to completion.
Essential requirements
- Management experience within food manufacturing or a closely related FMCG manufacturing environment.
- Experience leading production operations and developing supervisors or junior managers.
- Practical experience of production planning, purchasing and inventory control.
- Strong understanding of demand forecasting, capacity planning and material requirements.
- Hands-on experience using an ERP, MRP, inventory or production-planning system.
- Strong computer literacy and confidence working with spreadsheets and operational data.
- Ability to analyse information and produce clear, accurate management reports.
- Strong people-management, communication and problem-solving skills.
- Experience establishing and monitoring meaningful operational KPIs.
- Good commercial judgement when dealing with suppliers, costs and stock.
- Comfortable working both on the factory floor and at a computer.
- Able to work independently and report directly to the Managing Director.
Desirable
- Experience within ambient or dry-food blending and packing.
- Experience with Cin7 or a comparable cloud-based ERP system.
- Experience developing or introducing MES-style production-recording systems.
- Familiarity with Apple Mac computers and Google Workspace, particularly Google Sheets, Docs, Drive and Gmail.
- Level 3 Food Safety qualification.
- IOSH or another relevant health and safety qualification.
- Lean manufacturing, continuous-improvement, CIPS or supply-chain training.
- Experience within a growing DTC, e-commerce or FMCG business.
- Experience managing packaging and ingredient suppliers.
Previous Cin7 experience is not required. However, you must be highly digitally capable, experienced with comparable systems and able to learn new software quickly.
Working hours
37.5 hours per week:
- Monday to Thursday: 8am–5pm, with a 45-minute unpaid lunch
- Friday: 8am–12:30pm
This is an on-site role based in Shrewsbury.
Salary
£45,000–£55,000 per annum, depending on experience.
Shortlisted applicants may be asked to complete a brief, relevant planning and systems exercise as part of the selection process.
Pay: £45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Paid volunteer time
- Private medical insurance
Work Location: In person
