Established in 1963, Dunsters Farm is a family-owned, third-generation foodservice wholesaler delivering chilled, ambient and non-food products to catering customers across the North, Wales and the Midlands. We operate from depots in Bury, Preston and Oswestry, running a multi-temperature HGV fleet of 100 vehicles across 80+ daily routes through our own temperature-controlled operation.
We’re proud of what we do and ambitious about where we’re going. Proud winners of the Family Business of the Year Awards 2024 and the Good Employment Charter’s Flexible Working Award 2022, we hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certification and are committed members of the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter and the Real Living Wage. Our vision is simple: Feed the North, for good.
The Preston site was acquired in 2025, it is the hub of our fresh produce operation and a critical enabler of our continued expansion.
Location: Preston, with travel to Bury and Oswestry
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Reports to: Operations Director
Job Role
As Operations Manager for our Preston hub, you will have full accountability for the depot’s warehouse operations – ensuring your managers and direct reports maintain the highest standards across all shifts and teams. You will work closely with our Head Buyer of Fresh Produce to ensure that the standards of the fresh operation are exceptional at all times. You will also work with our transport team to ensure our customers are given industry-leading service.
You will inherit an operation with real potential and the remit to realise it. Your first priority is to stabilise, then to transform: tightening processes, raising standards, developing your people and building a culture of accountability and pride. You will work closely with the Operations Director and be expected to act as a true business partner, not just an operational executor.
This is a role for someone who is ambitious, grounded and ready to make their mark. The person we hire will be a bar-raiser: we want Preston to be a world class fresh produce operation delivering the highest quality produce for our customers.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership & Site Accountability
· Own the full Preston depot operation across all shifts - goods-in, pick, dispatch, stock management and cold chain integrity.
· Set and maintain operational processes: shift handovers, daily KPIs, standards walkthroughs and team briefings.
· Deliver fulfilment performance consistently at or above the company target of 98.5%.
· Ensure BRCGS, HACCP and FSA food safety standards are embedded in daily practice, not just audited compliance.
· Maintain the depot to World-leading standards of cleanliness, organisation and equipment safety at all times.
· Manage the depot P&L contribution - cost per case picked, warehouse labour productivity, waste, stock accuracy and shrinkage.
People & Culture
· Build and lead a high-performing, engaged team across all shifts; you are accountable for the culture on site.
· Recruit, onboard, develop and retain team members in line with Dunsters’ values and the ACAS Code.
· Coach shift supervisors and team leaders to raise their game and build succession depth.
· Handle people issues fairly, promptly and in line with the Employee Handbook - escalate to the People team where appropriate.
· Foster a One Team mentality between Preston and the wider Dunsters network.
Stock Management
· Oversee stock rotation, replenishment accuracy and goods-in processes to maintain stock integrity.
· Drive waste reduction and monitor shrinkage, reporting trends and taking corrective action.
Systems, Reporting & Compliance
· Optimise the use of all systems including the ERP system used for picking, invoicing and stock management.
· Ensure all records - goods-in, picking, temperature logs, defect reports, tachograph compliance - are completed accurately and on time.
· Report daily on depot KPIs; own your numbers and drive continuous improvement.
· Work alongside our Transport Managers to maintain full compliance with Traffic Commissioner expectations, Working Time Directive and O-licence undertakings as they relate to depot operations.
· Ensure ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 standards are upheld and decisions hold up to audit.
Customer Service & Problem Resolution
· Work with Customer Services and Transport to resolve issues quickly and prevent recurrence.
· Manage relationships with key depot-level customers and ensure their processes run smoothly.
· Investigate complaints, shortages and substitutions thoroughly and feed learnings back into operations.
Skills and Experience required:
Essential Experience & Skills
· Proven track record as an Operations Manager or Senior Shift Manager in a fast-paced, temperature-controlled foodservice, food manufacturing or FMCG warehouse environment.
· Full shift and/or site leadership experience - you have owned outcomes, not just supervised activity.
· Strong commercial acumen: you understand cost per drop, margin, labour productivity and how the depot P&L works.
· Deep working knowledge of food safety legislation, HACCP, BRCGS and cold chain management.
· Experienced people leader: you have managed teams through change, built culture and developed individuals.
· Hands-on with WMS/ERP systems.
· Clear, confident communicator – equally at home on the shop floor and in a management review.
· High ownership mindset: you close loops, you don’t wait to be chased.
Desirable
· Experience in a fresh produce or multi-temperature environment.
· Experience leading a site through post-acquisition integration or an operational turnaround.
· IOSH or NEBOSH qualified.
What kind of person are we looking for?
We’re a small but driven leadership team. We want someone who is hungry, humble, forward-thinking and accountable - someone who takes ownership, challenges the status quo constructively, and is energised by the scale of what we’re building. You’ll need to be equally comfortable rolling up your sleeves on the depot floor and presenting a board-level recommendation. Culture fit matters here as much as technical competence. With considerable development potential in this role, we want someone who has the skills and attitude to progress in line with business growth.
Our Core Values
Our values are the foundation of everything we do at Dunsters Farm:
· Get Results - we strive for excellence, driving efficiency and delivering outstanding outcomes.
· One Team - we work together, united by a common goal, supporting and empowering each other.
· Give Back - we make a positive impact on our community and our environment through responsible business.
· Legendary Customer Service - we go above and beyond to exceed our customers' expectations, every time.
· Own It - we take ownership of our actions, responsibilities and results, always striving to improve.
· World-Leading Standards - we set the highest standards in safety, quality and excellence at every step.
Job Type: Permanent
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
