Plant Manager

Plant Manager

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people all across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to make products that are higher quality, healthier and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™.

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen™. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets, and a deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care. Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and with the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen™ for more than 150 years.

AAK International (Hull)

AAK International is in the heart of an area enjoying significant redevelopment and investment. The Port of Hull is being established as a world-class center for renewable energy and manufacturing, and at AAK we feel proud to be part of this important industrial renaissance for Yorkshire. We operate the UK’s largest refinery for edible oils and fats at our King George Dock site, and supply ingredients and finished products to businesses in the food manufacturing, baking, foodservice, and retail sectors. We enjoy working closely with customers to co-develop bespoke products, in our well-equipped Customer Innovation Center.

About the role

AAK are looking for a collaborative leader who can lead the manufacturing functions (both in Refinery and Packing areas), at the AAK Hull site. Reporting into the Site Director, the Plant Manager will be responsible for all production activities at site, ensuring they meet the organisation’s short and long-term business objectives, and are conducted in accordance with the relevant food safety/quality health, safety, environmental standards.

The Plant Manager will contribute to strategic planning and decision-making at the executive level to develop and implement production systems and processes that align with the organisation’s overall vision and its current and long-term business objectives and cultural journey.

Main responsibilities will include:

• Have a proactive approach to safety, ensuring that safe work expectations are understood by all employees.
• Create an environment where people feel comfortable talking about safety with the focus on looking after each other.
• Contribute to strategic planning and decision-making at the executive level to develop and implement production systems and processes that align with the organisation’s overall vision and its current and long-term business objectives and cultural journey.
• Drive production performance with a collaborative leadership style, engaging the workforce in a well articulated vision. Providing an environment that enables excellence.
• Establish production budgets; monitor the cost and effectiveness of production activities to optimize resources, prioritise spending, and achieve volume, food Safety/quality, and manufacturing standards.
• Research, evaluate, and recommend investments in technology, capital, equipment, systems, or other assets that will enhance the organisation’s manufacturing capabilities.
• Select, and manage ongoing relationships with, external suppliers to ensure the organisation receives satisfactory standards of service.
• Lead, direct, evaluate, and develop a team of managers and other professionals to ensure that the manufacturing activities meet established targets and standards.

About you

This role calls for a results focused leader who has a proven track record of driving change through strong leadership skills.

The successful candidate should have the following skills and experience;

• Degree qualified in a relevant discipline would be desirable (Engineering/ Chemical/ Mechanical/ Food Science)
• Ability to contribute to operational (short term), tactical (1-2 years) and strategic (3-5 years) planning in support of the overall business plan and departmental strategy.
• Knowledge of organisational standards, procedures and policies in manufacturing activities and ability to plan, guide, and monitor manufacturing processes for continuous improvement and compliance.
• Knowledge of the day-to-day operations of a manufacturing facility; ability to implement, manage and monitor daily operations of a manufacturing facility to drive performance taking an evidence based decision making approach.
• Knowledge of the concepts, principles and techniques of operational excellence and ability to use a structured approach to identify the cause of undesirable consequences in a manufacturing environment and the changes needed to prevent a recurrence.
• Knowledge and understanding of business concepts, the tools, techniques and processes that are needed for making sound decisions in the context of the company’s business; ability to operate with a business mind-set that complements one’s functional specialty within a wider business context.
• Knowledge of and ability to utilise data analysis tools to sort through and analyse enterprise data in order to identify factors influencing business performance and to gain greater insight into trends within a business, industry and customer base.

In return AAK offer:

• 10% non-contribution pension.
• Individual bonus scheme.
• Company car/ cash equivalent option
• UK Healthcare scheme.
• 25 days holidays plus bank holidays.
• Group life cover.
• Group income protection scheme.
• Ride2Work scheme.
• Proven leadership capabilities

AAK prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under state or federal law in any aspect of the access to, admission, or treatment of students in its programs and activities, or in employment and application for employment.

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