Your opportunity

The purpose of this role is to lead and deliver high performance across our Huhtamaki Foodservice manufacturing site in Blackburn and its end-to-end supply chain. You will be accountable for developing and executing operational plans that achieve both operational and financial targets, while ensuring the site operates safely, efficiently, and in line with business strategy.

The role also focuses on building strong customer relationships—directly and through Account Management—to ensure effective communication, collaboration, and management of expectations.

Where you’ll be

Huhtamaki Foodservice - Blackburn, UK

Our site in Blackburn has over 80 years expertise in the design and manufacture of fluted paper based packaging.  We are a leading provider of hot food to go packaging, ovenable bake trays, delivery packaging, ready meal and bakery solutions, confectionery pads and cosmetic liners.

What you’ll be doing

• Driving safe, efficient, and cost-effective operations across all aspects of manufacturing and supply chain, including conversion cost, health and safety, quality, service delivery, warehousing, inventory, procurement, sustainability, and productivity.

• Providing clear leadership and direction for the site, setting and delivering operational strategy aligned to wider business objectives.

• Leading the site leadership team to achieve targets across safety, quality, service, cost, and people.

• Taking full accountability for production, ensuring output meets customer demand, quality standards, and cost expectations through effective oversight of planning, engineering, and supply chain functions.

• Leading and embedding a strong safety culture, ensuring compliance with legal, corporate, and industry standards, while driving continuous improvement in safety performance.

• Building and developing a high-performing leadership team, driving engagement, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement, supported by robust succession planning, capability development, and performance management.

• Driving operational excellence through WCO and continuous improvement initiatives, including leading key site projects, investments, and transformation activities.

• Ensuring cost competitiveness, operational efficiency, and the delivery of ongoing optimisation and continuous improvement plans.

• Collaborating with global operations to plan future manufacturing platforms and technologies that support growth, competitiveness, and cost efficiency.

• Protecting company assets and ensuring capital projects are effectively managed.

• Delivering best-in-class customer service and quality performance.

• Ensuring world-class health and safety standards.

• Building a high-performance culture aligned to Huhtamaki’s values of Care, Dare, and Deliver.

• Ensuring sustainable talent supply, development, and engagement across the site.

• Driving automation, digitalisation, and innovation across manufacturing processes.

• Ensuring full compliance with Huhtamaki values, ethical standards, and legal requirements, while protecting company interests through effective external representation and industry engagement.

What you’ll bring to the role

• Significant senior leadership experience from a manufacturing environment.

• Experience within packaging, FMCG, or foodservice industries (highly preferred).

• Strong knowledge of end-to-end operations, including production, engineering, and supply chain.

• Proven ability to lead large teams and complex organisational structures.

• A track record of delivering sustainable operational and financial improvements.

• Strong knowledge of health and safety and regulatory compliance.

• Experience managing legal entity responsibilities and statutory compliance.

• Expertise in operational excellence and continuous improvement.

• Experience leading transformation and change within a complex environment.

• Strong stakeholder management and ability to work effectively in a matrix organisation.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• A proactive, solution-focused approach to challenges, with confidence to make timely and difficult decisions where required.

• Strong alignment with Huhtamaki’s values and a passion for food, people, and the planet.

What we offer in return

A meaningful job: At Huhtamaki, we believe in protecting food, people and the planet. Our innovative and transformative solutions touch the daily lives of people everywhere.

Development opportunities: We care for each other – and want our talent to thrive and develop

Responsible employer: Sustainability is embedded in everything we do. We believe diverse teams fuel innovation. We invest in fostering an environment where everyone is safe both psychologically and physically and where diversity and inclusion are promoted through day-to-day behaviours, which are reinforced by our policies and practices.

Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet.