Interim Site Director
2 days ago
Middlesbrough
Job Title \n Interim Site Director – FMCG \n Location \n Middlesbrough \n Contract Type \n Interim, fixed-term (6 months) \n Salary \n All day rate and/or FTC rates considered. \n Role Purpose \n The Interim Site Director is accountable for the day-to-day leadership and operational running of the manufacturing site for the duration of a 6-month assignment, ensuring safe, efficient, and compliant operations while maintaining continuity of performance across the site. \n The role provides hands-on operational leadership across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Quality, and Health & Safety, ensuring the site continues to run smoothly, safely, and to the required quality and delivery standards throughout the interim period. The Interim Site Director will maintain a stable, high-performing operating environment, provide strong day-to-day leadership to the site team, and ensure a well-governed, well-controlled factory floor. \n This is an operationally focused leadership role, providing continuity and stability during the assignment period, with a clear handover to a permanent Site Director at the end of the term. \n Key Responsibilities \n Operational Leadership \n\n • Provide day-to-day leadership of the manufacturing site, ensuring safe, efficient, and well-controlled operations throughout the assignment.\n, • Maintain continuity of site performance, ensuring existing operating standards, plans, and priorities are sustained during the interim period.\n, • Ensure manufacturing capability, capacity, and resources are effectively deployed to meet production and delivery requirements.\n, • Provide clear, visible leadership on the factory floor, maintaining stability and confidence across the site during the transition.\n\n Operational Excellence \n\n • Provide leadership for all manufacturing and supply chain activities, ensuring safe, efficient, and well-organised operations.\n, • Maintain a culture of operational discipline through continuous improvement, structured problem-solving, and day-to-day performance management.\n, • Monitor and maintain site KPIs and performance reporting, ensuring issues are identified and addressed promptly.\n, • Oversee production planning and scheduling to ensure output, quality, and delivery targets are consistently met.\n\n People & Culture \n\n • Maintain a high-performing, engaged site team, providing stable and consistent leadership during the interim period.\n, • Provide day-to-day management and support to site leaders and their teams, ensuring clarity of roles, priorities, and accountability.\n, • Maintain positive employee relations and a collaborative working environment across the site.\n, • Support the development and readiness of the site team ahead of the transition to a permanent Site Director.\n\n Safety, Quality & Compliance \n\n • Act as the accountable leader for health, safety, environmental, quality, and regulatory compliance across the site.\n, • Ensure robust governance systems remain in place to maintain compliance with all relevant legislation, customer standards, and industry requirements.\n, • Promote a culture where safety, quality, and compliance are embedded as fundamental day-to-day priorities.\n, • Ensure any safety, quality, or compliance issues are addressed promptly and appropriately escalated.\n\n Continuous Improvement \n\n • Maintain momentum on existing continuous improvement initiatives, ensuring operational capability and site performance are sustained or improved.\n, • Champion data-driven decision-making and adherence to best practice across all site functions.\n, • Identify and address operational risks or inefficiencies arising during the interim period, escalating as appropriate.\n\n Skills & Experience Required \n\n • Proven operational leadership experience within FMCG, food, beverage, packaging, or other high-volume manufacturing environments.\n, • Demonstrated success leading manufacturing operations at site level, with full accountability for safety, quality, and operational performance.\n, • Experience operating as an interim or transitional leader, able to quickly assess a site and maintain stability and continuity.\n, • Track record of delivering consistent operational performance, productivity, and service through hands-on leadership.\n, • Experience leading multi-functional site teams, including Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.\n, • Strong understanding of manufacturing governance, quality systems, regulatory compliance, and risk management within a regulated environment.\n, • Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trust quickly.\n, • Resilient, adaptable, and capable of maintaining site stability through an interim leadership transition.\n\n Qualifications \n\n • Degree qualified in Operations Management, Supply Chain, Business Management, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.\n, • FMCG experience is essential\n\n Desirable \n\n • Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.\n, • IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH Certificate, or equivalent Health & Safety qualification.\n, • Experience operating within BRCGS, HACCP, GMP, ISO, or other regulated manufacturing environments.\n\n