Job Description

Manager - Head of Retail Food Production and Distribution

ROLE SUMMARY

Lead the central production and distribution agenda for the supermarket's fresh food business. The role ensures efficient production, consistent food quality, effective cost management, food safety compliance, and reliable distribution of products to stores, enabling a high-quality and scalable fresh food offer across the retail network.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage the overall operations of the Central Production / Commissary Kitchen, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and operational excellence.
• Plan production schedules, capacity requirements, and manpower resources based on sales forecasts, outlet demand, and distribution requirements.
• Ensure products are prepared, portioned, packaged, labelled, and dispatched accurately and on time to meet outlet requirements.
• Develop, implement, and maintain standard recipes, SOPs, product specifications, portion controls, recipe costing models, and yield standards.
• Maintain consistency in product quality, taste, presentation, and portioning across all production batches and store locations.
• Establish and enforce HACCP, food safety, hygiene, health, and quality standards, ensuring full compliance with regulatory and company requirements.
• Implement effective controls across receiving, storage, preparation, production, packaging, and distribution processes.
• Work closely with Procurement and suppliers to ensure consistent raw material quality and supply continuity.
• Manage food costs, production costs, wastage, spoilage, yields, and labour efficiency, implementing corrective actions where necessary.
• Ensure effective inventory management, stock rotation, expiry control, traceability, and temperature monitoring practices.
• Lead, train, coach, and develop production teams while maintaining high standards of discipline, hygiene, grooming, and operational compliance.
• Investigate quality issues, customer complaints, production errors, and non-conformances, implementing preventive and corrective action plans.
• Collaborate closely with retail food operations teams to align production plans with outlet demand, customer requirements, and service expectations.
• Support product innovation, recipe improvement, process optimization, and standardization initiatives.
• Ensure all production facilities, equipment, storage areas, and workspaces are maintained to required operational, maintenance, and cleanliness standards.
• Monitor and report on key operational metrics including production output, quality performance, food safety compliance, distribution service levels, wastage, and cost performance.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, reduce costs, improve service levels, and support business growth.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Degree or professional qualification in Food Science, Food Technology, Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, Supply Chain Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years' experience in large-scale food production, central kitchen, commissary, food manufacturing, or food service operations.
• Proven experience managing production planning, food quality, food safety, and multi-site distribution operations.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP, GMP, food safety regulations, quality assurance, and audit requirements.
• Experience in recipe development, product standardization, yield management, and food costing.
• Demonstrated success in controlling food costs, labour costs, wastage, and operational expenses.
• Experience leading and developing large production and quality teams.
• Strong understanding of inventory management, logistics, and distribution within a food production environment.
• Experience within retail, supermarket, QSR, hospitality, or food manufacturing sectors will be a significant advantage.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Food Production & Commissary Management
• Food Safety & Quality Assurance
• HACCP & Regulatory Compliance
• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Supply Chain & Distribution Management
• Cost Control & Financial Management
• Inventory & Waste Management
• Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
• Team Leadership & People Development
• Problem Solving & Decision Making
• Planning & Organising
• Communication & Stakeholder Management
• Performance Management
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Results Orientation & Accountability
• Customer Focus & Quality Orientation

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this challenging role, please click "Apply Now". Pay and benefits of the above position will be competitive, and the rewards are performance driven.

Hayleys is an Equal Opportunity Employer.