Manufacturing Site Manager

Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet.

We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.

Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.

We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.

The purpose of this role is to lead and deliver high performance across our Huhtamaki Food service 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 Food service - 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.

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 and 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.

Significant senior leadership experience from a manufacturing environment. Experience with in packaging, FMCG, or food service industries (highly preferred). Strong knowledge of end‑to‑end operations, including production, engineering, and supply chain. Proven ability to lead large teams and complex…