Operation Manager

At Lineage, helping to feed the world is more than a job – it’s a purpose we live every day.

Lineage is the world’s largest and most innovative provider of temperature-controlled logistics solutions, with over 20,000 colleagues globally.

If you open your fridge freezer, up to 20% of the products you’ll see have passed through a Lineage facility. We support customers who supply schools, restaurants, and many of the UK’s leading retailers by ensuring a consistent and safe food supply.

Our Heywood facility is one of Lineage's flagship automated cold storage operations in the UK, combining cutting-edge warehousing technology with 24/7 logistics capabilities to keep the nation's food supply chain moving.

We are currently seeking an Operations Manager to lead this innovative site and play a key role in driving operational excellence, team engagement and the continued success of one of the UK’s most advanced cold chain facilities

Shift Available:
Monday to Friday, 7am – 3pm

Salary:
Negotiable depending on experience

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day warehouse operations across shifts and departments, ensuring performance targets, service levels, and site standards are consistently met.
• Champion a safety‑first and food‑safe culture, ensuring full compliance with Health & Safety, food hygiene, and HACCP requirements, and supporting internal and external audits.
• Manage and develop operational teams, including training, performance management, and succession planning to drive productivity and engagement.
• Oversee labour planning, budgeting, and resource allocation to support operational efficiency and customer demand.
• Ensure operational compliance with quality and accreditation standards (e.g. CMI, STS, EHO), maintaining accurate training and compliance records.
• Coordinate engineering and maintenance activities, including contractor management and planned maintenance scheduling.
• Drive continuous improvement across warehouse processes, inventory control, and customer service performance.
• Monitor KPIs related to cost, productivity, service, and safety, using data and reports to identify trends and implement improvements.
• Build strong cross‑functional relationships with Finance, HR, Sales, and Continuous Improvement teams.

• A confident and experienced leader with a proven track record in identifying, analysing, and resolving operational challenges efficiently.
• Demonstrated success in managing large-scale operations, ideally in environments that include automation or temperature-controlled logistics.
• Experience in leading, developing, and motivating large teams, preferably with experience as a second-line manager.
• Proficiency in using Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) to manage inventory, workflows, and reporting.
• Strong background in logistics, warehousing, and distribution, with a deep understanding of end-to-end supply chain operations.
• Evidence of successful people management, including performance improvement, conflict resolution, and team engagement.
• High level of IT literacy with the ability to manage compliance systems and documentation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and levels of the organisation.

• A permanent opportunity with a direct employer; we will not employ you through an agency.
• Opportunity to develop a career within an industry leading global company.
• Free onsite parking.
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), offering confidential counselling and professional advice to support emotional well-being.
• Preferential loan and savings options available through exclusive access to a credit union.

Job Reference: INDUK

We are a global company with more than 22,000 employees spanning 20 countries and more than 400 locations across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and South America.

At Lineage Logistics, we have a shared purpose; we are transforming the food supply chain to eliminate waste and help feed the world. This means working at Lineage is not just a job – it’s an opportunity to innovate and put your mark on how food moves from the farm to dinner tables around the world. As a member…