Operations Manager

At Tate & Lyle, our purpose is simple:
Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food. With more than 165 years of ingredient innovation, we partner with leading food and beverage brands to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products enjoyed by millions of people every day. Combining expertise in sweetening, mouthfeel and fortification, we help customers win on taste, nutrition and performance while making a positive impact on society and the planet.

With approximately 5,000 colleagues across 75 locations in 38 countries, we're united by a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration and growth. Read on to learn how this opportunity can contribute to our purpose while helping shape the future of food.

ROLE PURPOSE The Operations Manager is responsible for the organization, planning, direction, and control of Production, Sanitation, Warehousing, Shipping, and Receiving operations at our Sycamore facility.

This role provides the leadership and technical expertise necessary to maintain, continuously improve, and optimize manufacturing processes to minimize costs, ensure safe operations, maintain high product quality, and maximize plant reliability and availability.

The Operations Manager is also responsible for fostering a culture of service excellence that meets and exceeds the expectations of employees, customers, and stakeholders while supporting the facility's operational and strategic goals.

MAIN

ACCOUNTABILITIES Effectively lead hourly and salaried team members in the safe and efficient operation of Dry Product Blending lines, Granulation Dryer operations, Shipping, Receiving, Warehousing, and Sanitation to achieve key performance metrics related to Safety, Quality, Production, Efficiency, and Employee Development.

Continuously strengthen the site's safety culture by ensuring compliance with corporate and plant safety policies and procedures, proactively identifying and resolving safety concerns, and serving as a key contributor to the Plant Safety Committee and other safety initiatives.

Model and reinforce Tate & Lyle's values, behaviors, and expectations across all operations teams.

Partner closely with the Quality Assurance team to achieve site quality KPIs. Serve as the operational lead during customer, regulatory, and internal audits, and drive root cause analysis and corrective actions related to quality events, supplier issues, and customer complaints.

Create and sustain a culture of continuous improvement by engaging employees in initiatives that improve productivity, reduce waste, optimize processes, and lower operational costs.

Collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, and Operations teams to identify and implement projects focused on safety improvements, ergonomic enhancements, efficiency gains, and cost reduction opportunities.

Successfully manage multiple priorities and complex assignments while making timely, data-driven decisions in a collaborative environment.

Serve as a recognized subject matter expert across multiple manufacturing and operational processes.

Demonstrate strong leadership, sound judgment, and integrity while proactively resolving competing priorities and supporting cross-functional teams with expertise and guidance.

Coordinate closely with the Maintenance Department to support preventive maintenance activities and ensure production equipment reliability while minimizing downtime.

Participate in J2E meetings as an Element Owner.

Ensure all requirements within assigned J2E elements are maintained, completed, and updated.

Ensure accurate and timely information is documented and maintained within Benchmark.

Conduct internal audits and support corrective action follow-up activities.

Participate as a leader within the Emergency Preparedness Team, including attendance at fire drills, evacuation exercises, and other required safety training activities.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES Success in this position will be measured through achievement of site AOP targets and performance goals related to Safety, Environmental Health, Quality, Production, Reliability, Continuous Improvement, and Leadership Effectiveness.

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONSStrong planning, organization, and prioritization skills.

Demonstrated commitment to safety and maintaining a positive safety culture.

Strong knowledge of GMPs, food safety programs, HACCP principles, and regulatory compliance requirements.

Continuous Improvement methodologies and problem-solving techniques.

Internal and external audit…