McCormick & Company
Plant Director
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Plant Director
Location: Haddenham, UK
Reporting to: Director EMEA Flavour Solutions Operations & Supply Chain
The role will be responsible for leading and developing the plant, encompassing responsibilities in health & safety, production, material/inventory control planning & scheduling, engineering, and leadership of major projects with a team of approximately 120 employees.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Leadership & Site Development
- Lead and develop the Haddenham Site Operations teams to drive business goals across Safety, Quality, People, Service, and Cost performance.
- Foster a positive, empowered safety and quality culture on site.
- Develop and implement the Journey to Excellence Programme, promoting a continuous improvement culture.
- Create and execute a three-year strategic plan, aligning resources to achieve business vision.
- Build collaborative relationships with Marketing, Engineering, Commercial, and R&D teams to align operations with cost efficiency and strategic objectives.
Operational & Financial Management
- Contribute to the S&OP (Sales & Operations Planning) process, ensuring superior cost, efficiency, and service performance.
- Manage working capital to meet business needs and commitments.
- Support commercial teams through transformation, innovation, and service improvements.
- Develop and deliver operational budget performance alongside COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) ownership, reporting against KPIs.
- Identify and execute capital expenditure and cost optimisation projects.
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Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence
- Champion continuous improvement initiatives, including:
- Lean manufacturing
- TPM (Total Productive Maintenance)
- CCI (Corporate Continuous Improvement)
- Align initiatives with EMEA and Global strategies.
- Drive cost improvement projects across manufacturing and distribution.
- Ensure compliance with global and regional standards (AIB, BRC, EFSIS, ISO 14001, etc.).
- Lead a behavioural safety culture and collaborate with the EMEA HSE Manager to develop a three-year safety roadmap.
People & Talent Development
- Lead talent development, succession planning, and performance management in partnership with HR.
- Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion while fostering high employee engagement.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Essential
- Graduate in Food Technology, Engineering, Science, or Supply Chain Logistics.
- Extensive experience in food manufacturing operations within international FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) environments.
- Strong leadership capabilities, able to motivate, develop, and engage diverse teams.
- Comfortable navigating matrix organisations and customer-facing environments.
Desirable
- Experience in multi-country operations or international assignments.
- Track record of leading major transformation projects, including:
- Plant construction
- SAP implementation
- Mergers & acquisitions
- Strong background in TPM and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience collaborating with Unions or Works Councils during organisational changes.
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Key Attributes
- Strategic thinker with business and financial acumen.
- Results-driven with a hands-on, self-managed approach.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with influence across all levels.
- Commercially focused, driving performance through collaboration and innovation.
- Culturally aware, able to thrive in a multicultural environment.
- Agile and adaptable, balancing strategic and operational priorities.
Company Description
At McCormick, we combine passion for flavour with purpose:
"We encourage growth, respect every contribution, and do right by our business, people, communities, and planet."
Founded in 1889 in Baltimore, MD, McCormick is a global flavour leader—manufacturing, marketing, and distributing spices, seasonings, condiments, and flavourful products across 50+ locations, 135 markets, and 27 countries.
With 14,000+ employees and over $6 billion in annual sales, we operate brands like Schwartau while upholding core values rooted in "The Power of People"—respect, recognition, inclusion, and collaboration underpinned by ethical integrity.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
McCormick is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and [participates in the UK’s Disability Confident Scheme], guaranteeing interviews for all qualified disabled applicants meeting minimum criteria.
Agencies: McCormick collaborates with external recruitment vendors only through its Agency Portal. Unsolicited resumes from agencies will not be accepted.
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