Chief Production Officer

c. £150,000 + Package

North East Scotland

Job reference: GG/6078

Overview

This is your opportunity to join a high‑profile food & drink manufacturer entering a significant new phase of growth and transformation. As Chief Production Officer, you will lead production at their flagship UK site – a large, complex operation supplying both domestic and international markets. This is a critical, board‑facing role and will be key to site performance, culture and future scalability.

The Role

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Chief Production Officer will take ownership of a large, highly complex manufacturing site. Key responsibilities include:

• End‑to‑end leadership of production, engineering, warehousing, utilities and site services.
• Driving a quality‑first culture across a high‑care, non‑pasteurised environment.
• Leading an established, high‑calibre leadership team across operations, engineering and supply chain.
• Bringing structure and stability to a site that has evolved organically over time.
• Acting as a key member of the senior team, working cross‑functionally across the business.
• Supporting growth plans, including increased output and product complexity.
• Maintaining a strong presence on site, driving performance through visible leadership.
• This is a role that requires both strategic oversight and hands‑on operational leadership.

The Candidate

The successful Chief Production Officer will be a proven senior leader from food or drink manufacturing. Key requirements:

• Experience running a large‑scale manufacturing site end‑to‑end.
• Background within food or drink manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of high‑care environments and associated quality standards.
• Experience managing complex, multi‑SKU operations.
• A track record of building, leading and developing high‑performing teams.
• A leadership style that is visible, grounded and credible on the shop floor.

Culturally, the right individual will:

• Have presence without ego.
• Lead from the front and quickly build trust with established teams.
• Focus initially on stability, engagement and consistency before driving change.