Operations Manager - UK's No.1 Soap Manufacturer. Hybrid
The 'Bar is Back’ and we need your knowledge, expertise & drive to help us scale production from 20 million to 70 million bars per year to meet demand.
At Soapworks, we create high-quality, sustainable soap products for global brands, and we need a sharp, hands-on Operations Manager to keep everything flowing smoothly. From optimising production to driving efficiency and leading a great team, you’ll be at the heart of our fast-paced, high-performing environment.
If you’re passionate about people, the planet, processes, and making a real impact, this is your chance to step into a role where no two days are the same.
If you’re an experienced FMCG Operations Manager, ideally from food or personal care, this is your next opportunity to lead and develop a high- performing production function
- all from one facility.
- just the chance to make a real impact in a single, world-class operation.
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The Role at a Glance:
Operations ManagerGlasgow / Remote Working Fridays for all Admin / Some Travel May Be Occasionally Required Within the UK and Abroad
Competitive Market Salary
Plus Excellent Benefits Package Including Pension, Income Protection Benefit, Access to Help@Hand (EAP, GP and Physio Services), Death in Service 3x Annual Salary and More…
Department : Production OperationsReporting to: Managing Director
Supervising: All Production Staff
Full Time - Permanent
Values: Ethical, Sustainable, TrustedCompany: UKs Largest Bar Soap Manufacturer with a global customer base
Your Background / Skills: Operation Management, Team Leadership / Mentoring, FMCG Manufacturing Operations, Continuous Improvement Methodologies.
Our Story:
Founded in 1988 by The Body Shop entrepreneur Dame Anita Roddick, Soapworks has always been driven by innovation, exceptional product quality, and a deep commitment to social and environmental responsibility. More than 35 years later, we continue to stand at the forefront of the industry, trusted by 50 of the world’s top brands as a leading supplier and partner.
In 2018, we joined the Daabon Group, a global leader in sustainable and organic ingredients, further strengthening our commitment to ethical and eco-friendly production.
As passionate advocates for sustainability, we are committed to promoting the environmental benefits of bar soaps. Our dedication has earned us numerous awards and certifications, including the prestigious EcoVadis Gold Award for Sustainability, placing us among the top 5% of companies in our sector.
The Opportunity:
To say you’d be the beating heart and soul of our production function would be an understatement. As Operations Manager, you’ll be at the core of everything we do—driving performance, innovation, and growth, from the production floor to strategic planning.
On the surface, your role will focus on optimising productivity, efficiency, and profitability across our production departments. But any great Operations Manager knows it goes much deeper than that. You’ll be a leader, a mentor, and a driving force behind building an incredible team—motivating, inspiring, and elevating them to new heights.
Key Responsibilities:
+ Champion Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality, ensuring compliance and best practices.+ Collaborate with senior management to develop and execute strategic plans for operational success.
+ Drive performance through KPI monitoring, resource management, and cost control.
+ Oversee production efficiency, meeting customer expectations on quality and delivery.
+ Lead continuous improvement initiatives, using data-driven insights to optimise processes.
+ Inspire, lead, and develop teams, ensuring the right skills, training, and motivation.
+ Manage communication across production teams and stakeholders for seamless operations.
+ Identify and implement capital investment projects to drive business growth.
Your Experience:
+ Educated to degree level or equivalent in a relevant discipline+ Lean Six Sigma - green belt (minimum)
+ Have IOSH or an equivalent Managing Safely qualification
+ Exceptional leadership qualities with a track record in motivating and developing teams within a FMCG environment
+ Excellent understanding of manufacturing operations, process improvement, waste elimination, change management and quality standards/systems/processes
+ Experienced in change management and Continuous Improvement methodologies
+ Experience of working in a GMP manufacturing environment
+ IT literate - Office 365, ERP
+ Experience of effectively managing projects from concept through to completion
+ A full clean driving license is desirable but not essential
Your Skills:
+ An engaging, positive and strong leader with a 'can do’ mentality and who can solve problems+ Comfortable with change and ambiguity and able to prioritise effectively
+ Excellent critical thinking and problem solving
+ Able to communicate effectively at all levels
+ Commercially astute with the ability to understand and act upon performance and financial data
What’s on Offer:
+ Competitive Market Salary+ 4-weekly pay cycle
+ 33 days holiday inclusive of bank holidays rising with service
+ Pension
+ Death in Service benefit of 3x basic salary
+ Income Protection Benefit after 1 year in role
+ Access to Help@Hand who provide EAP, GP & Physio services. They also provide information on health, family, money & work, as well as discounts with various retailers.
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