Job Description

Area Manager

Thirsk | 6 Month Fixed Term | Site-based

We're excited to be recruiting for an Area Manager to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced production leader, perfect for someone passionate about manufacturing excellence, people leadership and delivering safe, high-quality products to agreed standards and production plans.


You'll be responsible for leading nominated colleagues and managing the consistent application of production processes within a given area, ensuring products are prepared and manufactured safely, efficiently and in line with operational targets.

About us

INSPIRED Pet Nutrition is an innovative, well-established, and award-winning pet food manufacturer employing over 1,200 colleagues across the UK and Europe. Our family of brands includes Harringtons, Wagg, Barking Heads & Meowing Heads, AATU, Blink, Butcher's, Classic, Pro-Nutrition, and Ultra Premium Direct, along with a number of partner brands that trust us to produce food on their behalf. Our kitchens in Thirsk, Kinmel, and Crick produce a wide range of dry, wet, and baked foods enjoyed by dogs and cats all over the world. Our ambition is simple: to become a global leader in pet nutrition.

Our Purpose: To create happiness

We're on a mission to set a new standard of workplace happiness within the pet nutrition industry-one that looks like no other and feels like no other. Our culture is built on INSPIRED's unique behaviours and colleague experience, creating an environment that excites, empowers, and puts people and pets at the heart of everything we do.

Responsibility's

Deliver area productivity and efficiency targets to produce goods in line with the agreed production plan


Continuously monitor raw materials, ingredients, operational processes and the production environment to ensure compliance with food safety and manufacturing standards


Monitor and review labour deployment to ensure labour availability aligns with production requirements and budget


Effectively communicate with operations teams, reporting progress against plan and highlighting risks to volumes or standards


Monitor machinery and equipment performance using OEE, ensuring reliability and consistency


Promote a people-safe culture, ensuring compliance with safety procedures, accident investigation, corrective actions and near-miss reporting


Review operational trends and identify sustainable improvement opportunities across quality, performance, cost and delivery


Monitor and review team capability, ensuring colleagues are focused on objectives and supported through development, performance management and engagement

About you

Experience managing diverse teams within a complex manufacturing environment


Strong leadership capability with experience of performance management and colleague development


Good standard of education with strong literacy and numerical skills


Advanced Food Hygiene accreditation


HACCP Level 2 qualification


IOSH Level 2 qualification


Experience using Microsoft Office


Ability to operate in a fast-paced production environment with 24-hour accountability for area performance

What's on offer?

Competitive benefits package


Company pension scheme


Life assurance


Colleague discount on pet food


Ongoing development and training opportunities


The opportunity to play a key leadership role within a growing manufacturing operation

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

INSPIRED Pet Nutrition is committed to building an inclusive workplace that reflects the diversity of the colleagues and communities we serve. We believe everyone should feel valued, respected and able to be themselves at work. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We make hiring decisions based on talent, potential and the experience you bring.


We are also committed to providing reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace, ensuring equitable access and opportunity for all. If you need any adjustments or support to take part in our recruitment process, please let us know by emailing recruitment@ipn.co.uk


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