Job Description

Location : Cullybackey
Job Ref: UDF/2025/530
Employment : Full-Time Permanent
Closing Date : 07 November 2025 05:00 pm

Dale Farm Cooperative is a UK dairy farmer co-operative owned by over 1200 dairy farmers who supply us with fresh milk. Dale Farm has operations throughout the UK and Ireland producing and distributing a wide range of dairy products which it sells across the UK and Ireland as well as exporting to over 45 countries worldwide.


At Dale Farm virtually every career discipline is represented in our workforce, from production, engineering and distribution, to sales & marketing and food technology/quality assurance, to Finance, HR and IT through to general management. Our standards are high and when we recruit we are looking for those with energy and drive, who are keen for responsibility and motivated to succeed with a record of achievement and with the potential to develop as the company grows.

Culture

Our culture is based on setting best in class standards, working to-wards and delivering on committed objectives, striving for constant improvement and involving everyone in the company. We strive to develop our people and harness everyone's contribution to deliver a winning team.

Equal Opportunities

The company is an Equal Opportunities employer and is committed to a safe, inclusive and relationship based workspace.

Benefits

In return, we offer a high degree of responsibility, plenty of challenge, good opportunities for learning and personal development and rewarding benefit packages, all within a fast moving and results oriented environment.



At Dale Farm, we believe our success is built on our people, Our culture is based on setting best in class standards, working to-wards and delivering on committed objectives, striving for constant improvement and involving everyone in the company. We strive to develop our people and harness everyone's contribution to deliver a winning team.


An opportunity has arisen to recruit a Production Manager within our Dromona Creamery, this is a vital role within a dynamic site currently going down a path of new opportunities.

Production Manager - Dromona Creamery

As the Production Manager, you will be a key member of the Dromona senior management team, taking responsibility for overseeing all production activity and manufacturing performance in the delivery of packing Bulk Butter, Retail, and Spreads Butter. You will also have responsibility for Milk Processing and on-site Services. The role incorporates optimisation and improvement of production to achieve best in class performance in production service, unit cost, and downtime whilst setting a culture of quality, compliance, H&S and environmental improvement to meet all stakeholders requirements. Provide leadership to teams within the production function to develop a constructive working environment improvement by engagement of the entire team to meet both company and site objectives and strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Costs - focus in on understanding all cost drivers and work to eradicate errors, waste, downtime, overtime and high stocks where costs can develop.


2. Standards and Performance - Set and deliver best in class standards and performance in all aspects of processing re unit cost, quality, yield / wastage service, compliance and budget objectives.


3. Quality and hygiene, - deliver first class products within specification & to customer requirements and set and maintain effective hygiene controls. Monitor quality throughout the process to ensure complaints are kept at world class levels. Manage food safety and quality assurance issues in conjunction with the Technical team. Work to ensure the food safety management system is supported through documentation and record keeping as required, demonstrating production ownership as required


4. Improvement and involvement - Implement a structured approach so that everyone is involved in continual improvement activities. Create an improvement agenda with ownership accepted and practiced across the workforce and benchmarked against best in class. Investigate and use new methods and technologies. Monitoring performance trends and initiate team based improvement activities and corrective/preventative actions to deliver lean, PIP, quality and environmental improvement projects.


5. Processing and machine running, - Optimise plant performance by ensuring all plant and equipment is properly operated, maintained and cleaned to minimise downtime. Working with Maintenance and Projects teams to deliver optimum performance.


6. Planning & service - schedule production to deliver & maximise efficient customer fulfilment in conjunction with site planning department.


7. Materials usage and wastage, - minimise packaging usage & stock holding levels and drive down wastage meeting both cost and environmental constraints.


8. Direct Collaboration with projects team to ensure the delivery of ongoing/future project, this includes staff training, Health and Safety and any Food Safety requirements around new plant and equipment.


9. Health and safety & housekeeping, - implement a zero tolerance approach to having a tidy, safe and clean working environment.


10. Implementation of site processing efficiencies including any re-structure change.


11. People management and training - develop the operatives on the site to take ownership of their responsibilities, address poor performance, communicate with the teams and get people involved. Implement work instructions for all jobs and build a trained and flexible workforce. Manage performance of equipment and individuals through effective KPIs


12. Employee engagement and a vision that supports staff moral and best in class culture.


13. Audit Compliance, - help develop and maintain the necessary systems, procedures, training and working practices to deliver best practice and meet the requirements of site management, group policies, accreditation bodies, customer requirements and statutory compliance. Ensure site is audit ready at all times.


14. Inter dependency - Work in an interdependent way as part of the site management team on driving the business forward and accepting any other reasonable tasks.


15. Carry out trials and R&D work on site in consultation with the NPD team.


16. Responsible for developing continuous improvement Quality and Health and Safety culture and carrying out monthly review of department.


17. Achieve management targets and objectives.


18. To perform any other duty as directed by line management.

Specific Skills and Experience

Required:

You will have a minimum of 5 years' relevant food manufacturing managing experience, ideally in butter / dairy production. You will have a proven track record of driving performance and improvement through site KPIs You will have a strong technical skill set and have a track record of delivery against quality / food safety requirements, You will have strong communication skills and be able to clearly demonstrate an ability to effectively communicate to a range of internal and external stakeholders.

Desirable

H&S responsibilities in a manufacturing environment. Nebosh qualified Degree or equivalent in food or engineering related discipline.

Core Behaviours

Set and deliver best in class standards including personal behaviour. Lead from the front in a calm controlled manner, ensuring clarity of purpose in times of uncertainty. Develop a culture of change and improvement, whereby improvement opportunities are continually being identified and exploited. Demonstrate flexibility in day to day approach. Develop a culture of ownership, demonstrating ownership of your activity, and promote this to members of your team and all individuals on site. Develop a culture of learning, be open to training, identifying and addressing weaknesses and learning new skills. Be confident and informed on all site activity. Develop a culture of openness, communicating effectively to colleagues and senior managers as well as to subordinates. Communicate clearly and concisely, demonstrating this by adoption of team briefs and improvement initiatives / groups. Highlight errors & problems at an early stage and being part of the solution to them. Demonstrate shift flexibility according to the business needs.

In return the company offers plenty of challenge for development, a good working environment and a competitive benefit package.


To learn more about the company and apply online please visit dalefarm.co.uk


Only applications from EU Nationals or those with a valid permit to work in the UK will be accepted.


Completed applications must be received before

5pm on 7

th

November 2025.

No unsolicited CVs from agencies please.


We are an equal opportunities employer