Operational Readiness Lead (IWS)

Operational Readiness Lead (known internally as Start Up Lead)
Billingham (Home of McCoys, POM-BEAR, Wheat Crunchies, and more…)
On-site | Monday - Friday

Join our snack-loving team
We’re looking for an Operational Readiness Lead to join us at KP Snacks. If you’re ready to bring your ideas to the table, grow your skills and be part of a team that values what makes you, you – this could be your next big move.

Who are we?
We’re KP Snacks, part of the Intersnack family. Across more than 30 countries, over 15,000 of us work together to make the snacks people love – from Hula Hoops to McCoy’s. In the UK, we’re a team of around 2,400 colleagues, based across seven sites and our Slough HQ. We’re proud of our close-knit culture, where we speak up, celebrate differences and push boundaries together.

About the role

Are you passionate about building high-performing manufacturing organisations from the ground up?

We are seeking an experienced Operational Readiness Lead to establish and deploy our Integrated Work System (IWS) during a major manufacturing start-up. This role is accountable for ensuring the site is operationally ready for launch by building the management systems, standards, processes and team capability required to deliver sustainable performance from Day 1.

Working closely with Site Leadership, Operations, Supply Chain, Quality and Engineering teams, you will lead the development of the operating system that underpins safety, quality, service, cost and people performance. Success in this role will be measured not by project delivery, but by the creation of a capable organisation, effective management systems and a culture of continuous improvement that can sustain world-class results.

What’s in it for you?
We believe in rewarding our colleagues and helping them thrive. Here’s a flavour of what we offer:

• Competitive annual salary, annual salary review and annual bonus opportunity (target 7.5%), plus a £6,000 car allowance.

• KP Pension Plan with up to 7% matched contributions

• 25 days holiday, with the option to buy up to five additional days, plus additional holiday after five years’ service

• Comprehensive healthcare including Single Cover Private Healthcare, Health Cash Plan, Digital GP and Employee Assistance Programme

• Electric Vehicle Car Scheme, supporting more sustainable and cost-effective travel

• KP4ME benefits platform with discounts, cashback and wellbeing support

• Enhanced family-friendly policies to support colleagues at every stage of life

What will you be doing?

• Leading the start-up of a new manufacturing line by managing commissioning, qualification and verification activities, ensuring a safe and successful transition into full production

• Driving project delivery and stakeholder engagement through clear communication of progress, milestones, risks and outcomes across Operations, Engineering and external partners

• Managing risk and operational readiness by coordinating site-level mitigation plans, resolving issues proactively and ensuring all launch activities remain on track

• Embedding Continuous Improvement principles by ensuring all activities align with Intersnack Work Systems (IWS) and supporting the development of sustainable ways of working from day one