Head of Food Production & Operations

Job Description

Head of Food Production & Operations

Company: Deloitte Nigeria
Client: A Leading Diversified Consumer Goods Company
Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

About the Company

Our client is one of Nigeria's fastest-growing diversified consumer goods companies, with interests spanning modern retail, quick-service restaurants (QSR), entertainment, and manufacturing.

Founded in 1982 in Ibadan, the company has grown from a single neighbourhood store into a leading national supermarket chain, recognized for strong sales performance and an expanding store network.

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Food Production & Operations to lead manufacturing operations and drive operational excellence across the company's food production facilities.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing the manufacturing strategy, improving production efficiency, strengthening food safety and quality systems, optimizing costs, developing high-performing teams, and ensuring manufacturing capacity supports the company's continued growth.

Key Responsibilities

Manufacturing Strategy & Operational Excellence

• Develop and execute the company's manufacturing strategy in line with its growth objectives.
• Lead production planning and execution to ensure products are delivered on time, in full, and to specification.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives across production facilities.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), production efficiency, labour productivity, and manufacturing throughput.
• Optimize manufacturing capacity to support new stores, increased demand, and future expansion.
• Establish standardized operating procedures and best practices across manufacturing sites.
• Develop production performance dashboards to monitor key operational metrics and support data-driven decision-making.

Operational Risk, Sustainability & Business Continuity

• Identify and proactively mitigate operational, quality, and supply chain risks affecting manufacturing performance.
• Develop and maintain business continuity plans for production operations.
• Improve energy efficiency, utility management, and environmental sustainability.
• Ensure operational readiness for equipment failures, supply disruptions, and emergency situations.
• Promote workplace safety and ensure compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
• Lead incident investigations and implement preventive measures to minimize recurrence.

Leadership & People Development

• Build and lead high-performing production teams across all manufacturing units.
• Develop succession plans for critical manufacturing positions.
• Coach and develop Production Managers and Supervisors to strengthen leadership effectiveness.
• Promote a high-performance culture built around accountability, teamwork, innovation, and operational discipline.
• Drive employee engagement, capability development, and continuous learning across the production workforce.

Product Innovation & Manufacturing Capability

• Collaborate with Research & Development and Commercial teams to successfully commercialize new products.
• Ensure manufacturing readiness for new product introductions.
• Improve speed-to-market for new product launches.
• Evaluate emerging manufacturing technologies and production methodologies.
• Lead capital investment planning for production expansion and modernization.
• Develop manufacturing capabilities that support the company's long-term growth strategy.

Supply Chain Integration & Product Availability

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, and Retail Operations teams to improve end-to-end product availability.
• Improve production forecasting and scheduling accuracy.
• Ensure adequate availability of raw materials for uninterrupted production.
• Minimize production-related stock-outs and emergency production runs.
• Support Sales and Commercial teams during peak demand periods and product launches.
• Drive effective Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) processes.

Manufacturing Productivity & Cost Management

• Drive year-on-year improvements in manufacturing productivity and operational efficiency.
• Optimize material utilization, production yield, and labour deployment.
• Reduce waste, rework, and conversion costs without compromising product quality.
• Lead annual manufacturing cost improvement initiatives.
• Monitor manufacturing budgets, cost variances, and operating expenditure.
• Identify automation and technology opportunities to improve operational performance.

Food Safety, Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Champion a strong food safety culture across all manufacturing operations.
• Ensure compliance with NAFDAC, SON, HACCP, GMP, ISO standards, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead Quality Assurance and Quality Control systems to ensure consistent product quality.
• Drive continuous improvement in product quality, first-pass yield, and customer satisfaction.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for quality deviations and food safety incidents.
• Ensure full traceability, product integrity, and recall readiness across manufacturing operations.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.
• MBA or Master's Degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field is an advantage.
• Professional certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, or related disciplines are highly desirable.
• Minimum of 12–15 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing or FMCG operations.
• At least 7 years of experience in a senior manufacturing leadership role, with responsibility for multiple production lines or manufacturing sites.
• Proven track record of driving operational excellence, manufacturing productivity, quality improvement, and cost optimization in a high-volume food manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams and delivering transformational manufacturing initiatives.
• Strong strategic, analytical, leadership, and problem-solving abilities.