Job Overview

The Head of Food Production & Operations will provide strategic and operational leadership across food manufacturing activities. The role is responsible for aligning manufacturing strategy with business growth objectives, improving production efficiency and productivity, strengthening food safety and quality systems, and building the manufacturing capability required to support increased demand, new stores, and future expansion.

The successful candidate will also lead operational risk management, business continuity, product commercialization readiness, supply chain integration, cost improvement, and the development of high-performing production teams across multiple manufacturing units.

Job Details

Employer: Confidential Employer
Job Type: Full Time
Qualification: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline
Preferred Qualification: MBA or Master’s degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or Business Administration; professional certification in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, or a related discipline
Experience: Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing or FMCG operations; at least 7 years in a senior manufacturing leadership role with responsibility for multiple production lines or manufacturing sites
Job Field: Food Manufacturing and FMCG Operations
Location: Lagos,Nigeria

About the Organization

The hiring organization is a diversified Nigerian consumer goods company with interests in modern retail, quick service restaurants, entertainment, and manufacturing. Founded in 1982 in Ibadan, it has grown from a single neighbourhood store into a Top 10 national supermarket chain, with a strong sales performance and an expanding store network.

Responsibilities

Manufacturing Strategy and Operational Excellence

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

Operational Risk, Sustainability and Business Continuity

• Identify and 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 initiatives.
• Ensure operational readiness for equipment failures, supply disruptions, and emergency situations.
• Promote workplace safety and compliance with Occupational Health and Safety standards.
• Lead incident investigations and implement preventive actions to eliminate repeat occurrences.

Leadership, People Development and Culture

• Build and lead high-performing production teams across manufacturing units.
• Develop succession plans for critical manufacturing positions.
• Coach Production Managers and Supervisors to improve leadership effectiveness.
• Embed the GAMEON values and a high-performance culture within manufacturing operations.
• Drive employee engagement, capability development, accountability, continuous learning, innovation, teamwork, and operational discipline.

Product Innovation and Manufacturing Capability

• Support Research and Development and Commercial teams in commercializing new products.
• Ensure manufacturing readiness for new product introductions and improve speed-to-market for product launches.
• Evaluate emerging manufacturing technologies and production methodologies.
• Lead capital investment planning for production expansion and modernization.
• Build manufacturing capability to support the long-term growth strategy.

Supply Chain Integration and Product Availability

• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Procurement, Logistics, and Retail Operations to improve end-to-end product availability.
• Improve production forecasting accuracy and production scheduling.
• Ensure raw material availability for uninterrupted production.
• Minimize production-related stock-outs and emergency production runs.
• Support Sales and Commercial teams during peak demand periods and new product launches.
• Drive cross-functional Sales and Operations Planning processes.

Manufacturing Productivity and Cost Leadership

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

Food Safety, Quality and Regulatory Compliance

• Champion a world-class food safety culture across manufacturing operations.
• Ensure compliance with NAFDAC, SON, HACCP, GMP, ISO standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Lead Quality Assurance and Quality Control systems to maintain 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.

Requirements and Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing or FMCG operations.
• At least 7 years in a senior manufacturing leadership role with responsibility for multiple production lines or manufacturing sites.
• Demonstrated success in operational excellence, manufacturing productivity, quality improvement, and cost optimization within a high-volume food manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams and delivering transformational manufacturing initiatives.

An MBA or master’s degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or Business Administration is an advantage. Professional certifications in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, or related disciplines are highly desirable.

Quick Eligibility Check

• Minimum qualification: Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Production Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related discipline
• Preferred qualification: MBA or Master’s degree in Operations Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, or Business Administration; professional certification in Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, HACCP, ISO 22000, GMP, or a related discipline
• Required experience: Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing or FMCG operations; at least 7 years in a senior manufacturing leadership role with responsibility for multiple production lines or manufacturing sites
• Verified duty station: Oyo
• Employment type: Full Time
• Core requirement: Demonstrated success in operational excellence, manufacturing productivity, quality improvement, and cost optimization within a high-volume food manufacturing environment
• Core requirement: Proven experience leading large, multidisciplinary teams
• Core requirement: Experience delivering transformational manufacturing initiatives

Application Readiness Checklist

• Make the required qualification easy to verify in the education or certification section of your CV.
• If applicable, make the preferred qualification easy to verify in the education or certification section of your CV.
• Show evidence of the required experience through relevant roles, dates and measurable responsibilities.
• Tailor your CV to the verified responsibilities and Food Manufacturing and FMCG Operations skills stated in this vacancy.
• Confirm that the vacancy is still open before submitting your application.

Vacancy Verification

This vacancy was checked by AfriJobSpace on September 6, 2026 against the employer’s official recruitment source. View the official vacancy source.

Application Safety

Apply only through the official employer channel provided on this page. Do not pay anyone to submit or process your application, and verify unexpected recruitment messages directly with the employer.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their application through the employer’s official application platform using the Apply for Job button on this page.