This Dairy Vice President (VP) job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as SVP Dairy, Divisional Managing Director, Business Unit Director or General Manager Dairy. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Dairy Vice President (VP) |
| Also known as | SVP Dairy, Divisional Managing Director, Business Unit Director, General Manager Dairy |
| Department | Dairy leadership and board |
| Reports to | Group Chief Executive or Group Chief Operating Officer |
| Direct reports | Divisional heads of operations, finance, sales and marketing, milk supply, quality and HR, some of whom also report to group functions |
What does a Dairy Vice President (VP) do?
Leads the dairy division of a larger food group with full profit and loss responsibility. Sets and delivers the division's strategy within the group's framework, growing profitable sales while managing milk supply, commodity exposure, plant performance and food safety. Represents the division to group leadership and works across group functions to make the best use of shared resources.
Dairy Vice President (VP) duties and responsibilities
Divisional strategy and performance
- Develop the division's strategy and multi-year plan and gain approval from group leadership
- Own the division's profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow, and deliver budget commitments
- Present the annual budget, forecasts and performance reviews to group leadership
- Allocate resources between products, plants and markets to maximise return
- Identify acquisitions, partnerships and disposals that strengthen the division, and lead the business cases
Milk supply and commodity exposure
- Secure milk supply from farmers, co-operatives or third parties at competitive cost
- Oversee milk pricing and supply terms in line with group policy and competition law
- Manage exposure to butter, powder and cheese prices with group finance and treasury
- Adjust the product mix to get the best return from each litre of milk across market cycles
Commercial growth
- Grow sales with retail, food-service, ingredients and export customers
- Develop the division's brands and value-added products with group marketing and innovation teams
- Lead negotiations with strategic customers and approve major contracts and pricing
- Open and develop export markets in line with group trade policy and risk appetite
Operations, investment and food safety
- Oversee the safe, efficient running of the division's processing plants and supply chain
- Plan plant capacity and make the case for capital investment to the group investment committee
- Ensure food safety and quality systems meet customer, regulatory and group standards
- Lead the division's response to serious incidents and product recalls
Group integration and governance
- Work with group finance, procurement, HR and IT to deliver shared services and savings
- Apply group policies, delegated authorities and internal controls across the division
- Report risks, compliance issues and sustainability performance to group leadership and its committees
- Deliver the division's share of group targets for emissions, water use and animal welfare
Leadership and people
- Lead, develop and hold the divisional leadership team to account
- Build a strong culture of safety, quality and performance
- Plan succession and develop talent for the division and the wider group
Dairy Vice President (VP) qualifications and experience
Essential
- Senior general management experience with full profit and loss responsibility in food, dairy or consumer goods
- Experience of working in a matrix structure within a larger group
- Strong commercial and financial understanding, including budgets and capital investment cases
- Knowledge of dairy supply chains, milk procurement and commodity markets
- Track record of leading multi-site operations and senior teams
- Experience of managing food safety and quality risk at a senior level
Desirable
- Degree in business, food science, agriculture or engineering, or an MBA
- International or export market experience
- Experience of mergers, acquisitions or integration projects
- Experience of developing dairy brands or value-added products
Skills and attributes
- Strategic and commercial thinking
- Influencing senior stakeholders across a group
- Financial analysis and profit and loss management
- Leading and developing senior teams
- Negotiation with major customers and suppliers
- Managing risk and making decisions in volatile markets
- Clear, concise reporting
How success is measured
- Divisional revenue, operating profit and margin against budget
- Return on capital employed and cash conversion
- Milk cost and security of supply against plan
- Safety performance and food safety incidents
- Customer service levels and growth with key accounts
- Progress against group sustainability targets
Working conditions and safety
Based at the division's head office with frequent travel to plants, customers, group offices and international markets. Attends group leadership meetings and investment committees, some of them outside normal working hours.
- Lead by example on health, safety, food safety and animal welfare
- Uphold the code of conduct and all legal and compliance requirements
- Raise concerns and report incidents promptly
Dairy Vice President (VP) interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Dairy Vice President (VP) role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- How do you manage a divisional profit and loss when key costs, such as milk, are set by the market?
What a good answer shows: Focuses on controllable costs, product mix and pricing, forecasts realistically and explains variances clearly to group leadership. - How would you get the best return from each litre of milk across the division's product portfolio?
What a good answer shows: Understands milk value by product, shifts the mix with market returns and plant flexibility, and works closely with sales and operations. - How do you build a capital investment case that wins approval from a group investment committee?
What a good answer shows: Links the case to strategy, tests assumptions and risks, shows clear returns and alternatives, and involves group finance early. - How do you work effectively in a matrix where group functions also manage some of your team?
What a good answer shows: Agrees clear roles and decision rights, builds trust with function heads and resolves conflicts constructively for the wider group. - Group leadership asks you to cut divisional costs by ten per cent this year. How do you approach it?
What a good answer shows: Analyses cost drivers, protects safety and food safety, involves the team and proposes realistic savings with clear impacts. - A competitor raises its milk price and some of your farmer suppliers want to switch. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Assesses supply risk and economics, talks to farmers, reviews contracts and pricing within group policy, and acts quickly. - How do you make sure group policies, delegated authorities and controls are followed across the division?
What a good answer shows: Explains the rules clearly, checks compliance through reviews and audits, acts on breaches and reports issues openly to group. - How do you manage competition law risk when dealing with milk suppliers, customers and competitors?
What a good answer shows: Knows the risks around pricing and information sharing, trains teams, takes legal advice and keeps proper records. - How do you build a strong divisional leadership team when some members also report to group functions?
What a good answer shows: Sets shared goals, involves group function heads in objectives and reviews, and creates one team identity for the division. - Tell me about a time you developed a leader who went on to a bigger role.
What a good answer shows: Shows active coaching, stretching opportunities and honest feedback, and takes pride in building talent for the wider group.
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Frequently asked questions
Leads the dairy division of a larger food group with full profit and loss responsibility. Sets and delivers the division's strategy within the group's framework, growing profitable sales while managing milk supply, commodity exposure, plant performance and food safety. Represents the division to group leadership and works across group functions to make the best use of shared resources.
Employers usually look for: senior general management experience with full profit and loss responsibility in food, dairy or consumer goods; experience of working in a matrix structure within a larger group; strong commercial and financial understanding, including budgets and capital investment cases.
A Dairy Vice President (VP) usually reports to the Group Chief Executive or Group Chief Operating Officer. Direct reports typically include divisional heads of operations, finance, sales and marketing, milk supply, quality and HR, some of whom also report to group functions.
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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