A dairy factory manager runs the day-to-day operation of a milk processing site: production, people, food safety and cost. It is one of the most important hires a dairy business makes, because the role sets the standard for output, product quality and safety across the whole plant.
Use the job description below as a starting point when you write your own advert. Adjust the product types, team size and reporting lines to match your site.
Job summary
The dairy factory manager is responsible for the safe, efficient and profitable running of the factory. They lead the production, quality, engineering and warehouse teams to turn raw milk into products such as liquid milk, cream, butter, cheese, yoghurt or milk powder, on time, in full and to specification, while meeting food safety, health and safety, and environmental requirements.
Key responsibilities
Production and performance
• Plan and deliver the production schedule, balancing milk intake, capacity and customer orders.
• Monitor and improve key measures such as yield, OEE, waste, downtime and cost per litre.
• Work with engineering on planned maintenance, breakdown response and capital projects.
Food safety and quality
• Own the site's HACCP plan and make sure critical control points such as pasteurisation are managed and recorded correctly.
• Lead the site through customer and certification audits (for example BRCGS) and close out non-conformances.
• Handle product quality issues, complaints, holds and recalls together with the technical team.
Health, safety and environment
• Build a strong safety culture, keep risk assessments up to date and investigate incidents.
• Manage environmental compliance, including effluent, water and energy use, and cleaning chemicals.
People and leadership
• Lead, coach and develop shift managers, team leaders and operators.
• Plan staffing and shift patterns, and manage recruitment, training and performance reviews.
• Communicate clearly with the wider business, including sales, procurement, milk supply and finance.
Budgets and continuous improvement
• Prepare and manage the factory budget, controlling labour, energy, packaging and maintenance costs.
• Lead continuous improvement using lean or six sigma methods.
• Report on performance to senior management and recommend investment where it is needed.
Skills and qualifications
Essential
• A degree in food science, dairy technology, engineering or a related subject, or equivalent industry experience.
• A strong working knowledge of dairy processes such as separation, pasteurisation, homogenisation, filling and CIP.
• An advanced food safety and HACCP qualification.
• Proven leadership of large, multi-shift teams.
• Confidence with production data, budgets and ERP or MES systems.
Desirable
• A health and safety qualification such as IOSH or NEBOSH.
• Lean, six sigma or other continuous improvement training.
• Experience with specialist products such as cheese, UHT, powders or infant formula.
Experience
Most employers look for several years in dairy or food manufacturing, including time in a senior production role such as production manager or operations manager. Experience of a site of similar size and complexity, and of leading a site through audits, is usually expected.
Reporting lines and working pattern
The factory manager usually reports to an operations director or general manager. Production, quality, engineering and warehouse leads report to them. Dairy sites often run around the clock, so the role normally includes some on-call cover and flexibility around milk intake and peak seasons.
Salary and benefits
Pay depends on the size of the site, the product range, the location and the candidate's experience. Packages for this level often include a performance bonus, pension, healthcare and a car or car allowance. If you are not sure what to offer, we can share current market rates for your area.
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