Head of Operations
JR Pet Products is a market\-leading UK natural dog treat and food business. We're owner\-led, we make what we sell, and we ship it ourselves from two sites in mid\-Wales.
Everything we make is 100% natural, single source protein. That promise is what the brand is built on, and it is why we run our own production and our own fulfilment rather than hand either to somebody else.
We're hiring a Head of Operations to own the whole of that fulfilment operation. Everything from the moment an order lands to the moment it leaves the building is yours: goods in, stock, picking, packing, dispatch and returns, across both sites and both channels.
It's a genuinely two\-sided job. A pallet going to a distributor and a parcel going to one dog owner in Dundee are different operations drawing on the same stock and the same people. Holding both together, well, on two sites 21 miles apart, is the whole challenge of the role.
It's also a new layer for us. Today our leadership team sits directly above our team leaders and the floor. You'll be the person in between: the safe pair of hands that keeps the day\-to\-day running without a hitch, and the link between the people doing the work and the people setting the direction.
This is a full\-time, on\-site role, five days a week, Monday to Friday. We are not offering hybrid or remote working. The operation runs on the floor at Brecon and Llandovery, and so does this job.
On the salary range: where you land reflects the experience you bring with you. Whoever we appoint will be running the operation from the start, so we're looking for someone who has led people and run fulfilment before, though not necessarily in our sector.
What you'll own
- The end\-to\-end operation. Goods in, put\-away, stock integrity, picking, packing, dispatch and returns. Both sites, both channels, one operation.
- A team of 35\. Lead, motivate, coach and hold to account 35 operatives across Brecon and Llandovery, through two team leaders. That covers rotas, recruitment, training, performance and cover. You'll also be the voice that carries between the floor and the leadership team, both ways.
- Health, safety and compliance. Site standards and safe working across both sites: risk assessments, accidents and near misses, and the training behind them. Also the traceability, hygiene and approval conditions that come with making food.
- The SLA. It's yours. Same\-day dispatch on orders placed before midday, OTIF for trade accounts, pick accuracy, and the error and returns rate. When we miss, you own why and what changes.
- Stock integrity. Inventory accuracy, cycle counting, stock loss, shelf life and batch traceability across the range and thirteen proteins.
- Cost and capacity. Labour cost per order, agency and temporary staff, consumables and space. Plan for peak, because Black Friday and Christmas don't negotiate.
- Making it better. You'll inherit an operation that works. We want someone who can see where it doesn't and fix it: layout, flow, systems, or the way two sites talk to each other.
We care more about how you lead and run an operation than where you've done it. If you've managed people and fulfilment well in another sector, we want to hear from you.
*Essential*
- Order fulfilment or warehouse management experience, in any sector. You've had real responsibility for getting orders out of the door accurately and on time.
- Proven leadership and people management. You've managed a sizeable team, ideally through team leaders or supervisors, and you know how to motivate, coach and hold people to account.
- A good working grasp of health and safety in the areas you've managed.
- Comfortable with the numbers: service levels, accuracy and cost. You use them to run the operation day to day.
- Confident with systems and technology. We run our own in\-house system, so you won't have used it before. What matters is that you pick systems up quickly, and that when a scanner, a label printer or the network stops, you're happy to get it going.
- Full UK driving licence and your own transport. The two sites are 21 miles apart and you'll be at both.
- Hands\-on. We're 50 people, not 500\. This isn't an office job. There's desk time, but on a busy day you'll be picking, packing or loading the lorry with the team, and that should appeal rather than worry you.
- Experience of both B2B and B2C fulfilment: trade pallets and consumer parcels. If you've run one, we'd like to hear how you'd approach the other.
- Food, FMCG, pet or another business where traceability, shelf life and hygiene matter.
- A formal safety qualification, such as the NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent. We will support you to get one if you haven't.
- Multi\-site experience, or a clear view on how you'd keep standards even across two.
- Continuous improvement in practice: a track record of changing how something is done and proving it worked.
- Planning for peak season.
- Decisions get made quickly here, sometimes in a corridor. You'll be expected to push back when you disagree.
- No process for its own sake, but you can bring the process that's genuinely missing.
- You want to be on site with the people making and shipping the product.
- Full ownership of the operation of a profitable, market\-leading brand, with the autonomy to run it your way.
- A small leadership team, all of whom are accessible any time. There are no layers to go through and no waiting for a slot: what you decide on Monday can be live by Friday.
- £40,000 – £50,000 depending on experience.
- Relocation package can be considered for the right person.
- Company events, employee discount, free on\-site parking at both sites.
- The Brecon Beacons on your doorstep.
This is an on\-site role, five days a week, Monday to Friday. It is not hybrid or remote. The two sites are 21 miles apart, about half an hour on the A40, and you'll be at both regularly. As a rule it's around 70% Brecon and 30% Llandovery, though that moves with stock takes, deliveries and promotions. Your first month will be mostly Brecon, with a day a week at Llandovery to learn how it runs. For travel between the sites you can use one of our cars or vans, or claim mileage if you use your own. A full UK driving licence and your own transport are essential. UK applicants only.
The process
There are four steps, across two visits to us. We decide at the end, with no drawn\-out rounds and no surprise extra stages. You'll hear from a person whatever the outcome.
- Apply. Email your CV to emrys@jrpetproducts.com with a short covering letter: why you're the right person to be the first in this role, and what you've achieved in previous roles.
- First interview. 30 to 40 minutes with Emrys Haugen, by phone or video.
- Brecon. In person with Emrys Haugen, Stephen Tandy and Terry Madden: around an hour on your track record, followed by a tour of the site.
- Final stage. Back at Brecon: you present an operational brief we send you in advance, then complete a second task set on the day.
Pay: £40,000\.00\-£50,000\.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- On\-site parking
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