About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

We are currently recruiting for a Production Manager to join the Senior Leadership Team at our Carrigaline manufacturing site. In this role, you will have full accountability for a 24/7 manufacturing operation, leading teams across Fermentation (upstream and downstream), Powder Blending / Spray Drying and Liquid Formulation, including the management of Toll Producers.

You will play a pivotal role in driving the site to the next level, with a strong focus on Health & Safety, Quality, Operational Excellence, Cost Control and Talent Development. Working cross-functionally at site and regional level, you will help shape strategy, embed a high‑performance culture and ensure consistent delivery against key operational metrics. This is an exciting opportunity for an accomplished manufacturing leader who is ambitious, commercially minded and looking to further progress their career within a global organisation.

Key responsibilities

Lead and manage a 24/7 manufacturing operation, ensuring delivery of Safety, Quality, Service, Cost and Sustainability (SQSC) targets.
Develop and implement a site operational strategy aligned to Kerry’s business objectives.
Champion a “Safety First, Quality Always” culture and ensure compliance with all H&S and food safety standards.
Drive site productivity, asset performance, efficiencies and total cost of conversion.
Lead, coach and develop large multidisciplinary teams, fostering a collaborative and high‑performance environment.
Ensure robust people management processes are consistently applied, including absence management, performance management, grievances and non-conformances.Analyse production performance data to identify trends, gaps and continuous improvement opportunities.
Work closely with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain and Process Science teams to deliver operational excellence and support NPIs.
Lead internal and external audits and non‑standard investigations.
Deploy and embed Kerry Manufacturing / Plant Transformation initiatives across the manufacturing teams.
Support and lead key projects that impact operations, performance and efficiencies.
Ensure effective communication, strong engagement and high morale within the department.
Own root cause analysis and close‑out of non‑conformances within your area of responsibility.

Qualifications and skills

Proven experience in a senior manufacturing or operations leadership role within a high‑volume, fast‑paced environment, ideally food, chemical or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and develop large teams to achieve strong performance.
Experience with Spray Drying and/or Fermentation processes is highly desirable.
Strong background in Operational Excellence, Lean and Continuous Improvement.
Excellent knowledge of Health & Safety legislation and food safety standards.
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a pragmatic, results‑driven approach.
Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
Confident decision‑maker with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Strong IT capability, including SAP, MS Office and plant control systems.
Positive, resilient and proactive leadership style with a clear passion for people development.

Production Manager

Job Description