Despatch Section Manager

Who are we, and what do we do?

You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.

We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door – meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and Wales, and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

A little about our Wednesbury site:

Our advanced manufacturing site in Wednesbury, West Midlands, is our newest advanced manufacturing site, and we’ve invested around £4.7 million into state-of-the-art facilities.

Our Wednesbury site is a flagship Added Value centre for Avara, which employ over 150 talented individuals at the site, who help to supply some of the UK’s largest supermarkets and popular restaurants!

Are you an experienced Despatch Section Manager with a proven track record in people management? Do you have experience working within a FMCG environment? Do you thrive working in a fast-paced manufacturing operation?

As an inclusive, forward-thinking business, we take pride in our approach to Operations across Avara Foods and are looking for a highly competent and motivated Despatch Section Manager to join our Site Operations Team, based at our Wednesbury site.

The role is site based, so you’ll be working in a fast-paced, dynamic FMCG factory environment which is noisy and refrigerated in some areas, manufacturing short shelf-life products where hygiene standards are critical.  As a Despatch Section Manager, you’ll be working Monday to Friday 07:00 - 16:00. Flexibility will be required to cover and support other shifts including week-ends 17:30 - 00:00. 

What will you be doing as a Despatch Section Manager at Avara?

As the Despatch Section Manager,you will be responsible for the day to day running of despatch departments ensuring colleagues are operating effectively, efficiently, and safely at all times. This is a predominantly site-based role.  

What will your key responsibilities as a Despatch Section Manager  yHinclude?

• Being responsible for the management and development of Team Leaders and colleagues within despatch.
• Ensuring all food safety, health & safety and quality standards are met during the despatch process.
• Monitoring and delivering on inbound and outbound loading schedules for raw materials and finished products.
• Ensuring weekly scanned stock takes and regular stock rotation are performed.
• Working closely with the internal trainer ensuring MHE and Driver training, development and assessments are identified and completed.
• Liaise with QA Department and Engineering departments to ensure that any issues are communicated and resolved as quickly as possible
• Management of the INVAR warehouse management system.
• Supporting other Logistics managers within transport and goods yard teams.
• Ensuring consistency in the application of the company’s policies and procedures.
• Manage the Companies’ Disciplinary and Grievance procedure.
• Conducting daily pre-shift briefings and weekly safety walks.
• Producing end-of-period stock report

  What you’ll need to be successful:

• An experienced People Manager or Team Leader with a previous track record of working in a similar environment
• Good IT skills with the ability to learn new systems. Invar/Genesis WMS being highly advantageous.
• Ability to deal effectively with challenging situations.
• Proven people management skills in a diverse and demanding environment
• Excellent communication skills at all levels with internal and external stakeholders.
• Basic knowledge of road haulage legislation, drivers hours etc desirable

The benefits of working for Avara Foods:

As a Despatch Section Manager you will enjoy a secure, supportive and progressive working environment, where your contribution and achievements will be recognised and rewarded.

We offer comprehensive training as well as continuous development as you build your long-term career with us. You can also look forward to benefits that amongst other things include the following:

• From £32,000 per annum depending on skills and experience.
• Additional Shift Allowance
• 31 days holiday allowance
• 6% pension
• Life assurance/insurance
• Various lifestyle benefits, such as cashback perks, exclusive shopping discounts from well known retailers, and discounted cinema tickets!
• Wellbeing resources, including free online health advice & support, and wellbeing assessments.
• Subsidised staff canteen
• Free staff parking

What happens after you apply for this role?

After you’ve applied, you’ll be contacted in due course by a Resourcing Officer, to discuss your application and CV further. There’ll also be a chance for you to ask us any questions you may have about the role.

If you’re ready to work in a dynamic environment alongside talented people who take pride in delivering great results, apply today!

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.

INDHP #TheAvaraWay