Managing Director - Pre Pack

Managing Director - Pre Pack

Head Office - Taiko Acton

Contract: Full Time
Salary: Competitive
Contracted Hours: 40

Established in 1997 as the first manufacturer of sushi for the UK supermarket industry, Taiko has evolved into the most innovative manufacturer of Sushi, Food To Go, Prepared Meals and Snacking products in the UK, supplying Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury’s to name a few. Over the past 25 years Taiko has launched more first to market Sushi and Food to Go products than any other sushi manufacturer in the UK.

15–20 years’ experience in a food manufacturing environment
Proven leadership in a high-care production environment
Strong operational expertise with Lean Six Sigma, Kaizen, or similar continuous improvement methodologies
Demonstrable track record of growing and leading profitable businesses supplying major grocery retailers
Full P&L ownership experience (essential)
Deep understanding of UK food safety standards, HACCP, and HSE compliance
Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders, boards, and external partners
Strong leadership experience in building teams and shaping organisational culture

Managing Director – UK& I Food Manufacturing

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Managing Director to take full P&L accountability for a high-volume chilled food manufacturing operation in the UK.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for translating commercial retail contracts into operational reality—ensuring every product is manufactured safely, legally, and profitably within a 24/7 “fresh-to-order” production environment.

You will lead a complex, multi-site operation supplying major UK grocery retailers, maintaining exceptional service levels (99%+) while balancing the stringent hygiene, compliance, and quality requirements of high-care food manufacturing.

Operating within a matrix structure, this role requires strong cross-functional collaboration across commercial, operations, engineering, supply chain, and quality teams.

3 Best Things About the Role
Strategic influence – Work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team on high-impact initiatives, leading strategy from concept through to execution.
People leadership – Shape, develop, and scale high-performing teams while embedding a strong organisational culture.
Full accountability – Own the end-to-end P&L for a high-volume, multi-factory manufacturing business.

Key Accountabilities
Develop and execute the UK&I business strategy in collaboration with the leadership team
Anticipate operational and commercial challenges 6–12 months ahead and proactively implement mitigation and growth strategies
Lead daily production operations to achieve >99% On-Time In-Full (OTIF) delivery in a fast-paced environment
Ensure compliance with BRCGS Global Standards, embedding a “Gold Standard” food safety and quality culture
Manage multimillion-pound budgets, ensuring COGS, labour, and overheads meet targets while driving continuous improvement
Oversee production planning and scheduling to maximise throughput and meet demanding delivery windows
Drive cross-functional alignment to ensure successful new product development and on-time launches
Build and lead a high-performing engineering function to ensure high uptime and ma