Supply Chain Director - Food Category

Supply Chain Director - Food Category

We are seeking a Supply Chain Director with an extensive skill set for an FMCG company, that specialises in the food category.

Reporting to the General Manager, the Supply Chain Director is the senior leader accountable for end-to-end site performance—covering manufacturing, materials, quality/food safety, engineering/maintenance, warehousing & outbound logistics—ensuring the plant consistently delivers service, cost, quality, and safety targets while building a high-performing organization. The role drives continuous improvement, operational excellence, and capacity/investment planning in close alignment with commercial and group supply chain functions.

Key Responsibilities:

1) Site strategy & operational leadership

• Define and execute the site’s supply chain and operations strategy in line with the company’s growth plans and service commitments.
• Set clear annual and multi-year operational targets (service, cost, quality, safety, capability), translating them into actionable departmental plans.
• Establish a disciplined performance management system (daily/weekly/monthly reviews), ensuring rigorous root-cause problem solving and corrective actions.

2) Manufacturing excellence

• Lead production to deliver volume, mix, and service requirements with best-in-class efficiency and cost discipline.
• Ensure robust production planning execution, optimal line performance, and effective short-/long-term process improvements.
• Own operational reporting and ensure visibility of constraints, risks, and improvement priorities to senior management.

) Quality, food safety & compliance

• Ensure full compliance with internal standards and local regulatory requirements, safeguarding product integrity and brand reputation.
• Drive continuous improvement through quality management methods and strong preventive controls (including HACCP principles where applicable).

4) Logistics, warehousing & customer service

• Ensure reliable warehousing, inventory control, and outbound logistics execution to support on-time, in-full delivery and customer satisfaction.
• Drive working-capital discipline through inventory accuracy, loss prevention, and improved planning/materials management (raw, packaging, and finished goods).

5) Engineering, maintenance & asset reliability

• Ensure plant equipment, facilities, and infrastructure are maintained to high standards, maximizing uptime and operational stability.
• Lead preventive/predictive maintenance maturity, spare-parts strategy, and technical capability building across the site.

6) Safety, health & environment (SHE)

• Act as the site SHE leader—building a proactive safety culture, ensuring legal compliance, and establishing robust emergency preparedness and response.

7) Financial ownership & performance delivery

• Own the site’s annual budget planning and delivery; drive productivity, waste reduction, and cost-saving initiatives to improve profitability.
• Track and improve key performance indicators (production, quality, variance, safety/injury, service) with clear accountability and follow-through.

8) People leadership, culture & industrial relations

• Build and lead a high-performing leadership team; recruit, develop, coach, and retain critical talent across functions.
• Represent management effectively across blue- and white-collar populations; ensure transparent communication and constructive employee relations.

9) Cross-functional / group collaboration & change

• Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and Planning locally and coordinate effectively with group functions to deliver business priorities.
• Contribute to capital investments, capacity expansion, and new product introductions—ensuring safe start-ups and predictable ramp-ups.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Engineering or in a related field; a Master’s degree is preferred.
• Minimum 17 years of progressive experience in manufacturing and/or supply chain environments, including substantial site leadership responsibility.
• Strong technical understanding of industrial food and beverage manufacturing or related categories—machinery, utilities, process flows, and the technologies used in modern high-volume plants.
• Demonstrated capability to lead food safety and quality systems, including HACCP, audits, and corrective/preventive action (CAPA) discipline.
• Proven track record of driving operational performance through structured KPIs (OEE, yield, scrap, downtime, service levels), with a clear customer and quality lens.
• Deep operational know-how to diagnose production issues, remove bottlenecks, reduce losses, and sustainably improve output, quality, and reliability.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills; able to translate complexity into clear priorities, plans, and measurable results.
• Sound knowledge of product specifications and process parameters, ensuring consistent execution and compliance across shifts and lines.
• Passion for product and quality; treats food as a craft and takes pride in delivering consistency at scale.
• ERP exposure (preferably SAP) is a plus, particularly for production reporting, traceability, and performance tracking.
• Fluent English (spoken and written) with the ability to operate confidently in a multinational environment.
• Willing to relocate to İzmir or surrounding cities

Competencies:

• Visible, hands-on leadership style; credible with both shopfloor and leadership teams; strong coaching orientation.
• Proactive, people-oriented leadership style; visible on the floor and close to the teams
• Proven people manager and motivator who builds engagement, accountability, and performance
• Decisive leader who takes ownership and follows through on decisions, even under pressure
• Works in a structured, efficient manner and consistently delivers with pace and discipline
• Sets a positive tone and leads by example; strengthens commitment to the organisation’s vision, values, and direction
• Assesses situations quickly and objectively, using all available data to form sound judgement
• Makes timely decisions on urgent issues, balancing speed with risk awareness
• Clearly understands performance expectations for self and the team, and translates them into actionable plans
• Strong results orientation; prioritises effectively and drives execution to achieve targets
• Demonstrates a “can-do” mindset with optimism, ownership, and high personal accountability

Note: This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and its responsibilities. It is not an exhaustive list, and other duties may be assigned as needed to meet the company's objectives.