What does an Operations Support Manager do?

As the job title suggests, my role is to support various people who work within the various Operations of the business. This could be production, Engineering, Quality Assurance, Continuous improvement, process, Technical

How did you end up in this job?

I have worked for Samworth Brothers since 1987 and worked in and managed various departments. Over the years I have acquired a lot of industry and departmental knowledge. I wanted to semi-retire in 2019 and work just 2 days per week, which is something Samworth Brothers supported me with. My time is now spent supporting, advising and helping others

What advice would you give to someone thinking of pursuing this career?

The food industry is very diverse and has numerous different areas you can specialise in, Production, Sales, Technical, Engineering, Marketing, Finance, Personnel, IT etc. The food industry is a very interesting and rewarding career path to follow with lots of opportunities to develop yourself and apply for more senior roles

How long have you been doing your job? I have been in this particular job for 4 years, but actually been associated with the food industry since before I left Secondary School (more than 45 years)

If you could give your 16 year old self some career advice, what would it be? Learn as much as you can and form working relationships with as many people as possible. Take advantage of any training opportunities. Don’t be afraid to move around the food industry and try different things