Managing Director - Pre Pack

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 maintain facilities to BRC AA+ standards
Foster a strong “Safety First” culture across a large workforce, ensuring adherence to HSE and food safety regulations
Represent the business as the senior operational lead during customer audits, retailer reviews, external audits, and shareholder engagements

Key Measures of Success
Delivery of UK&I strategic objectives
Achievement of annual financial and operational KPIs
Zero product recalls and consistent BRCGS AA+ audit ratings
Maintenance of service levels above 99%
Successful on-time launch of new products to specification
Sustained engineering performance supporting high-care manufacturing complexity
Proactive operational planning alongside day-to-day execution

We're proud to offer:

• Opportunity to grow your career alongside with us with available apprentice program
• Brilliant support services designed to enhance your physical, mental and financial wellbeing.
• Annual discretionary bonus subject to business and overall performance uppto 30%
• Discretionary Life Assurance
• Discretionary Income Protection
• Group Personal Pension
• Private Medical Cash Plan
• Bespoke reward platform including access to retail, cinema & gym discounts.
• 50% off your food every time you dine with us for you and 3 friends.
• Contribute towards our award-winning sustainability initiatives that delivers progress against 9 UN sustainability goals. We're committed to responsibly sourcing and all our seafood, therefore we only use source sustainable fish. All our packaging is recyclable and 80% of our packaging is already made from recycled plastic.
• Annual Awards ceremony celebrating our success and offering winning Managers free trips to Japan.

About us:

Come roll with us and be part of something big. Celebrate global success across:

• Over 1500 retail kiosks globally (YO!, Panku, Mai Taiko Snowfox & Bento)
• Our Taiko manufacturing and distribution centre
• 63 YO! restaurants
• 50 major retail partners
• 3700 locations globally From Hawaii to Aberdeen

Our Values

• Own it, Care About it, Make it Exceptional, Win Together

Ready to Roll?

Come roll with us and play a key role by bringing people together to celebrate better food for everyone the Japanese way...