First Line Manager Copacking

About Unilever

With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world. At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.

Responsibilities

• Co‑packer Performance & Governance
  • Own end-to-end co‑packer KPI performance, including Quality (QC compliance, defect reduction), Safety standards and regulatory compliance, Operational efficiency (OEE) and service delivery (OR)
  • Drive performance reviews, identify gaps, and implement improvement actions
  • Ensure full compliance with Unilever standards, audit requirements, and agreed SOPs
• Production Strategy & Capacity Planning
  • Lead long-term capacity planning and network strategy for co‑packers
  • Support and execute co‑packer relocation projects
  • Identify opportunities for in‑sourcing vs outsourcing optimization
• New Product Development (NPD) & insourcing
  • Drive NPD execution at co-packers, ensuring timeline and quality delivery
  • Lead in‑sourcing initiatives, including Home Care and Beauty & Personal Care products
  • Coordinate cross-functional alignment to ensure successful implementation
• Cost Management & Financial Governance
  • Partner with Finance to control and optimize conversion cost / co-packer cost structure
  • Manage and validate stock control and inventory reconciliation, financial compliance and sign-off processes
  • Oversee RM/PM control center compliance at site level
• Supply Chain & Operations Control
  • Oversee DSR (Daily/Delivery Service Reporting) tracking and performance
  • Ensure robust stock accuracy and control processes
  • Manage operational readiness and issue resolution with co-packers
• Stakeholder Management
  • Act as key interface with internal stakeholders (Supply Chain, Finance, Quality, Procurement, Production, Engineer, Planner)
  • Influence and align senior stakeholders to drive decision-making
• People Management & Leadership
  • Lead and develop internal team members
  • Provide guidance and governance to co-packer teams and 3PL partners
  • Build capability and performance culture across extended teams
• Contract & Commercial Management
  • Manage and govern forklift commercial contracts
  • Ensure vendor performance aligns with contractual agreements and service expectations

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial Engineering, or related fields)
• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing or production operations, preferably within FMCG or high-volume production environments
• Proven track record in managing end-to-end production performance, including safety, quality, service, and cost
• Experience working with or optimizing high-speed production lines and machinery efficiency (OEE improvement)
• Exposure to production expansion, capacity planning, or operational scaling projects is highly advantageous

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent English proficiency (both written and spoken)
• Strong operational and analytical mindset, with the ability to identify gaps and drive continuous improvement
• Proven stakeholder management skills, with ability to collaborate across functions
• Solid understanding of production KPIs such as OEE, service level, quality, and cost control
• Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and execution capability

Behavioral Attributes

• Highly agile, adaptable, and resilient in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrates strong ownership and accountability
• Eager to learn, open to change, and continuously seek improvement opportunities