Cold Storage Manager

Location: Sommerville, VIC, 3912
Full-Time: Immediate start
Job Title: Cold Storage Manager
Salary range: $90,000 - $120,000
Job Closure date: 30 days

About our client:
Our client is a prominent and rapidly growing leader in the FMCG (Fast-Moving Consumer Goods) sector, renowned for producing and supplying premium, fresh food products. With state-of-the-art facilities on the Mornington Peninsula, they are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety from paddock to plate. Their integrated operations encompass sophisticated horticulture, food manufacturing, and advanced cold chain logistics, ensuring their products reach the market with unparalleled freshness and integrity. They are seeking a dynamic leader to manage a critical part of their supply chain.

About the Role:
On behalf of our client, we are seeking an energetic and highly experienced Cold Storage Manager to lead and optimise all operations within their dynamic chiller and freezer environments. This is a pivotal, hands-on leadership role where you will be responsible for managing a team and the entire process of handling, storing, and dispatching high-value fresh food products. The ideal candidate will be a proactive manager who combines a strong understanding of cold chain logistics with a relentless focus on workplace safety, food safety standards, and operational efficiency.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:
Operational Leadership & Team Management:
• Lead, coach, and manage a team within the cold storage facility, overseeing all daily activities including the accurate picking, packing, and stacking of fresh food products in both chiller and freezer environments.
• Direct and oversee the end-to-end process of order fulfilment, ensuring the accurate picking of stock from the production line and its meticulous preparation for dispatch, maintaining strict traceability and quality control.
• Foster a high-performance culture by effectively rostering staff, managing workflow priorities, and providing clear direction to meet tight production and dispatch schedules.

Cold Chain Integrity & Inventory Management:
• Take full responsibility for the precise stacking and storage of all products within the cold stores, ensuring optimal space utilisation and strict adherence to temperature-sensitive storage requirements for different product lines.
• Uphold the highest standards of cold chain integrity, continuously monitoring and managing the environment to ensure consistent temperatures are maintained, ranging from 3 degrees Celsius and below.
• Implement and oversee robust inventory management procedures within the cold storage areas, ensuring accuracy, minimising stock loss, and ensuring perfect product rotation (FIFO).

Workplace Health, Safety & Compliance:
• Champion and enforce all Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) procedures, with a particular focus on manual handling techniques, slip prevention, and safety in cold environments to ensure a zero-harm workplace.
• Serve as the site expert on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), rigorously enforcing all food safety protocols, hygiene standards, and sanitation procedures to meet and exceed industry compliance.
• Proactively manage the risks associated with repetitive manual handling and prolonged work in cold conditions, implementing preventative strategies and ensuring all team members are equipped and trained to work safely.

Essential Qualifications & Experience:
• A relevant AQF Diploma or equivalent qualification in Supply Chain Logistics, Operations Management, or a related field is essential.
• Proven post-qualification experience in a supervisory or management role, preferably within a food manufacturing, fresh produce, or fast-paced FMCG cold storage environment.
• Demonstrated, hands-on experience with the physical requirements of the role, including repetitive manual handling and working for extended periods in cold room environments.

Essential Skills & Attributes:
• A proven hands-on leadership style with a strong commitment to leading by example and a dedication to achieving operational excellence alongside your team.
• Excellent team management and communication skills, with the proven ability to motivate a team, resolve conflicts, and work collaboratively to achieve common goals.
• The ability to work autonomously, demonstrating strong initiative and problem-solving skills to manage daily operations and make sound decisions without direct supervision.
• Resilience and a high level of personal organisation, with the capacity to thrive in a fast-paced, physically demanding, and challenging temperature-controlled environment.

To Apply:
If you are an experienced cold storage professional ready to take on a key leadership role within a leading FMCG business, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience through the application portal.
Please note: We are managing this recruitment process on behalf of our client. All applications will be reviewed by our team before being presented to the client.