Interim Project Director - Coldstore Warehouse

Are you a passionate change agent who thrives on unlocking efficiencies and empowering teams?

We’re seeking a results-driven Project Director to lead the delivery of a fully automated coldstore warehouse facility near Bristol from design through commissioning and handover.

This senior role combines programme leadership, board-level stakeholder management, rigorous financial control, risk governance, and tight cross-functional integration with enterprise programmes such as S4/Hana and our new food manufacturing facility. 

You'll be experienced in managing large scale warehouse projects and have a proven track record of working to budgets and meeting deadlines.

Key Performance Indicators

• Budget variance: Final project cost within agreed tolerance.
• Schedule adherence: Achievement of critical milestones and on-time commissioning.
• Safety and compliance: Zero major HSE incidents; successful regulatory approvals and validation.
• Integration success: S4/Hana and WMS interfaces delivered and stable at go-live.
• Stakeholder satisfaction: Positive Board and operational sponsor feedback; timely executive decisions.

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care and education settings.

Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness.

Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK.

Day-to-day

• End-to-end project leadership: Own the project lifecycle — scope, design, procurement, construction, automation integration, commissioning, validation, and handover to operations.
• Programme planning and delivery: Develop and maintain integrated master schedules, critical path analysis, and milestone plans; drive on-time delivery.
• Contract and supplier management: Lead procurement strategy, negotiate major contracts (EPC, automation vendors, integrators), manage contractor performance and change control.
• Quality, HSE and compliance: Ensure design and build meet food safety, cold-chain, regulatory and HSE standards; lead FAT/SAT and validation activities.
• Commissioning and operational readiness: Oversee testing, training, SOPs, and transition to operations including spares, maintenance plans and warranty management.
• Benefits realisation: Define and track operational KPIs and financial benefits; ensure the facility delivers expected throughput, efficiency and cost savings
• Ability to train the leadership team in basic skills and understanding of lean principles, 5 Whys and problem solving

Stakeholder Management and Governance

• Board-level engagement: Prepare and present concise, data-driven updates to UK Executive and Group Board sponsors; translate technical progress into strategic impact and decisions required.
• Governance and reporting: Establish and chair governance forums (Steering Committee, Change Control Board); produce monthly Board packs, highlight reports and decision papers.
• Senior stakeholder relationships: Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders (Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, Legal, HR) and external stakeholders (local authorities, utilities, major suppliers).
• Escalation and decision facilitation: Proactively surface issues, propose options with commercial and risk implications, and secure timely executive decisions.

Financial Management and Risk Management

• Budget ownership: Own project budget and cost control processes; produce rolling forecasts, cashflow profiles and variance analysis.
• Financial tracking and controls: Implement robust cost tracking, change order governance, and approval thresholds; coordinate with Group Finance for capital accounting and audit readiness.
• Commercial oversight: Manage commercial risk, claims, retention, and contract close-out; ensure value for money and protect company interests.
• Risk governance: Maintain and drive an active risk register with quantified impacts and mitigations; lead risk workshops and ensure Board-level visibility of top risks and mitigations.
• Contingency and scenario planning: Model downside scenarios, contingency drawdown plans and recovery strategies for schedule or cost overruns.

Cross-Functional Integration and Systems Interfaces

• ERP and IT integration: Act as the primary project liaison with the S4/Hana implementation team to ensure seamless integration of WMS, inventory, finance and operational master data; coordinate cutover and data migration activities.
• Coordination with Trowbridge manufacturing facility: Align timelines, utilities, logistics and operational interfaces with the new food manufacturing facility; manage shared resources, site access and commissioning windows.
• OT/IT convergence: Oversee integration of automation control systems, SCADA, WMS, and cyber security requirements with IT and OT teams.
• Change management and training: Work with HR and Operations to design training, organisational change plans and go-live support to secure adoption and operational stability.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Engineering, Project Management, Construction Management, or related discipline.
• Prince2 Practitioner, PMP, or equivalent
• Proven track record of delivering large industrial automation or cold-chain projects (capital value typically £20m+)
• Significant experience in senior project leadership roles
• ERP integration experience: Direct experience working with S4/Hana or major ERP/WMS integrations during capital projects

Essential Skills

• Board-level communication: Exceptional ability to present complex issues succinctly to senior executives and Boards.
• Financial acumen: Strong budgeting, forecasting and commercial negotiation skills.
• Risk and governance: Expert in risk quantification, mitigation planning and governance frameworks.
• Technical understanding: Knowledge of automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), robotics, refrigeration engineering and controls.
• Leadership and influence: Strong stakeholder management, cross-functional collaboration and people leadership.
• Tools: Proficient with MS Project/Primavera, cost control systems, and reporting tools; comfortable with data-driven dashboards.

Formal training in financial/project controls is desirable.

Due to the location, a full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle are essential.

• Free on-site parking
• Competitive day rate

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer.
Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.