Production Manager

Overview

As Production Manager you will lead day-to-day operations across high- and low-risk food production areas, directing a ~30-person team to achieve safe, efficient, and compliant output. You’ll drive a strong safety, quality, and hygiene culture while delivering production KPIs and continuous improvement. You’ll collaborate with Technical, Engineering, Planning, Hygiene and CI teams to align site objectives and optimise performance. This role offers scope to shape daily operations, improve performance, and develop the team within a global manufacturing environment.

Pay / Benefits

• 12% annual bonus
• pension with 6% employer contribution
• 25+8 holiday entitlement
• holiday purchase scheme
• private medical insurance including family

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a 30-strong production team with clear standards and accountabilities
• Manage daily production across high- and low-risk areas ensuring safety, compliance and efficiency
• Drive food safety, quality and hygiene culture and ensure products meet specification and customer standards
• Own production KPIs (output, efficiency, labour utilisation, waste, quality, downtime, right-first-time)
• Identify and resolve operational challenges with a hands-on, proactive approach
• Collaborate with Technical, Engineering, Planning, Hygiene, Warehouse and CI teams for cross-functional delivery
• Promote a safety-first culture and ensure health and safety compliance
• Plan and manage labour to meet production schedules and demand
• Lead daily meetings, reviews and handovers to ensure action follow-up
• Support CI activities to improve productivity, reduce waste and strengthen standards
• Lead investigations on quality issues, non-conformances, downtime or complaints with root cause analysis
• Ensure training, skills development and compliance records are maintained
• Maintain housekeeping, GMP and audit readiness across production areas
• Handle performance, conduct, absence and engagement matters per policy

Key requirements

• Experience as Production Manager or Shift Manager in food manufacturing or regulated environments
• Experience in high- and low-risk food production with strong food safety knowledge
• Proven track record leading large operational teams in fast-paced settings
• Strong people management with ability to address performance and build a disciplined culture
• Proven ability to improve production efficiency, output, waste and labour performance
• Excellent communication and stakeholder influence skills
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making under pressure
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement tools
• Understanding of health and safety in manufacturing or food production
• IT literacy and ability to use production systems and data for decisions

• leadership
• communication
• problem-solving
• lean manufacturing
• continuous improvement
• root cause analysis

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