We’re Hiring:
Production & Commercial Manager - for our Precision Hydraulics Engineering business
The senior person on site - running the floor, owning the technical quoting, and driving the growth of the business.
Location: Southwell, Nottinghamshire - on-site, full-time (no remote working)
Salary: £45-53k depending on experience
Hours: Full-time (42 hours per week), with the trust and autonomy to manage your own diary
About Us
We’re a precision hydraulics business; rams, cylinders, pumps, bespoke client work, all built to spec for customers who don’t accept “near enough.” We move fast, build properly, and hold ourselves to a standard our competitors talk about and don’t deliver.
The owner is based at our other site. That means whoever takes this role isn’t a deputy or a number two; they are the boss of this site. The face of it. The standard-setter. The one who goes home at night knowing every job in the building is in good hands - and who picks up the phone to win the next one.
Our golden rule? Life’s too short to work with miserable people - we hire people who are also good company. If you can lead, deliver, and keep your humour when the workshop is under pressure, you’ll fit right in. We have a fantastic team and we’re looking for someone who can elevate it further, leading it to the next level.
The Role
This is the senior technical, operational and commercial job on site. You run production. You set the standard. You own the technical quoting. And you take the lead on growing the business.
When a customer rings up with a bespoke hydraulic problem that needs solving, you are the person they get.
Not a salesperson reading from a quote sheet; you. The one who can look at a drawing, ask the right questions, and tell them how we can make it, how long it’ll take, and what it’ll cost - with the technical authority to stand behind every word of it.
We have a great team who can cover most areas of production, under your guidance. We also offer repairs and servicing - which is owned by a dedicated specialist, so that’s not your day-to-day. But you’ll have enough hydraulics depth in your back pocket to step in, advise, or cover when needed.
Note: whilst we’d like you to spend more and more of your time winning and growing the business, this is a technical position that will require you to work on the shop floor too (we’re happy for you to build the business to remove this requirement, but we’re not there yet). You will therefore need solid machining experience.
Growing the Business
This role is as much about growing the business as it is about running it. We’re looking for someone who can take what we already do well and turn it into more - more of the right customers, more repeat work, sharper conversion on the enquiries that come in.
That means:
- Owning the quote-to-order conversion rate and improving it through faster turnaround, sharper technical responses and better follow-up;
- Building relationships with existing customers so we win more of their work, not just their occasional jobs;
- Identifying and pursuing new accounts in sectors where our capability is genuinely differentiated;
- Working with the owner on pricing strategy, margin discipline and where to invest for growth;
- Representing the business externally - site visits, customer meetings, trade events where it matters.
What You’ll Actually Do:
Run the floor
- Own the production schedule end-to-end - sequencing, resourcing, on-time delivery;
- Allocate jobs across machinists and fitters based on capability, priority and margin;
- Set and hold the line on quality, tolerances and finish standards;
- Identify bottlenecks and unblock them before they become problems.
Be the technical authority on quoting
- Be the lead technical point of contact for all bespoke and non-standard hydraulic enquiries;
- Scope, specify and quote technical work yourself - bore sizes, rod specs, seal selection, materials, surface treatments, mounting configurations, the lot;
- Translate vague customer requirements (“I need something that does this”) into a buildable spec, a realistic lead time and an accurate cost;
- Sign off technical content on quotes produced by the sales team - if it leaves the building with a price on it for a bespoke job, you’ve seen it;
- Be the senior technical voice on calls and site visits when a customer needs proper engineering input, not a sales pitch.
Own the tolerances
- Specify and verify production tolerances appropriate to the component and its application: bore finish (Ra values), rod straightness, concentricity, thread fits, hardness, plating, seal groove geometry;
- Know when a tolerance matters, when it doesn’t, and communicate that clearly to the team;
- Make the call on fits, clearances, materials and surface treatments for every hydraulic component we build.
Lead the team
- Lead, motivate and develop the workshop and technical sales staff;
- Set clear expectations, handle performance issues directly, and back your people when they need it;
- Build a culture where time-served craftsmen are respected and newer staff are brought on properly;
- Manage rotas, annual leave cover and recruitment.
Step in as needed
- Provide technical cover and second-opinion support to the repairs and servicing specialist;
- Step in fully if lead times dictate or to cover skill gaps, annual leave or stretched periods - you don’t run it day-to-day, but you can.
Drive systems and continuous improvement
- Champion ERPNext (our CRM/ERP system) on the shop floor - ensuring accurate BOMs, routings and stock data, no exceptions;
- Use AI and modern tools wherever they make the role sharper, faster or better;
- Drive continuous improvement: scrap rates, rework, on-time delivery, machine utilisation;
- Identify investment cases for new machines, capacity or capability.
Must Have
- Proven experience running a precision manufacturing or engineering workshop;
- Deep, demonstrable working knowledge of hydraulic components - rams, cylinders, pumps, valves, seals - and how they’re made, fitted and tested;
- Authority on production tolerances in a hydraulics context - if a customer asks a technical question, you can answer it without hesitation;
- Confident, accurate quoting on bespoke hydraulic work - this is non-negotiable; you are the technical voice the customer hears;
- Commercial appetite and track record - someone who actively wants to grow a business, not just maintain one, and can point to revenue or account growth they’ve personally driven;
- Hands-on CNC competency (HAAS, Tornado or Audit or equivalent) - enough to back up the team and judge a programme or a setup;
- Proven people-management track record - hiring, developing, performance-managing a team;
- Commercial awareness - margin, quoting, lead times, and the link between shop-floor decisions and the P&L;
- Reliability and integrity - trustworthy as the senior keyholder and the face of the site.
Bonus Points For
- Background in fluid power, mobile hydraulics, or heavy industrial hydraulics;
- Experience implementing or improving an ERP system (ERPNext, Sage, Epicor, similar);
- Demonstrable use of AI to make your role and your team more efficient;
- CAM software exposure (Fusion or equivalent);
- IOSH or NEBOSH; first-aid certified;
- An existing network of local engineering customers or suppliers.
What’s in it for You
- A competitive salary that reflects the seniority of the role;
- Full ownership of a site and its growth - the trust and autonomy to run it your way;
- Direct line to the owner; your input will be heard and acted on;
- A capable, loyal workforce who want to be led well;
- Investment in tooling, systems and capacity to back the growth plan;
- The chance to build something you can genuinely be proud of.
How to Apply
Send a CV and a short note explaining: why you're suitable for this role and what you’d do in your first ninety days. We read every word.
If you’re the right person, you’ll already know what to put in that note.
Pay: £45,000.00-£53,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Are you willing to work everyday, at our site in Southwell, Nottinghamshire?
- What is your experience working with, specifying and pricing hydraulic work?
- What hands on (CNC) machining experience do you have?
Work Location: In person
