Bakery Production Manager
Location: Llantrisant
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Industry: Chilled Food Manufacturing (Bakery & Pastry)
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Bakery Production Manager to take full operational leadership of our chilled pastry and bakery manufacturing site. Overseeing a 2-shift operation, this role is responsible for delivering safe, efficient, compliant and high-performing production across four production lines, pastry manufacturing, cooking and meat preparation areas, ingredients storage, and ovens/baking.
This is a highly influential role requiring strong leadership, outstanding operational capability, and a track record of driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced, short-shelf-life food environment.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
- Lead all bakery manufacturing areas including pastry production, filling & cooking, meat prep, ingredient storage, baking and four high-volume production lines.
- Manage Shift Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders to ensure daily delivery of production plans safely and on time.
- Oversee material flow, ensuring meat prep and cook room areas remain on plan to avoid delays.
- Full responsibility for the Ovens area, product quality and baking profiles.
- Manage labour planning, standards, crewing and agency usage, ensuring accurate cost control.
- Drive strong GMP and technical compliance in partnership with Technical & QA teams.
Performance & Continuous Improvement
- Own and deliver performance metrics including OEE, line efficiency, yield, waste, labour productivity and downtime.
- Identify and close performance gaps through structured continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure accurate performance reporting and management of Redzone KPIs.
- Champion right-first-time quality and production stability.
Quality, Food Safety & GMP
- Ensure compliance with BRCGS, HACCP and all food safety and legal requirements.
- Embed exceptional GMP, hygiene and housekeeping standards across all areas.
- Lead investigations, corrective actions and support customer audits and technical visits.
- Work with Quality teams to reduce waste, improve standards and maintain audit-ready conditions.
People Leadership
- Build, coach and develop a high-performing production leadership team.
- Manage performance, succession planning, capability development and engagement.
- Lead all people processes including absence, holidays, training, discipline and grievances.
- Foster a culture of accountability, involvement and pride.
Cost & Resource Management
- Control labour, materials, giveaway, rework and waste to meet budget requirements.
- Work closely with Supply Chain and Planning to maximise raw material efficiency.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Engineering to improve reliability, maintenance and line performance.
- Support NPD and Process teams with new launches and process changes.
- Collaborate with Supply Chain, Planning, Technical and Quality teams to ensure seamless operations.
Customer Service
- Ensure production plans are achieved, and customer service levels are consistently met.
- Escalate risks early, take corrective action and support the reduction of customer complaints.
Health & Safety
- Champion a safety-first culture with no compromise.
- Ensure full compliance with site H&S policies for employees and contractors.
- Investigate unsafe practices and ensure timely corrective actions.
Key Behaviours
- Highly self-motivated, enthusiastic and leads by example
- Excellent problem-solving and analytical ability
- Strong attention to detail and resilience under pressure
- Commercially aware with a continuous improvement mindset
- Builds strong relationships and communicates effectively at all levels
- Passionate about quality, safety and operational excellence
Essential Experience
- Significant senior production management experience within chilled food manufacturing (ideally bakery/pastry).
- Strong background in high-volume, short-shelf-life environments.
- Proven experience improving OEE, yield, waste and line efficiency.
- Strong leadership capabilities across multi-area operations.
- Excellent knowledge of GMP, food safety and quality systems.
- Data-driven and confident in performance analysis and decision-making.
Desirable Experience
- Experience within complex environments including cooking, baking and raw meat handling.
- Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies.
- Experience with major audits and customer-facing interactions.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Gym membership
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
