You'll be joining a world class electronics engineering business: we've made products for NASA, Flir, Bosch & many other leading names. We're small but fast growth & looking for a go-getter with bags of production management experience that can take our production capability from a £1M+ business to £5M+
Production Manager: Manufacturing Operations Quality Supply Chain
Department: Production / Operations
Reporting Line: Managing Director
Direct Reports: Production Operatives
Location: 6 Double Row, Seaton Deleval, Northumberland, NE25 0PP
Role Purpose
The Production Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management of manufacturing operations at VREO Innovation Ltd, ensuring products are built to specification, on time, and to the highest quality standards. The role provides direct leadership to production operatives, owns the production schedule, and drives continuous improvement across all aspects of the manufacturing process. The Production Manager works closely with the Managing Director, procurement, and engineering teams to maintain efficient, cost-effective operations and strong supplier relationships.
Key Responsibilities
1. Production Planning & On-Time Delivery
- Own and manage the production schedule to ensure customer orders are fulfilled on time and in full (OTIF).
- Translate sales orders and forecasts into achievable build plans, coordinating capacity and resource accordingly.
- Monitor build progress daily against schedule; identify risks early and take corrective action to maintain delivery commitments.
- Report on-time delivery performance against KPI targets to the Managing Director on a regular basis.
2. MRP & Production System Management
- Manage and maintain the MRP (Material Requirements Planning) system to ensure accurate demand, stock, and work-order data.
- Raise and release works orders, ensuring bills of materials (BOMs) and routings are correct before production commences.
- Ensure MRP data integrity — inventory accuracy, lead times, minimum order quantities — to support reliable planning outputs.
- Identify and resolve MRP exceptions promptly to prevent production stoppages.
3. Management of Production Operatives
- Provide day-to-day leadership, direction, and support to production operatives, ensuring clear priorities and expectations are set.
- Conduct regular team briefings, performance reviews, and one-to-one meetings with direct reports.
- Manage attendance, holiday planning, and resource allocation to maintain production continuity.
- Support the recruitment, onboarding, and training of new production staff; develop skills and cross-training within the team.
- Maintain a positive, productive working environment with clear accountability and high standards of conduct.
4. Process Improvement & Efficiency
- Identify and implement process improvements to increase throughput, reduce waste, and improve build quality.
- Monitor and report on key production efficiency metrics (e.g. units per day, labour utilisation, build cycle time).
- Lead or participate in structured improvement activities (Lean, 5S, Kaizen) to drive measurable operational gains.
- Standardise work instructions and assembly procedures to reduce variability and improve repeatability.
5. Quality, Rejects & Scrappage
- Ensure all products are built and inspected in accordance with quality standards, work instructions, and inspection criteria.
- Own the reject and non-conformance process — log, investigate, and drive root cause analysis and corrective action (RCCA) for all rejects and scrap.
- Monitor and report scrappage and reject rates; identify trends and implement preventive measures to reduce defect rates.
- Manage the customer returns process, ensuring returned units are assessed promptly, root causes identified, and remedial actions implemented.
- Liaise with engineering on quality issues that require design or process changes.
6. Stock Management & Ordering
- Maintain accurate stock records and conduct regular cycle counts and stock reconciliation to ensure inventory accuracy.
- Manage consumable and production materials stock levels, raising purchase requisitions or orders as required to prevent shortages.
- Work with the MRP system to identify material requirements and trigger stock replenishment at appropriate levels.
- Minimise excess and obsolete stock through effective demand management and close liaison with the sales and engineering teams.
7. Supplier Relationships & Procurement Support
- Manage day-to-day relationships with key production suppliers, monitoring delivery performance, quality, and responsiveness.
- Raise purchase orders and expedite outstanding deliveries to maintain production schedules.
- Evaluate supplier performance against agreed KPIs; escalate issues and support sourcing of alternative suppliers where needed.
- Collaborate with engineering and the Managing Director on new supplier qualification and component sourcing decisions.
8. Housekeeping & Workplace Standards
- Maintain a clean, safe, and well-organised production environment, enforcing 5S standards across all work areas.
- Conduct regular housekeeping audits and take prompt action on any identified shortfalls.
- Ensure all tools, equipment, and workstations are maintained in good working order and calibrated where required.
- Promote a culture of pride in the workplace and personal responsibility for cleanliness and organisation.
9. Health, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure all production activities comply with health and safety legislation and VREO's internal H&S policies.
- Conduct risk assessments for production processes and ensure safe systems of work are in place and followed.
- Investigate and report any accidents, near misses, or unsafe conditions; implement corrective actions promptly.
- Ensure all team members receive appropriate H&S induction, training, and PPE.
10. Reporting & KPIs
- Produce and present regular production performance reports covering OTIF, quality, efficiency, scrap, and headcount.
- Maintain production dashboards and records to support management decision-making.
- Contribute to monthly management reviews with accurate, timely data on production performance.
Core Competencies & Skills
- Proven experience managing production or manufacturing operations in an electronics or similar precision manufacturing environment.
- Strong working knowledge of MRP/ERP systems and production planning principles.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop a production team.
- Solid understanding of quality management principles, including RCCA, NCR processes, and inspection.
- Experience with Lean manufacturing, 5S, and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Competent in stock management, cycle counting, and inventory accuracy disciplines.
- Ability to manage supplier relationships and purchase order processes effectively.
- Strong organisational and prioritisation skills with a hands-on, problem-solving approach.
- Good IT literacy including MRP/ERP systems, Microsoft Office (Excel in particular).
- Clear communicator with the ability to report upwards and brief production teams effectively.
Relevant Qualifications
- A qualification in operations management, engineering, manufacturing, or a related discipline is desirable but not essential.
- Relevant experience in a production management or supervisory role in a manufacturing environment is essential.
- Lean, Six Sigma, or 5S practitioner qualification is advantageous.
- IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent health and safety qualification is desirable.
Performance Indicators
- On-time in-full (OTIF) delivery performance against target (measured monthly).
- Production reject rate and scrappage value (measured monthly, trend reduction expected).
- Customer return rate and time to resolution (measured monthly).
- Inventory accuracy (cycle count results vs. system stock).
- Efficiency metrics: units produced per day/week against plan.
- Supplier on-time delivery performance.
- Housekeeping audit scores.
- Team attendance, training compliance, and operative satisfaction.
Job Details
Full time. Permanent. Company Pension. Onsite parking.
Working hours: 8am-4pm or 9am-5pm + half day Friday
Full Salary for 4.5 day working week.
Pay: £40,000.00-£45,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Free parking
- On-site parking
Application question(s):
- Do you have relevant electronics manufacturing experience? specifically relating to electronic box assembly, programming of boards, connecting boards with cable assemblies, testing PCBs, computer literacy, static handling - if so provide some examples
Work Location: In person
