We are looking for a Production Manager to lead and manage day-to-day production operations across the site, ensuring production activities are completed safely, efficiently, on time, and to the required quality standards.
The Production Manager is responsible for overseeing assembly staff, workload planning, production administration, and operational processes whilst driving continuous improvement, maintaining customer focus, and supporting cross-functional departments with both standard and non-standard production requirements.
Key Tasks
- Plan, coordinate and oversee daily production activities across multiple production areas and facilities.
- Lead, manage and motivate Foremen, Chargehands, Assembly Operatives and production support staff.
- Manage day-to-day assembly staff administration including holidays, overtime, sickness absence, training records and online learning requirements.
- Raise Production Worksheets for all works orders issued to the Production Office.
- Allocate and manage workloads, issuing worksheets and prioritising work to individual employees and departments.
- Liaise with Foremen, Chargehands and other departments to ensure production schedules and customer deadlines are achieved.
- Directly supervise production operations and assembly activities, ensuring product quality, conformity to specifications and safe systems of work are maintained at all times.
- Ensure production output meets customer specifications, quality standards and operational KPI targets.
- Review Bills of Materials (BOMs) for production jobs and amend where required to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
- Oversee and manage in-house cranage, lifting and loading operations, including lift planning and safe working practices.
- Support Technical and Service departments by providing practical production guidance on individual, bespoke and non-standard jobs.
- Attend site installations when required, managing on-site assembly, delivery and installation activities.
- Deploy labour and resources effectively to align production output with sales forecasts and customer demands.
- Conduct regular appraisal discussions, one-to-one meetings and performance reviews with team members.
- Identify training and development needs and support succession planning through mentoring and coaching.
- Collaborate with Product Design and other departments to support the introduction of new products and process improvements.
- Promote and maintain high standards of housekeeping, health & safety and environmental compliance throughout all production areas.
Key Objectives
- Continuously improve and optimise production processes through monitoring KPI performance and operational efficiencies.
- Ensure all production activities comply with Quality Management Systems including ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018.
- Achieve on-time delivery targets while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction and product quality.
- Reduce production waste and improve operational efficiency through continuous improvement and lean manufacturing practices.
- Maintain accurate production documentation, worksheets, BOMs and workload planning systems.
- Develop and maintain a positive safety culture, ensuring safe systems of work are adhered to at all times.
- Ensure effective utilisation of labour, materials, equipment and production resources.
- Support effective communication and collaboration between departments including Production, Technical, Service and Design.
- Develop employee capability, engagement and performance through effective leadership and people management.
The above lists are not exhaustive and may evolve with the role and business needs.
Person Specification
Essential Skills & Attributes
- Proven experience managing production operations within a manufacturing environment.
- Strong leadership, people management and team development skills.
- Experience planning workloads, allocating resources and managing production priorities.
- Experience managing production administration including holidays, overtime, absence management and training records.
- Knowledge and experience of production documentation, works orders and Bills of Materials (BOMs).
- Strong understanding of health & safety requirements within a manufacturing environment, including lifting operations and safe systems of work.
- Ability to supervise and coordinate multiple production activities simultaneously.
- Excellent organisational, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to work collaboratively across departments.
- Excellent IT, literacy, numerical and analytical skills.
- Practical, hands-on approach with strong attention to detail.
- Self-motivated, proactive and results focused with a commitment to continuous improvement.
- Ability to work effectively within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Desirable
- Experience overseeing cranage, lifting operations and lift planning.
- Experience supporting bespoke, technical or non-standard manufacturing projects.
- Experience managing on-site installations, assembly or delivery operations.
- Understanding of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Knowledge of ERP systems and production scheduling software.
- Experience working within ISO accredited manufacturing environments.
- Understanding of sustainability initiatives and waste reduction practices.
- Experience implementing process improvements and operational change initiatives.
- Leadership or management qualifications.
- Engineering or manufacturing-related qualification.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related discipline.
Working Hours
Full-time, permanent position.
Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm.
30-minute lunch break.
Monthly pay in arrears (by the 28th of each month).
Please note, this position does not offer visa sponsorship.
Salary & Benefits
- Competitive starting salary.
- 33 days paid holiday (rising to 38 with service).
- Flexible holiday booking in 30-minute blocks.
- Buy/sell up to 5 days holiday annually.
- Final salary pension scheme (after 2 years).
- NEST pension scheme (from 3 months).
- Life insurance (after 2 years).
- Private health insurance (after 1 year).
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
- Relocation support loans.
- Subsidised on-site café and social space.
- On-site gym and changing facilities.
- Team building activities.
- EV charging points (at cost).
- Paid charity days and fundraising events.
- Career progression opportunities.
- Skills development and professional study support.
- Comprehensive training programmes.
