Production Manager

Production Manager - 1 year fixed term contract

Role Purpose

The Production Manager is responsible for the execution of daily production activities within the manufacturing site. This role acts as the key operational lead on the shopfloor, ensuring production plans are delivered safely, efficiently, and to quality standards, while providing strong leadership to Production Supervisors and frontline teams. The Production Manager supports the Operations Manager by maintaining shift stability, driving performance, and ensuring alignment with site priorities.

Production Execution & Delivery

· Deliver production output in line with plans set by the Operations Manager and Planning function.

· Translate operational priorities into clear direction for Supervisors and shopfloor teams.

· Support and ensure management team are Monitoring team KPIs (output, efficiency, downtime, scrap) and support with implementing corrective actions.

· Escalate risks, constraints, and performance issues in a timely manner to Operations Manager.

Leadership & People Management

· Lead, coach, and develop Production Supervisors and Team Leaders.

· Drive accountability, discipline, and high performance across production teams.

· Support employee relations matters in partnership with HR, escalating complex issues where required.

· Foster a culture of engagement, ownership, and continuous improvement.

Shift Operations & Stability

· Ensure smooth day-to-day running of shifts with minimal disruption.

· Oversee shift handovers to ensure clear communication of priorities and issues.

· Monitor staffing levels and escalate gaps or risks to Operations Manager.

· Maintain a controlled, stable production environment.

Safety Leadership

· Champion safe working practices and ensure full compliance with site standards.

· Conduct regular safety observations and reinforce expectations on the shopfloor.

· Support incident investigations and ensure corrective actions are closed out.

· Promote a proactive safety culture aligned with site leadership expectations.

Quality & Process Control

· Ensure adherence to all process controls and quality standards.

· Work closely with Quality and Engineering to resolve issues and improve capability.

· Support and collaborate with appropriate teams to ensure immediate response to quality concerns, ensuring containment and escalation to Operations Manager where needed.

· Encourage management teams to drive reduction in defects, rework, and waste.

Planning & Coordination

· Work with Planning to ensure schedules are executable within operational constraints.

· Provide real-time feedback on capacity, performance, and risks.

· Support short-term adjustments to maintain delivery performance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

· Support the Operations Manager and Engineering on process improvements and NPI workflow.

· Work with Operations Manager and Quality teams on compliance and corrective actions.

· Support communication flow between shopfloor and wider leadership teams.

Continuous Improvement

· Identify and lead improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and efficiency.

· Promote standardisation and operational discipline across all shifts.

· Support wider site improvement objectives.

Skills & Experience

· Proven experience in a production or manufacturing leadership role.

· Strong experience managing Supervisors and frontline teams.

· Good understanding of production planning and operational delivery.

· Experience working in high-specification manufacturing environments (desirable).

· Strong problem-solving and decision-making capability.

· Effective communicator with the ability to influence at all levels.

· Commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.