Bakery Production Leader — Scale, Safety & Growth

Fox's Burton's Companies; Batley; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

FBC UK is seeking a Production Manager for our Batley bakery to lead a busy, 25,000 tonne annual operation with a diverse range of equipment and eight ovens. You will shape a 2–3 year value-stream strategy, drive profitability, and ensure safety, quality and food standards are met.

You will manage a large team, champion continuous improvement, coordinate with engineering, finance and R&D, and deliver KPI-driven performance while maintaining allergen controls.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
• Strong people management, communication skills.
• Health & Safety and Food Safety qualified, with solid understanding of HACCP and GMP standards.
• Proven ability to manage new equipment installations and lead capital projects from planning through to execution.
• Highly proficient in digital systems including SAP, Excel, and recipe control platforms such as Promtek.
• Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt level) and 5S.
• Experience working with complex automated manufacturing systems; engineering knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a 2–3 year strategy for each value stream, aligned with business goals.
• Deliver annual budget targets, focusing on cost control and profitability.
• Ensure full compliance with GMP, BRC, and M&S codes of practice.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Champion product integrity and segregation, ensuring: Only intended ingredients are present in products; No unintended ingredients are introduced; Factory-at-risk ingredients are handled with care and precision.
• Own scheduling processes, working with planners to reduce changeovers, improve efficiency, and enhance customer service—while maintaining allergen and food safety compliance.
• Manage agency labour control and associated costs through strong communication and ownership.
• Oversee health & safety across the factory, including accident investigations, risk assessments, SUSA, and Near Miss reporting.
• Lead value stream reviews to monitor KPIs, resolve issues, and coordinate support from engineering, finance, and technical functions.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Communication skills

Health & Safety

Food Safety

HACCP

GMP

Capital projects

Equipment installations

SAP

Excel

Promtek

Lean Six Sigma

5S

Automation systems

Engineering knowledge

Tools

Promtek

SAP

Excel

Job description

FBC UK is seeking a Production Manager for our Batley bakery to lead a busy, 25,000 tonne annual operation with a diverse range of equipment and eight ovens. You will shape a 2–3 year value-stream strategy, drive profitability, and ensure safety, quality and food standards are met.

You will manage a large team, champion continuous improvement, coordinate with engineering, finance and R&D, and deliver KPI-driven performance while maintaining allergen controls.