Head of Production

Rubicon Recruitment; Hurn; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days holiday

Enhanced pension

Death in service

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Free on-site parking

Free eye test

39 hour week with half-day Friday

Job summary

Rubicon Recruitment is seeking a Head of Production in Bournemouth to own production performance from downtime to on-time delivery, with authority to fix root causes. You will drive change initiatives, lead Team Leaders, and align the workforce to deliver measurable gains.

You will manage production planning, KPIs, and cross-functional collaboration to optimise throughput and quality. A track record of transforming operations is essential.

Qualifications

• Significant production management experience in manufacturing.
• Proven track record of improving performance (productivity, OTD, downtime or quality).
• Experience leading operational change rather than maintaining existing processes.
• Strong experience managing Team Leaders and/or production supervisors.
• Confident use of production data and KPIs to identify problems and drive corrective action.

Responsibilities

• Own production performance against monthly output and on-time delivery targets.
• Drive reductions in downtime, overruns and lead times using data to address root causes.
• Lead change initiatives from concept to full implementation with Team Leaders and workforce.
• Direct production planning and prioritisation, adjusting as priorities shift.
• Lead MRB and NCR resolution with cross-functional teams (Quality, Planning, Engineering, Quoting).
• Develop Team Leaders, set expectations, address underperformance and manage workforce planning.

Skills

Production management

Performance improvement

Operational change leadership

Team leadership

Data-driven decisions

Job description

This Head of Production opportunity in Bournemouth comes with a genuine mandate to change things, not just keep them ticking over. You'll own production performance outright, from downtime and overruns to on-time delivery, with the authority to fix what's holding it back. If you want your results to be measured, visible and recognised, this is where you prove it.

As Head of Production, you will benefit from:

• 31 days holiday (195 hours), including bank holidays, with a Christmas shutdown
• Enhanced pension, 4.5% employer and 4.5% employee contributions
• Death in service cover
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Free on-site parking
• Free eye test with contribution towards glasses
• 39 hour week with a half-day Friday

As Head of Production, your responsibilities will include:

• Own production performance against monthly output and on-time delivery (OTD) targets, leading recovery plans where needed
• Drive measurable reductions in downtime, overruns and lead times, using production data to eliminate recurring causes at source
• Lead change initiatives from concept to full implementation, bringing Team Leaders and the wider workforce with you
• Direct production planning and prioritisation, adjusting as priorities shift and keeping the shop floor clearly informed
• Lead MRB and NCR resolution through root cause analysis, working cross-functionally with Quality, Planning, Engineering and Quoting
• Develop Team Leaders, set clear expectations, tackle underperformance and manage workforce planning, pay and skills

As Head of Production, your experience will include:

• Significant production management experience within a manufacturing environment
• A proven track record of improving performance in an established operation, with measurable gains in productivity, OTD, downtime or quality
• Experience leading operational change rather than simply maintaining existing processes
• Strong experience managing Team Leaders and/or production supervisors
• Confident use of production data and KPIs to identify problems and drive corrective action

If you're ready to take a production operation from firefighting to disciplined, self-sufficient performance, and be recognised for the results, this is your next step as Head of Production.

While Rubicon uses AI to help speed up processes across the business, every application is reviewed by a human to ensure the right decision is made.