Manufacturing Manager

The People Co. / Make Jobs; Essex; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The People Co. / Make Jobs is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Manager to lead end-to-end site operations in a fast-growing food manufacturing environment.

This senior role has full accountability for manufacturing, logistics, food safety compliance, health and safety, planning, maintenance and continuous improvement across the operation. Reporting to the senior leadership team, you will own production and logistics performance, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient, and cost-effective

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in senior manufacturing roles.
• Strong knowledge of SALSA, BRC and HACCP standards.
• Experience with production planning, labour management and maintenance.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement and cost control.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Act as site lead for SALSA & BRC certification, audits, corrective actions, and ongoing compliance.
• Develop and manage short- and medium-term production plans aligned to demand forecasts.
• Balance labour, capacity and materials to optimise output and efficiency.
• Oversee preventive and reactive maintenance programmes and capital expenditure planning.
• Monitor KPIs including yield, waste, labour efficiency, downtime and cost per unit.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and embed operational discipline across teams.

Skills

Leadership in food manufacturing

SALSA & BRC knowledge

HACCP & food safety

Production planning

Labour management

Maintenance strategy

Continuous improvement

Cost control

Job description

Our client, a fast-growing and innovative food manufacturing business, is seeking an experienced and commercially focused Manufacturing Manager to lead end-to-end site operations. This is a senior leadership role with full accountability for manufacturing, logistics, food safety compliance, health & safety, planning, maintenance, and continuous improvement across the operation.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to shape operational excellence within a dynamic and scaling environment.

Job Role

Reporting to the senior leadership team, the Manufacturing Manager will take full ownership of production and logistics performance, ensuring safe, compliant, efficient, and cost-effective operations.

You will lead site compliance (SALSA & BRC), production planning, labour management, maintenance strategy, and supply chain coordination, embedding structure, accountability, and a culture of continuous improvement across the business.

Responsibilities

Act as site lead for SALSA & BRC certification, audits, corrective actions, and ongoing compliance. Ensure HACCP systems, allergen controls, traceability, and recall readiness are robust and maintained. Promote and embed a strong food safety and quality culture across the site. Ensure full compliance with health & safety legislation and internal policies. Conduct risk assessments, accident investigations, and implement corrective actions. Develop and manage short- and medium-term production plans aligned to demand forecasts. Balance labour, capacity, and materials to optimise output and efficiency. Monitor daily production performance and resolve operational bottlenecks. Coordinate inbound materials and outbound finished goods to maintain OTIF performance. Manage supplier performance, warehousing standards, stock accuracy, and FIFO compliance. Lead labour planning including recruitment, onboarding, training, performance management, and rota planning. Oversee preventative and reactive maintenance programmes to maximise equipment reliability and uptime. Manage maintenance contractors and support capital expenditure planning. Monitor and improve KPIs including yield, waste, labour efficiency, downtime, and cost per unit. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity and margin. Develop SOPs and embed operational discipline across manufacturing and logistics teams. Provide strong, visible leadership and foster a culture of accountability and ownership.

Personal Profile

Proven experience in food manufacturing operations leadership. Strong working knowledge of SALSA, BRC, or equivalent food safety standards. Demonstrated people leadership and team development capability. Experience in production planning, supply chain coordination, and cost control. Strong understanding of health & safety legislation and compliance. Hands‑on, structured, and solutions‑focused approach. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Commercially aware with experience managing operational budgets. Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence cross‑functional stakeholders. Continuous improvement mindset with a track record of driving measurable results.

Ref Code:FMW013324