Manufacturing Manager

Wallace Hind Selection; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays

Job summary

Wallace Hind Selection is seeking an experienced Manufacturing Manager to own production operations at a multi-site FMCG site. You will manage a direct team of 3 and ~30 indirect reports, coordinating with supply chain, warehousing, and quality, reporting to the Operations Director.

You will drive planning, KPI delivery, and a proactive maintenance and safety culture while leading continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Production Manager or Manufacturing Manager in fast-paced FMCG manufacturing.
• Experience leading multi-skilled production teams and implementing a structured career path.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills with a hands-on approach on the shop floor.
• Comfortable solving practical problems on the floor and in planning meetings.
• Analytical mindset with ability to use OEE, downtime and KPI data to drive decisions.
• Clear communicator able to work cross-functionally with Warehouse, Client Services and Quality.
• Highly organised with ability to prioritise competing production and maintenance demands.

Responsibilities

• Lead production operations, including planning through the Production Manager.
• Oversee engineering and maintenance via Engineers and external suppliers.
• Drive Health, Safety & Compliance within the operation.
• Deliver continuous improvement, lean practices and SOP enhancements.
• Coach and mentor the team; develop succession plans and address performance.

Skills

People management

Leadership

Data-driven decisions

Problem solving

Cross-functional collaboration

Shop floor presence

Education

NVQ/HNC/HND in Engineering or Manufacturing

IOSH/NEBOSH for H&S

Tools

MES system

MS Excel

Production planning software

Job description

Are you an experienced leader from the food industry who wants to take ownership of our production operations as our new Manufacturing Manager?

You will be managing and leading a team of 3 direct and 30 indirect reports across a double day shift. We are a multi-site FMCG operation in Basingstoke.

BASIC SALARY

Up to £45,000 dependant on your relevant experience.

BENEFITS

• 22 Days Holiday + Bank Holidays

LOCATION

Basingstoke

COMMUTABLE LOCATIONS

Hook, Fleet, Farnham, Aldershot, Farnborough, Frimley, Camberley, Alton, Andover, Thatcham, Newbury, Reading, Wokingham.

WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN US

• Brand new role - as our new Manufacturing Manager, you'll take on responsibility for the production operations. Own it and develop it with your knowledge and expertise in food manufacturing and food safety.
• We are growing quickly in headcount and turnover, so it is an exciting time to join us with strong development opportunities for you too

JOB DESCRIPTION

As our new Manufacturing Manager, you will be responsible for leading production operations including planning through your Production Manager, whilst overseeing engineering through your Engineers and driving continuous improvement and the Health and Safety, in your department, personally.

With a small direct team of 3 reports and an indirect team of circa 30 people, you will work closely with supply‑chain, warehousing and quality and you'll report into our Operations Director.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• People management and leadership - coaching, training, mentorship, performance management and developing a succession plan so you can grow
• Production operations - planning, scheduling, capacity, labour and production KPI's
• Engineering and maintenance - own the ppm schedule, asset management, capital expenditure utilising the in‑house team and external suppliers / contractors
• Health, Safety & Compliance of your production operation insuring everything is carried out safely
• Continuous improvement of your department - you'll identify opportunities to improve processes, SOP's, lean manufacturing and problem solving

YOUR BACKGROUND

Essential experience

• Proven experience as a Production Manager or Manufacturing Manager in a fast‑paced manufacturing, packing or FMCG environment
• Experience managing multi‑skilled production teams utilising a production / MES system
• Strong leadership and people‑management skills, with the ability to develop a team through a structured career pathway
• Hands‑on, practical problem‑solver comfortable working on the shop floor as well as in planning meetings
• Good analytical skills - comfortable using data (OEE, downtime, KPIs) to drive decisions
• Clear communicator, able to work cross‑functionally with Warehouse, Client Services and Quality
• Organised, with the ability to prioritise competing production and maintenance demands.
• Recognised qualification in engineering, manufacturing or operations management desirable (e.g. NVQ, HNC or HND in Engineering or Manufacturing, IOSH or NEBOSH for H&S)
• Full UK driving licence - we have two sites within a short distance of each other