Manufacturing Manager

True North Talent Limited; Hull and East Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Three-day weekend

Job summary

True North Talent Limited is recruiting a Manufacturing Manager for an established UK food manufacturer in East Yorkshire. The role is hands-on, leading Section and Team Leaders to deliver the production plan in a fast-paced, short-shelf-life environment.

You will drive performance across throughput, labour efficiency and waste, while upholding food safety, GMP and health & safety standards. A Monday-Thursday week and visible senior leadership involvement await.

Qualifications

• Experience in senior manufacturing roles within fresh/short-shelf-life food.
• Proven ability to lead teams through Team Leaders, Section Leaders or Supervisors.
• Hands-on leadership style with significant time on the factory floor.
• Strong knowledge of production planning, labour, throughput, efficiency and waste.
• Understanding of food safety, GMP and health & safety in manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day manufacturing operations to achieve the production plan.
• Develop and manage a team of Section and Team Leaders.
• Maintain a strong factory-floor presence and resolve operational issues.
• Drive throughput, labour efficiency, waste reduction and productivity.
• Ensure food safety, GMP and H&S standards are met.
• Review performance and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Deploy labour and resources effectively against production needs.
• Build accountability and consistency across the leadership team.
• Coach Team and Section Leaders to strengthen capability.
• Collaborate with Technical, Planning, Engineering, Despatch and broader Ops teams.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and embed a culture of improvement.
• Respond quickly to changing production requirements in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Short-shelf-life manufacturing

Team leadership

Factory floor presence

Production planning understanding

Problem solving

Continuous improvement mindset

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

Location: East YorkshireShift Pattern: Monday to Thursday (40 hours)Overview: Ready to take ownership of a fast-paced manufacturing operation and make a genuine impact on the factory floor?We’re working with an established food manufacturer looking to appoint a Manufacturing Manager into a newly created position within its operations team.This is a hands-on leadership role with responsibility for the day-to-day performance of a busy, short-shelf-life manufacturing operation, leading through a team of experienced Section and Team Leaders.With new business creating further growth across the site, they need someone who can bring structure, accountability and strong operational leadership while continuing to develop the people and processes around them.

Why this role?

This isn’t a role where you’ll spend your week sitting behind a desk.You’ll be highly visible across the factory floor, working closely with your teams to ensure the production plan is delivered safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.The role has been created to strengthen the operational structure as the business grows, giving you the opportunity to take real ownership and influence how the factory performs.You’ll have experienced people around you, but they’re looking for someone who can challenge where needed, develop the leadership team and continually look for ways to improve performance.And with a Monday to Thursday working week, it offers something increasingly difficult to find within food manufacturing.

What will you be doing?

• Leading the day-to-day manufacturing operation and ensuring the production plan is achieved.
• Managing and developing a team of Section and Team Leaders across the operation.
• Maintaining a strong presence on the factory floor, supporting teams and resolving operational issues as they arise.
• Driving performance across throughput, labour efficiency, waste and productivity.
• Ensuring high standards of food safety, GMP, health & safety and quality are maintained.
• Reviewing production performance and identifying opportunities to improve processes and ways of working.
• Ensuring labour and resources are effectively deployed against production requirements.
• Building accountability and consistency across the operational leadership team.
• Coaching and developing Team and Section Leaders to strengthen capability across the factory.
• Working closely with Technical, Planning, Engineering, Despatch and wider Operations teams.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives and helping embed a culture of ongoing operational improvement.
• Responding quickly to changing production requirements within a fast-paced, short-shelf-life environment.

About the business

Our client is an established UK food manufacturer with a significant production operation and a strong reputation within its market.The site employs approximately 180 people, with more than 120 working across factory operations, and continued commercial growth is creating further opportunities across the business.This Manufacturing Manager position is a newly created role, providing additional operational leadership and helping the site successfully manage its next stage of growth.It’s an opportunity to join a close-knit manufacturing business where you can be visible, have genuine influence and see the impact of the decisions you make.

What are they looking for?

Essential

• Previous experience in a Manufacturing Manager, Production Manager, Operations Manager, Production Shift Manager or similar operational leadership position.
• Strong experience within fresh or short-shelf-life food manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading production teams through Team Leaders, Section Leaders or Supervisors.
• A hands‑on leadership style and willingness to spend significant time on the factory floor.
• Strong understanding of production planning, labour, throughput, efficiency and waste.
• Good knowledge of food safety, GMP and health & safety within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing performance and developing operational teams.
• Strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to make decisions in a fast‑moving environment.
• A continuous improvement mindset and the confidence to challenge existing ways of working.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work cross‑functionally with Technical, Engineering, Planning and other departments.

What’s in it for you?

• £40,000 - £50,000 salary
• Monday to Thursday working week, offering a genuine three‑day weekend.
• A senior operational position with the freedom to make decisions and implement your own ideas.
• The opportunity to work closely with the senior leadership team and have a real voice in how the operation develops.
• Scope to strengthen your experience across people leadership, operational performance and continuous improvement.
• The opportunity to join at an important stage for the business, with new customer wins and increased production volumes creating further opportunities.
• A role where good performance and improvements are visible and recognised, rather than getting lost within a large corporate structure.