Operations - Manufacturing Manager

Finsbury Food Group; Mamhilad; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading specialty bakery manufacturer seeks a Manufacturing Lead for its Pontypool site. The role involves optimizing production operations, ensuring safety and quality, and driving continuous improvement. Ideal candidates have extensive experience in manufacturing and leadership. Join a growing organization focused on employee development and operational excellence.

Benefits

Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Free Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts

Company shop

Refer a Friend Scheme

Employee Recognition Awards

Extensive Learning & Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing, ideally within food processing.
• Proven track record in selecting, coaching, and leading teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the manufacturing management team to maintain output and drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate to embed and sustain the Company’s Operational Excellence Programme.
• Identify areas for process improvement and lead initiatives.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical

Collaboration

Continuous Improvement

Education

5 years of experience in manufacturing

Tools

ERP systems

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Word

Job description

Shift: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Salary: Competitive with opportunities for Growth

We have an exciting opportunity for the position of Manufacturing Lead based at our Ultrapharm site in Pontypool, part of the Finsbury Food Group.

Ultrapharm is a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery specialising in only Gluten Free Product since 1993. The Company’s unique approach to craft and baking creates premium gluten – free products with the flavour and taste of traditional bread. If you have special dietary need or nutritional preferences, then our Pontypool bakery has you covered. Our Products range from artisanal bread to our award winning Hot cross buns and Mince pies for Major Retailers such as M&S and Waitrose.

Finsbury Food Group is a leading speciality bakery manufacturer. We constantly raise quality and efficiency standards, and build long-term relationships with major multiple retailers and the foodservice channel. OurUltrapharm site is a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery specialising in only Gluten Free Product since 1993. The Company’s unique approach to craft and baking creates premium gluten – free products with the flavour and taste of traditional bread. If you have special dietary need or nutritional preferences, then our Pontypool bakery has you covered. Our Products range from artisanal bread to our award winning Hot cross buns and Mince pies for Major Retailers such as M&S and Waitrose.

About the Role:

We are seeking an experienced and driven Manufacturing Manager to lead and optimise our production operations. You will be responsible for delivering exceptional performance in safety, quality, service, cost, and people. This role is pivotal in deploying the site manufacturing strategy, aligning it with wider Finsbury Food Group goals, and ensuring ongoing operational excellence and continuous improvement.

• Inspirational leader with excellent interpersonal and motivational skills.
• Collaborative team player with the ability to build effective cross-functional partnerships.
• Data-driven decision-maker with a strong analytical mindset.
• Forward-thinking with an entrepreneurial approach to continuous improvement and innovation.
• Resilient, confident, and adaptable in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

This is What You’ll Actually Do!

Lead the manufacturing management team to maintain output and drive continuous improvement.

Build a high-performing, empowered team that owns safety, quality, service, cost, and people metrics.

Collaborate with the OBP & Process Improvement Lead to embed and sustain the Company’s Operational Excellence Programme.

Deliver manufacturing performance against budget and operational forecasts.

Role model the company’s values and culture, coaching teams in system and procedure implementation.

Develop and present business cases for investment and improvement projects; lead projects from concept to delivery.

Build a robust succession plan by developing talent and future manufacturing leaders for the site and the wider group.

• Ensure daily, weekly, and monthly production targets are achieved while maintaining high standards of safety and quality.
• Identify areas for process improvement and lead initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce waste.
• Maintain compliance with all company policies, safety procedures, and legal regulations.
• Foster a positive and inclusive team culture through strong leadership and communication.
• Report performance metrics to senior leadership, highlighting areas of success and opportunities for improvement.
• Champion a culture of operational excellence through staff engagement and structured problem-solving.
• Provide clear direction, coaching, and development opportunities to team members to build capability and drive results.

Ideally, This is You!

Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing, ideally within food processing, with senior leadership exposure.

Proven track record in selecting, coaching, and leading teams to deliver against key objectives.

In-depth knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies within FMCG, particularly short shelf-life or food environments.

Experience with ERP systems and understanding of manufacturing metrics such as RAM rates and bottlenecks.

Demonstrated success in change management and site performance turnarounds.

Strong analytical, crisis management, and decision-making skills, with proficiency in root cause analysis.

Project planning and execution expertise, ensuring deliverables are met with minimal risk.

Fully computer literate, especially in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK, and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!

What's in it for you?

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees
• Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families)
• Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!)
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – t&cs dependent)
• Employee Recognition Awards· Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!)
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more!

What's in it for you?

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees
• Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families)
• Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!)
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – t&cs dependent)
• Employee Recognition Awards· Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!)
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more!