Production Leader

Elis; St Helens; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 58,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 Days Holiday

Company Pension

Life Assurance

Job summary

Elis is seeking a proactive Operations leader to drive daily production at our workwear processing centres in the UK. You will steer teams to meet strict KPIs, quality metrics, and customer expectations, while implementing LEAN/Six Sigma improvements and RFID stock control.

The role requires experience in fast-moving environments, strong communication, and IOSH qualification, with a focus on safety, hygiene, and efficiency in a national-scale operation.

Qualifications

• Proven production/operational leadership experience.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement frameworks.
• Strong communication and decision-making abilities to coach large teams.
• IOSH qualification and good literacy/numeracy skills.
• Experience managing performance and KPIs in fast-moving environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations within Elis’ workwear processing centres and ensure timely delivery of products.
• Manage production team to meet KPIs, quality metrics and customer satisfaction targets (low rejects, high OTIF).
• Collaborate with local account managers to support service reliability.
• Drive continuous improvement using LEAN/Six Sigma and RFID/stock management tools.
• Ensure Health & Safety compliance and ISO-standard operations in a high-volume setting.

Skills

Leadership

Lean Six Sigma

Communication

IOSH-qualified

Education

Degree educated (or equivalent)

Tools

RFID systems

Online stock management tools

Job description

Elis is an international leader in textile, hygiene and facility services, helping businesses across a wide range of industries to operate safely, sustainably and efficiently. With a presence in 29 countries and a team of around 52,000 people, we combine the scale and stability of an international organisation with the opportunity to build a rewarding and long-term career.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in investing in our people, recognising their contribution and giving them the opportunity to develop, progress and build careers they can be proud of.

At Elis, you'll be part of a culture built on trust, respect and collaboration , where your ideas and contribution are valued. We want our people to have a voice, and our commitment to listening and acting on employee feedback was recognised when Elis UK won Best Employee Engagement Experience Initiative at the 2024 CIPD People Management Awards for our Employee Voice programme.

With opportunities across operations, engineering, logistics, sales and our head office support functions, there are many ways to develop your career with Elis.

The Opportunity

Lead daily operations within Elis’ workwear processing centres, ensuring timely delivery of products.

Manage the production team to meet stringent KPIs, quality metrics, and customer satisfaction targets (under 3% rejects; >98% OTIF).

Collaborate closely with dedicated local account managers supporting Sky-high service reliability.

Drive continuous improvement initiatives, leveraging LEAN/Six Sigma methodologies plus RFID or online stock management tools to boost efficiency and hygiene levels.

Maintain Health & Safety compliance and ISO-standard operations in a high-volume, customer-critical environment.

Adapt and scale resources to accommodate urgent demands from hotel and restaurant clients, supporting national campaigns or seasonal surges.

What We're Looking For

Proven production/operational leadership experience—ideally in textile, hospitality, or logistics sectors.

Familiarity with LEAN, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement frameworks.

Strong communicator and decision-maker, able to coach and develop high-value teams.

IOSH-qualified with solid literacy/numeracy skills, and a sharp eye for detail and hygiene standards.

Agile and responsive—a go-getter who thrives amid fast-moving operational demands.

Preferably degree-educated (or equivalent operational experience), with prior work in performance management and operational KPIs.

Experience managing performance, absence, and operational KPIs

What We Offer

33 Days Holiday

Company Pension

Life Assurance

Purpose-led career in a sustainability-focused, customer-driven organisation

Work with leading hospitality brands.

Be part of a national success story with room to grow and lead change