Production Manager

The Sterling Choice; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is recruiting a Production Manager for a food manufacturer in Greater Manchester. You will lead the morning production shift through team leaders, driving performance, standards and people development.

Your focus includes building routine management, improving output and reducing waste, using data to inform decisions, and developing the next generation of team leaders. The role offers a clear path to Factory Manager within 9–12 months.

Qualifications

• Solid production management experience in food manufacturing.
• Comfortable leading people and improving performance.
• Experience with automated processes, high-care or high-risk production, or CIP would be useful.

Responsibilities

• Lead the morning production shift through team leaders, owning performance and standards.
• Build consistent daily management routines and stronger communication.
• Improve output, reduce waste and use production data effectively.
• Develop team leaders and strengthen accountability.
• Plan ahead for increased volumes, recruitment and training.
• Support improvement projects while maintaining day-to-day production.

Skills

Production management

People leadership

Continuous improvement

Food manufacturing

Job description

Production Manager
£67,000 + Car allowance
Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 3pm
Greater Manchester
Planned progression to Factory Manager within 9-12 months

Ready for a Factory Manager role, but want the time to learn the operation before taking it on?

This food manufacturer is recruiting a Production Manager with that next step in mind. The plan is for you to join, get to know the people and processes, make your mark on production, and progress into the Factory Manager role within 9-12 months, subject to your development and the business's plans.

There's a clear reason behind that opportunity. New customers are being onboarded, production growth is planned, and projects have already been signed off to support the expansion.

You'll be joining a relatively compact operation, so the appeal is as much about where you can take it as its size today. There's room to influence how the factory runs and help build the team and routines it will need as production increases.

The role

Initially, you'll lead the morning production shift through your team leaders, taking responsibility for performance, standards and developing your people.

Your focus will include:

• Building consistent daily management routines and stronger communication.
• Improving output, reducing waste and making better use of production data.
• Developing team leaders and strengthening accountability.
• Planning ahead for increased volumes, recruitment and training.
• Supporting improvement projects while keeping day-to-day production running well.

Who would suit it?

You’ll already have solid production management experience in food manufacturing and be looking for a broader operational role.

You’ll need to be comfortable leading people, improving performance and looking beyond today's production plan. Experience with automated processes, high-care or high-risk production, or CIP would be useful, but there's flexibility on product background.

The opportunity will suit someone who wants to learn the detail, deliver improvements and grow into the next role with a proper understanding of the factory.