Production Manager

Aurora Lifesciences; Leeds; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora Lifesciences in Leeds is seeking a Production Manager to lead manufacturing within a regulated medical device environment. You will balance daily delivery with long‑term improvement, applying Lean, Six Sigma and ISO 13485 to drive compliant performance on the production floor.

You’ll partner with Quality, Engineering and Planning to resolve issues, develop people and implement process validation, scale‑up and continuous improvement initiatives while maintaining safety and quality at all

Qualifications

• Experience leading production teams in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to apply ISO 13485, Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma in practice.
• Ability to work effectively with operators, engineers, planners and quality professionals.
• Track record of improving productivity while ensuring compliance and quality.

Responsibilities

• Set the pace and direction of production to meet demand and safety standards.
• Coordinate production plans around capacity, labour, equipment and materials.
• Use data and KPIs to identify trends, reduce waste and improve output and cost.
• Lead Lean and Six Sigma projects to streamline processes and increase capability.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Planning and Quality to resolve issues and maintain momentum.
• Ensure activities meet ISO 13485, GMP, SOPs and documentation requirements.
• Investigate non-conformances, identify root causes and implement corrective actions.
• Support process validation, equipment introduction and scale‑up initiatives.
• Improve layouts and working methods to enhance safety and efficiency.
• Develop training plans to maintain technical competence and enable progression.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Six Sigma

ISO 13485

Leadership

Regulated environment

Job description

Great production leadership is about more than keeping a schedule on track. It means creating the conditions for people to do their best work, solving problems before they become recurring issues and building processes that deliver consistent, compliant results.

We’re looking for a Production Manager to take ownership of manufacturing performance within a regulated medical device environment. This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who can balance daily delivery with long‑term improvement, using Lean, Six Sigma and ISO 13485 principles to strengthen the operation.

The Role

As Production Manager, you’ll set the pace and direction of production, ensuring teams have the support, clarity and resources they need to perform safely and effectively.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing and developing production teams through clear objectives, regular feedback and visible leadership.
• Coordinating production plans around demand, capacity, labour, equipment and materials.
• Using performance data to understand trends, address inefficiencies and improve output, yield and cost.
• Leading Lean and Six Sigma projects that reduce waste, improve process flow and increase manufacturing capability.
• Bringing Engineering, Planning and Quality together to resolve issues and maintain momentum.
• Ensuring production activities meet ISO 13485, GMP, internal procedure and documentation requirements.
• Supporting investigations into non-conformances, identifying root causes and implementing effective corrective actions.
• Contributing to process validation, equipment introduction, production scale‑up and wider improvement programmes.
• Improving layouts, workflows and working methods to create safer, more efficient and more consistent production.
• Building training and development plans that maintain technical competence and support progression.
• Encouraging a culture where concerns are raised promptly, problems are properly understood and improvements are sustained.

The Production Manager will use production data and operational KPIs to identify where performance can be strengthened, turning insight into practical actions on the manufacturing floor.

A successful Production Manager will also work closely with Quality and Engineering to ensure improvements deliver increased productivity without compromising compliance or product quality.

As Production Manager, you’ll take an active role in performance management, employee engagement and workforce development, while maintaining high standards of safety, quality and operational control.

Key Experience Required

You’ll have a strong background in production leadership, ideally within medical devices or another highly regulated manufacturing sector.

As a Production Manager, you’ll understand how to apply ISO 13485, Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma in a practical setting, using data and structured problem‑solving to improve performance.

You’ll be confident working directly with operators, engineers, planners and quality professionals, turning operational challenges into clear and achievable actions.

This role will suit a Production Manager who is comfortable moving between strategic planning and hands‑on problem solving. You’ll develop people, challenge ineffective processes and understand that reliable quality is fundamental to sustainable productivity.

For the right Production Manager, this is an opportunity to lead from the floor, strengthen manufacturing performance and embed a genuine culture of continuous improvement and quality‑first thinking.