Production Manager

Mercury Hampton Ltd; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Mercury Hampton Ltd in the Portsmouth area is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead a high- performance manufacturing operation in a safety-critical aerospace environment. The role emphasizes SQDCP results, Lean improvements, and strong people leadership to meet delivery commitments.

You will drive production planning, capacity management and bottleneck removal while mentoring senior leads. The position requires a hands-on leader capable of balancing short-term delivery with

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in Production/Manufacturing operations.
• Experience leading large teams through Production Leaders, Supervisors and Team Leaders.
• Background in Aerospace, Defence or Military with AS9100, EASA or CAA knowledge.
• Proven track record improving Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Strong production planning, capacity management and operational execution.
• Practical Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience.
• Experience implementing and driving Daily Management Systems.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing quality systems and root-cause problem solving.
• Health & Safety leadership experience and data-driven decision making.
• Commercial awareness of operational impact on business performance.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing operations to safely achieve production targets and customer delivery commitments.
• Manage production plans, capacity requirements and resource allocation.
• Drive improvements in productivity, throughput, efficiency and labour utilisation.
• Identify bottlenecks, waste and operational constraints and remove them.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Improve quality performance including Right First Time and defect reduction.
• Provide visible Health, Safety and Environmental leadership.
• Develop, coach and mentor operational leaders and successors.
• Establish performance management through SQDCP metrics and daily management systems.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and other functions to meet objectives.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Continuous improvement

Production planning

Capacity management

Health & Safety leadership

Data-driven decisions

AS9100/EASA/CAA knowledge

Job description

Production/Manufacturing Manager

• Salary up to £90,000
• Market Leading Aerospace Manufacturer
• Highly Regulated, Safety-Critical Manufacturing Environment
• Strategic Leadership Opportunity
• Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement Focus
• Portsmouth, Hampshire
• Permanent, Full-Time

Our client is a well-established and respected aerospace manufacturing business supplying safety-critical products to customers across both commercial and Aerospace markets. Operating within a highly regulated environment, the company has built a strong reputation for engineering excellence, product quality and customer service.

As part of their continued growth and operational development, they are seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead their manufacturing operation and drive improvements across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People (SQDCP).

Reporting to the Site Leadership Team, the successful candidate will take full responsibility for the day-to-day management of manufacturing operations, ensuring customer commitments are achieved while delivering sustainable improvements in productivity, efficiency, quality and employee engagement.

This is a highly visible leadership role requiring a strong manufacturing professional who can balance short-term operational delivery with long-term continuous improvement initiatives. You will lead through a team of Production Leaders, Supervisors and Team Leaders, ensuring clear accountability, high standards and a culture of operational excellence throughout the business.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading manufacturing operations to safely achieve production targets and customer delivery commitments.
• Managing production plans, capacity requirements and resource allocation.
• Driving improvements in productivity, throughput, efficiency and labour utilisation.
• Identifying and eliminating manufacturing bottlenecks, waste and operational constraints.
• Leading Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Improving manufacturing quality performance including Right First Time, defect reduction and process discipline.
• Providing visible leadership in Health, Safety and Environmental performance.
• Developing, coaching and mentoring operational leaders and future successors.
• Establishing effective performance management through SQDCP metrics and daily management systems.
• Working closely with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain and other business functions to achieve operational objectives.

This role would suit an experienced Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Operations Manager or Senior Manufacturing Leader with a proven track record of leading teams within a complex manufacturing environment.

Your Background

• Significant leadership experience within Production/Manufacturing operations.
• Proven ability to lead large manufacturing teams through Production Leaders, Supervisors and Team Leaders.
• Must be from an Aerosapce, Defence OR Military background with an understanding of AS9100, EASA, CAA
• Demonstrable success improving Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Strong experience of production planning, capacity management and operational execution.
• Practical Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement experience.
• Experience implementing and driving Daily Management Systems.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing quality systems and root-cause problem solving.
• Proven Health & Safety leadership experience.
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capability.
• Commercial awareness and understanding of operational impact on business performance.
• Able to thrive within a fast-paced and demanding manufacturing environment.

This is an outstanding opportunity to join a growing and ambitious aerospace manufacturing business where you will have the autonomy and support to make a genuine impact on operational performance and future growth.