Production Manager

Klöckner Pentaplast; Purston Jaglin; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Klöckner Pentaplast in Featherstone, UK, invites a seasoned Manufacturing Operations Manager to lead day-to-day production across multiple shifts, drive safety, quality and efficiency, and partner with HSE, Engineering and Planning teams.

You will own KPI delivery (OEE, throughput, waste) and coach supervisors, delivering continuous improvement through Lean tools and cost management to meet customer expectations and site goals.

Qualifications

• Significant operational management experience in high-volume manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of production processes and capabilities.
• Proven ability to drive continuous improvement using Lean tools.
• Effective leadership and people-management skills at multiple levels.
• Commercial mindset with ability to translate strategy into action.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day production across multiple shifts, optimise labour and materials to hit schedules.
• Ensure safety, quality and regulatory compliance (ISO, GMP/BRC) is maintained.
• Own and report on KPIs: OEE, throughput, waste, downtime, labour efficiency.
• Coach and develop supervisors and staff, plan staffing and succession.
• Drive continuous improvement projects with Engineering and Maintenance teams.
• Plan production with Supply Chain, report performance and variances, manage budget.

Skills

Operational management

Process knowledge

Continuous improvement

People management

Commercial acumen

Job description

The Company

kp is a globally recognised leader in the packaging and specialty film industry, renowned for its unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation. The need to act on climate change has never been clearer so we incorporate sustainability into everything we do by #InvestingInBetter - creating innovative products that enhance product protection, shelf life and contribute to reducing the overall carbon footprint. At kp, we are passionate about ensuring our customers' satisfaction, and we strive to achieve this goal by focusing all our efforts on meeting their evolving needs. Our dedication to drive a positive change in the packaging industry with a focus on quality and sustainability has earned us a reputation as a trusted partner for businesses worldwide.

Location:

Featherstone, United Kingdom

• On-site

Reports to:

Site Manager

The Role

Oversee all day-to-day manufacturing operations within the facility, ensuring safe, efficient and high-quality production. Working in close collaboration with the HSE and Engineering managers, you’ll lead the production teams, optimise processes, manage performance metrics and drive continuous improvement to meet customer expectations and organisational goals.

What You’ll Do

• Champion a safety-first culture – compliance, audits, risk assessments and sustainability initiatives (waste, recycling, energy).
• Lead daily production across multiple shifts, allocating labour, equipment and materials to hit schedules, maximise throughput and minimise downtime.
• Own the operational KPIs – OEE, throughput, waste/scrap, downtime and labour efficiency.
• Ensure products meet quality, customer and regulatory standards (ISO, BRC, GMP), driving corrective actions with the Quality team.
• Lead, coach and develop supervisors, line leaders and staff – performance, staffing, hiring and career growth.
• Drive continuous improvement with Lean tools (5S, Kaizen, RCA, SMED, VSM), partnering with Engineering and Maintenance on line optimisation and automation.
• Plan production with Supply Chain and Planning, report on performance and variances, and manage the production budget.

Management Responsibility

• Up to 6 direct reports, plus high numbers of indirect reports that fluctuate with demand.
• Management of skilled and semi-skilled labour.

What You’ll Bring

• Significant operational management experience, ideally in a high-volume, process-driven manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical understanding of production processes and capabilities.
• Excellent knowledge of continuous improvement techniques, and proven project management capability.
• Highly developed people-management skills, including employee relations – trade union experience an advantage.
• Commercial acumen – able to turn strategy into action – with a collaborative, business-partnering style across functions.

Personal Profile

• Focused, disciplined and resilient, with an engaging, collaborative manner.
• A systematic problem solver, analytical and commercially minded.
• A strong multitasker, able to prioritise a high-volume workload and flex across the business.

What We Offer

• A key leadership role with real ownership of a busy, high-volume manufacturing operation.
• The opportunity to shape production performance and lead continuous improvement across the site.
• Genuine investment in your development and clear scope for career progression.
• A competitive salary and benefits package.

At kp, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is vital to our global success. We welcome applicants from all identities, ideas, perspectives and experiences and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. We aim to create an inclusive culture where our employees feel empowered to play to their strengths and see themselves reflected in the organization without regard to race, gender, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual preference, marital status, or inclusion in any other protected class.