Production Manager

Nicholas Associates; South Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare and employee benefits

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

5% contributory pension scheme

Bonus potential

Job summary

Nicholas Associates is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead and optimise operations at our South Yorkshire site. You will drive improvements across productivity, efficiency, quality, delivery and cost while developing teams and ensuring safe, compliant manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities include planning, capacity management, KPI monitoring and implementing Lean initiatives to meet demanding targets and customer requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years' production management experience in manufacturing.
• Experience leading production teams, supervisors or section managers.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to improve productivity, throughput and on-time delivery.
• Experience in production planning, capacity management and resource allocation.
• Ability to interpret production data, monitor KPIs and make informed decisions.
• Experience managing overtime and direct labour costs toward budgets.
• Knowledge of quality, health and safety and environmental standards.
• Experience using ERP systems and Excel.
• Engineering degree or substantial relevant experience in engineering/manufacturing.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day manufacturing operations to meet business and customer requirements.
• Lead and develop Team Leaders, Section Managers and production employees to improve performance.
• Plan and coordinate labour, materials, equipment and production capacity with changing demand.
• Monitor production performance through KPIs and implement improvement plans.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement actions to improve throughput.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives, waste reduction and standardized processes.
• Promote employee involvement and continuous improvement ideas.
• Manage overtime and direct labour costs to meet production objectives.
• Review capacity requirements and adjust resources for demand changes.
• Support new product introductions and process changes.
• Ensure machinery and processes are well maintained with TPM.
• Maintain high standards of quality, health and safety, and environmental compliance.
• Collaborate with Quality, Engineering, Planning and Maintenance to improve operations.
• Ensure HR policies, performance management and training are followed.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Team Leadership

Data-driven decisions

Problem solving

Education

Engineering degree or substantial relevant experience in engineering/manufacturing

Tools

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

We are currently seeking an experienced Production Manager to join an established and growing manufacturing business in South Yorkshire.

This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive and commercially minded manufacturing professional to take ownership of production operations, lead and develop teams, and drive improvements across productivity, efficiency, quality, delivery and cost.

The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring production targets are achieved, resources are utilised effectively and continuous improvement becomes an integral part of the manufacturing culture.

The Role

As Production Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing day-to-day manufacturing operations, ensuring production activities are planned and executed effectively to meet business and customer requirements.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing production operations to achieve agreed output, quality, delivery and cost targets.
• Managing, coaching and developing Team Leaders, Section Managers and production employees to improve performance and build a strong team culture.
• Planning and coordinating labour, materials, equipment and production capacity in line with changing business requirements.
• Monitoring production performance through KPIs, identifying areas for improvement and implementing effective action plans.
• Identifying and resolving production bottlenecks, delays and process inefficiencies to improve throughput.
• Driving Lean Manufacturing initiatives, including waste reduction, improved workflow, standardised processes and continuous improvement.
• Promoting employee involvement and encouraging teams to identify and implement practical improvements.
• Managing overtime, workforce requirements and direct labour costs to achieve production objectives efficiently.
• Reviewing capacity requirements and adjusting resources to accommodate changes in demand and production priorities.
• Supporting new product introductions, process changes and the implementation of improved manufacturing methods.
• Ensuring machinery, equipment and production processes are maintained effectively, with appropriate preventative maintenance and TPM practices in place.
• Maintaining high standards of product quality, health and safety, environmental compliance and workplace housekeeping.
• Working closely with Quality, Engineering, Planning, Maintenance and other departments to resolve issues and improve overall operational performance.
• Ensuring company procedures and HR policies are followed consistently, including performance management, training and employee development.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for a confident and practical leader with a strong background in manufacturing production management and a proven ability to improve operational performance.

You will ideally have:

• A minimum of five years' experience in a Production Management role within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading production teams and managing Team Leaders, Supervisors or Section Managers.
• A strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Demonstrable experience improving productivity, throughput, labour efficiency and on-time delivery.
• Experience in production planning, capacity management, resource allocation and workforce optimisation.
• The ability to interpret production data, monitor KPIs and make informed operational decisions.
• Experience managing overtime, controlling direct labour costs and working towards production budgets or cost targets.
• A good understanding of quality management, health and safety and environmental standards.
• Experience using ERP systems and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
• A degree in an engineering discipline or substantial relevant experience within an engineering or manufacturing environment.

Salary and Benefits

• Annual package of £57,345, including basic salary and guaranteed minimum bonus.
• Enhanced overtime rates, with premium payments available.
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service.
• 5% contributory pension scheme.
• Healthcare and employee benefits scheme.