Production Manager

ao.com; Telford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in appliance recycling seeks a proficient Production Manager to oversee its advanced fridge recycling plant in Telford. The role demands strong leadership and the ability to drive productivity improvements while ensuring safety and operational excellence. The ideal candidate will bring extensive management experience and a commitment to continuous improvement, all while being part of a dynamic, innovative environment that values both its people and the planet.

Benefits

25 days holidays plus bank holidays

Free lunch once a month

Pension contribution matching

Discounted gym membership

Mental Health support access

Two paid charity days annually

On-site parking and breakfast perks

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ operational experience, at least 3 years in management.
• Experience in automotive, aerospace, or FMCG manufacturing processes.
• Strong implementation of CI techniques.

Responsibilities

• Manage productivity across four shifts while ensuring compliance with health and safety.
• Implement smarter processes and drive a cost-effective operational environment.
• Lead the development of teams focusing on quality and efficiency.

Skills

Continuous Improvement

Leadership

Health and Safety Compliance

Team Management

Quality Control

Education

Level 5 ILM level education

Six Sigma qualification

IOSH Qualified

Job description

At AO Recycling, we are committed to extracting as much value as possible from the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) that is thrown away by UK households every year. Like the rest of the AO Group, we are a very exciting and enthusiastic company to work for. The role will be located at our site in Telford, Shropshire, which uses state of the art technology and is able to process more items, more efficiently than any other site in the UK.

We are growing and with that, there’s many opportunities to develop and try new approaches. If you are an energetic, hands on, innovative professional, this is the environment for you. We are part of a bigger group and with that backing comes stability and support for our business. And it is always worth remembering - we run a profitable business whilst doing the right thing for the environment.

Within the core value of delivering excellence the Production Manager will focus the Shift Co-Ordinators, Supervisors and Operative employees, to deliver and exceed the agreed KPI`s. The Production Manager will develop the departmental team through providing direction; guidance, support, coaching and mentoring, to ensure we develop future leaders, retain our people, whilst delivering KPI’s which underpin the budget.

The Production Manager must promote the highest levels of quality and performance whilst driving health and safety culture, environmental compliance, and employee welfare. With the changing dynamic within the retail sector the plant must be managed in a way to ensure flexibility and capability to move and flow with the changing patterns of volume.

The Production Manager will work very closely with all departments (transport, offload, SHEQ, HR, etc) to ensure the department’s performance is achieved and exceeded, whilst supporting and delivering the whole value chain. At AO we deliver at pace, and we need to deliver today.

Here's What You Can Expect To Be Doing

• Report to the Operations Manager while managing the UK’s most advanced and largest fridge recycling plant (built in 2017, £10M+ investment).
• Drive higher productivity and implement smarter processes across operations.
• Plan, direct, and control Processing Teams working across 4 shifts.
• Ensure all health and safety, environmental, quality, volume, productivity, and cost objectives are met.
• Be accountable for performance in time, cost, and volume quality—demonstrating a proven track record of delivering improvements in all three.
• Develop your team with a strong focus on quality and efficiency in a clean and safe working environment.
• Use Continuous Improvement (CI) methodologies and tools such as 5S, Kaizen, or other CI techniques to embed best practices.
• Create and manage a CI program aimed at finding better, more productive ways of working.
• Demonstrate past success in implementing CI programs and driving results.
• Coach managers and staff in the use of CI tools to instil a strong CI culture across the team.
• Lead with consistency and determination while prioritising the needs of your teams.
• Ensure full compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) policies and regulations for all activities and AOers within the department.
• Collaborate closely with the SHEQ department to deliver a world-class HSE culture and ensure all operations align with relevant environmental permits, licences, and legislation.
• Work in partnership with the Engineering Function to support and maintain an effective Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) system.
• Conduct regular reviews of operational capability and create clear, actionable plans to drive required improvements.

A Few Things About You

• Experience of working within automotive / Aerospace / FMCG manufacturing processes.
• Six Sigma formal qualification (or equivalent) demonstrated strong implementation knowledge of CI techniques, specifically 5S and Kaizen Projects.
• Experience of working at a management level in a fast-paced environment with large scale growth
• Demonstrable experience in managing large numbers of people (50+) with multi teams and different shift patterns.
• Evidence of the capability to deliver visible, impactful change is highly desirable
• Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK permanently and without restrictions.

Education and Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ operational experience with at least 3 years at the Manufacturing/Processing Manager level or equivalent
• Level 5 ILM level education (or equivalent, could be through apprenticeship or other pathway) is a must.
• IOSH Qualified

A Bit About Us

When it comes to appliances and electricals, we’ve got the lot. Washing machines? Yep. TVs? Check. Laptops? Absolutely. Everything except doorbells (just kidding, we’ve got those too).

We’re known for helping our customers brilliantly - and it’s no different for AOers. We care about more than what’s on your CV, because together we can do extraordinary things.

Our benefits are designed to cover the moments that matter to AOers. From health and wellness to giving back - you’ll be rewarded inside and outside of work

• Holidays; 25 days, plus bank holidays (increasing to 27 days after 2 years with us!)
• Free lunch once a month
• Pension; Contribute 5% of your annual salary and we'll do the same, giving you a little extra support for the future
• Be a VIP at the AO Arena; we have loads of opportunities to win free tickets and pre-sale access
• Health & wellbeing; discounted gym membership, an onsite spa and our Help @ Hand scheme giving you access to virtual GP’s, Mental Health support and much more
• Discounts; exclusive discounts across our product range
• Family leave; Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and Adoption leave
• Making a difference; 2 fully paid days a year to donate your time to any charity of your choice.
• On site perks; start your day with free on site parking, grabbing a complimentary breakfast and a coffee at our subsidised Starbucks!

To see all our benefits and perks, visit our AO Benefits page.#LI-MS1