Production Manager

ELIS; Wednesbury; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Operational Bonus Scheme

25 days annual leave

Private medical cover

Company pension

Life assurance

Development opportunities

Career progression

33 Days Holiday

Private Medical

Job summary

Elis is seeking an experienced Production Manager in Wednesbury to lead and develop the production function, coordinating with engineering, stores, logistics and service teams. You will drive safety, productivity and on-time delivery while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

This role focuses on building capable teams, delivering targets, and shaping operational strategy with a hands-on, commercially minded approach. You’ll work the 2:00pm–10:00pm shift as part of a unified site team.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience within production, manufacturing, or supply chain.
• Strong people-management experience and track record of building teams.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement / LEAN methodologies.
• Experience managing budgets, forecasting and performance.
• Ability to influence across all levels of a business.
• Proactive, customer-focused approach and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Degree or equivalent in manufacturing/process environment; NEBOSH qualification
• Lean / Six Sigma experience would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop teams to create a high-performing environment.
• Drive health & safety culture and ensure standards are followed.
• Plan and coordinate people and resources to meet targets (OTIF).
• Champion LEAN and continuous improvement to raise productivity, quality, cost and service.
• Monitor KPIs, analyse performance and turn data into improvements.
• Manage budgets and costs, investigate variances and improve efficiency.
• Collaborate with engineering, logistics, service and other departments.
• Support General Manager with strategy, improvements and capital needs.
• Manage performance, absence, development and employee relations.
• Deputise for the General Manager when required.

Skills

Leadership

People management

LEAN / continuous improvement

Problem solving

Budgeting / forecasting

Data analysis

Influence across levels

Customer-focused approach

ERP systems experience (AX)

Education

Degree or equivalent manufacturing/process experience

NEBOSH or health & safety qualification

Lean / Six Sigma experience (advantageous)

Tools

AX (ERP)

Job description

Lead people. Improve performance. Make an impact.

• Wednesbury
• Full-time
• Permanent

About Elis

About a career with Elis

At Elis, we're more than a leading provider of textile, hygiene and facility services. We're an international business helping organisations across a wide range of industries operate safely, efficiently and sustainably.

With a presence in 31 countries and nearly 59,000 employees worldwide, we offer the strength and stability of a global organisation, combined with the opportunity to make a real impact and build a rewarding career.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We believe in creating an environment where everyone feels valued, supported and empowered to succeed. From investing in professional development to recognising individual contributions, we're committed to helping our people grow and achieve their ambitions.

We're proud of the recognition we've received for our commitment to people, sustainability and responsible business practices:

• World's Best Companies - Recognised among the world's leading employers, reflecting our commitment to building a great place to work.
• EcoVadis Platinum Medal - Recognition of our commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices.
• CIPD People Management Awards 2024 - Elis UK won Best Employee Engagement Experience Initiative for our Employee Voice programme, recognising our commitment to listening to our people and acting on their feedback.

Whether you're building your career in operations, engineering, logistics, sales or one of our support functions, you'll be joining a business that values teamwork, encourages new ideas and provides opportunities to develop and progress.

The Opportunity

Are you an experienced Production Manager who enjoys leading teams, improving processes and driving operational performance?

At Elis, we’re looking for a hands-on and commercially minded Production Manager to take a key leadership role within our operation. You’ll lead and develop our production function while working closely with engineering, stores, logistics and service teams to make sure we deliver safely, efficiently and consistently for our customers.

This is much more than keeping production moving. We’re looking for someone who can develop people, challenge how things are done and create a culture of continuous improvement.

What You'll Be Doing

Reporting to the General Manager, you’ll take responsibility for the day‑to‑day performance and continuous improvement of the production operation.

You’ll

• Lead, coach and develop your teams to create a positive, high-performing working environment.
• Drive a strong health & safety culture, ensuring standards and procedures are consistently followed.
• Plan and coordinate people and resources to achieve production targets and deliver on time and in full (OTIF).
• Champion LEAN and continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to improve productivity, quality, cost and service.
• Monitor operational KPIs, analyse performance and turn data into practical improvements.
• Manage budgets and costs, investigating variances and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Work closely with engineering, logistics, service and other departments to build a genuine One Team culture.
• Support the General Manager with operational strategy, improvement plans and capital investment requirements.
• Manage performance, absence, development and employee relations across your teams.
• Deputise for the General Manager when required.

These responsibilities reflect the original role profile, including ownership of budgets, continuous improvement, people management, KPIs and cross-functional working.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be an experienced operational leader who is comfortable being visible on the floor as well as working with data, budgets and longer‑term improvement plans.

Ideally, You’ll Bring

• Proven leadership experience within production, manufacturing, supply chain or a similar operational environment.
• Strong people‑management experience with a track record of building and developing successful teams.
• Experience implementing continuous improvement / LEAN methodologies.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.
• Experience managing budgets, forecasting and operational performance.
• The confidence to influence people at all levels of a business.
• A proactive, customer‑focused approach.
• Experience working with ERP systems – AX experience would be advantageous.
• A degree or equivalent experience within a manufacturing/process environment.
• NEBOSH or an equivalent health & safety qualification.
• Lean / Six Sigma experience would be advantageous.

What We Offer

At Elis, we believe great people should be recognised, supported and given the opportunity to grow. In return for the impact you’ll make, you’ll receive a strong benefits package and the opportunity to build a long‑term career within an established international business.

We Offer

• Competitive salary – recognising your experience and the importance of the role
• Operational Bonus Scheme: Opportunity to earn an additional performance-related bonus
• 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays - giving you time to switch off and recharge
• Private medical cover - supporting your health and wellbeing
• Company pension - 5% employer contribution alongside 5% employee contribution
• Life assurance - providing additional peace of mind for you and your family
• Investment in your development - with ongoing training and opportunities to grow your technical and leadership capabilities
• Genuine career progression - with opportunities to develop your career across Elis in the UK and our wider international business
• Long-term stability - joining an established, successful international organisation
• A role where you can make an impact - with the autonomy to influence engineering performance, develop your team and drive improvements across the site
• A supportive, collaborative culture - where your ideas, expertise and contribution are valued
• 33 Days Holiday
• Company Pension
• Private Medical

Interested?

This is an opportunity to take real ownership of an operation, develop your people and have a visible impact on how the site performs.

Working Pattern

Monday to Friday | 2:00pm - 10:00pm

A consistent weekday afternoon/evening shift, with weekends free.