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Acorn Recruitment; Porth; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Acorn Recruitment is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to drive manufacturing excellence across laser cutting, fabrication and powder coating. The role focuses on translating business strategy into daily execution, improving productivity and ensuring a strong culture of safety and accountability.

You will lead Lean and CI initiatives, optimise process flow and maximise machine utilisation while supporting shifts and handovers.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing manufacturing operations in metal fabrication or heavy assembly.
• Experience driving Lean Manufacturing and CI initiatives.
• Six Sigma knowledge or certification.
• Experience implementing manufacturing systems.
• Fabrication, laser cutting or sheet metal manufacturing experience.
• IOSH or NEBOSH qualification.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing day-to-day manufacturing operations across Laser Cutting, Fabrication and Powder Coating departments.
• Coordinating cross-departmentally to identify bottlenecks, resolve issues and minimise downtime.
• Driving Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives to reduce waste and optimise process flow.
• Maximising machine utilisation, labour productivity and on-time order fulfilment.
• Supporting the implementation of manufacturing systems and improved processes.
• Upskilling, mentoring and empowering the Production Manager and Department Team Leaders.
• Maintaining a visible presence on the shop floor and leading by example.

Skills

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Team Leadership

Education

Six Sigma certification

IOSH or NEBOSH qualification

Tools

Manufacturing systems

Job description

Operations Manager | Manufacturing Operations Manager | Production Manager | Lean Manufacturing

Manufacturing | Permanent | Full-time | Competitive Salary

Introduction

Acorn by Synergie is recruiting for an experienced

Operations Manager

Manufacturing Operations Manager

Production Manager

Factory Manager or

Lean Manufacturing professional who thrives in a hands-on environment and can drive operational excellence across a busy manufacturing facility.

The successful candidate will translate business strategy into daily execution, optimise production workflows and develop a strong culture of accountability, safety and continuous improvement.

The Role

As

Operations Manager, you will take ownership of factory-floor performance, ensuring efficient production processes across laser cutting, fabrication and powder coating operations.

You will play a key role in improving productivity, reducing waste, supporting teams and delivering operational excellence throughout the manufacturing site.

Key responsibilities include:

Overseeing day-to-day manufacturing operations and ensuring smooth workflow across Laser Cutting, Fabrication and Powder Coating departments.

Coordinating cross-departmentally to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, resolve issues and minimise downtime.

Driving Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives to reduce waste and optimise process flow.

Maximising machine utilisation, labour productivity and on-time order fulfilment.

Supporting the implementation of manufacturing systems and improved processes.

You will be responsible for:

Maintaining a visible presence on the shop floor and leading by example.

Supporting production teams during peak periods.

Upskilling, mentoring and empowering the Production Manager and Department Team Leaders.

Ensuring effective shift handovers and clear communication across departments.

Building a high-performance culture based on ownership, accountability and strong safety standards.

KPI & Performance Management

You will drive operational excellence by monitoring, analysing and improving key performance indicators, including:

OEE: Maximising machine availability and performance.

Health & Safety: Maintaining strong safety standards and compliance.

Quality: Reducing scrap, rework and customer defects.

Delivery: Improving On-Time-In-Full (OTIF) dispatch performance.

Efficiency: Monitoring labour productivity and reducing lead times.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

Proven experience managing manufacturing operations, preferably within tubular metal fabrication, steel processing or heavy assembly environments.

Demonstrable success driving Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.

Six Sigma knowledge or experience.

Experience implementing manufacturing systems.

Fabrication, laser cutting or sheet metal manufacturing experience.

IOSH or NEBOSH qualification.

Interested?

If you are an experienced

Operations Manager,

Manufacturing Operations Manager,

Lean Manufacturing professional looking for your next challenge within a growing manufacturing business,