Senior Production Operations Manager

Celestion; Ipswich; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Celestion is seeking a seasoned Operations Leader to drive manufacturing operations for loudspeaker production at Ipswich. You will oversee production, planning, inventory and continuous improvement while championing health and safety across the site.

The role involves leading Lean initiatives, coordinating with Engineering & R&D for new product introductions, and managing budgets and capacity to meet forecasted demand and delivery commitments.

Qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification in engineering, operations, supply chain or business management; or equivalent experience.
• Substantial manufacturing experience including a minimum of 5 years in a senior operational leadership role.
• Proven team leadership and effective coaching skills.
• Lean implementation, budget management and good working knowledge of ISO 9001.

Responsibilities

• Lead production and assembly teams, aligning labour, equipment, materials and capacity with forecast demand and delivery commitments.
• Manage production planning and scheduling; work with procurement to secure materials and reduce excess stock.
• Set and review operational measures including on-time delivery, OEE and quality metrics.
• Partner with Engineering to prepare new products for manufacture and develop processes and automation.
• Lead continuous improvement programmes delivering gains in safety, quality and cost.
• Manage budgets, labour and overhead costs and contribute to forecasts and investment plans.
• Lead health and safety compliance and risk assessments.
• Coach and develop managers, supporting recruitment and communication across functions.

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

ISO 9001

Budget management

ERP/MRP

Six Sigma

Change management

Education

Engineering degree

Operations / Manufacturing management experience

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Job description

About Celestion

An exciting opportunity has arisen to be part of a progressive and rapidly expanding business with a large, global reach. Founded in 1924, Celestion has grown to become one of the world's largest and most innovative manufacturers of loudspeakers.

Role purpose

Lead the manufacturing operation to deliver loudspeaker products safely, on time, to specification and at a competitive cost. The role is accountable for production, planning, inventory, operational performance and continuous improvement, while leading health and safety across the site. It also supports new product introductions and the investment needed for future growth.

Team:

Production, planning, production engineering and continuous improvement, with a matrix relationship to Quality

Location - Ipswich

This is an office-based role, available across four or five days per week.

The ideal candidate will live within an easy commute of the office.

Key responsibilities

• Lead production and assembly teams, aligning labour, equipment, materials and capacity with forecast demand and delivery commitments.
• Manage production planning and scheduling. Work with procurement to secure materials, improve inventory accuracy and reduce excess or obsolete stock.
• Set and review operational measures, including on-time delivery, output, labour productivity, capacity utilisation, OEE, first-pass yield, scrap, rework and customer returns. Act on performance gaps.
• Build a culture of quality and work with the Quality Manager on ISO 9001 readiness, root cause analysis, corrective actions and the reduction of defects and warranty claims.
• Partner with Engineering and R&D to prepare new loudspeaker products for manufacture, improve design for manufacture and assembly, and develop processes and automation.
• Lead Lean and continuous improvement programmes that deliver measurable gains in safety, quality, productivity and cost.
• Manage operational budgets, labour and overhead costs, and contribute to annual forecasts and investment plans.
• Lead health and safety compliance, risk assessments, accident reduction and relevant environmental initiatives.
• Coach and develop managers and teams, supporting recruitment, succession planning, employee engagement and clear communication across functions as part of Celestion's Management team.

Measures of success

Delivery and efficiency: On-time-in-full delivery, output, OEE, productivity and capacity utilisation.

Quality: First-pass yield, complaints, warranty returns, scrap and rework.

Financial: Cost per unit, inventory levels and turns, and budget performance.

People and safety: Engagement, retention, training completion and lost-time incidents.

Experience and qualifications

• A degree or equivalent qualification in engineering, operations, supply chain or business management; or equivalent experience
• Substantial manufacturing experience including a minimum of 5 years in a senior operational leadership role,
• Proven team leadership and effective coaching skills
• Lean implementation, budget management and good working knowledge of ISO 9001. Experience in loudspeakers, audio, electro-mechanical assembly or high-value manufacturing is desirable, as are ERP/MRP experience and Lean Six Sigma, IOSH or NEBOSH qualifications
• Balances short-term delivery requirements with long-term manufacturing capability.
• Champions Lean manufacturing principles.
• Promotes a culture of problem solving, safety and waste reduction.
• Leads improvement projects through to completion.
• Identifies and mitigates operational risks.
• Promotes wellbeing and environmental responsibility
• Highly successful at managing change

Why Join Us?

Join a people-focused business where HR is valued as a true partner. You’ll have the autonomy and support to shape the employee experience and make a visible impact.

For more company and role details, please visit our website at https://celestion.com/.

Celestion is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, status, or disability. Personal data will be kept confidential and used solely for recruitment. Application data will be retained for 12 months then destroyed.