Manufacturing Manager
10 hours ago
Southampton
Company: Our client is a specialist manufacturing operation operating as part of a wider international group active across food, nutraceutical, agri-feed and fermentation-based biotechnology. The UK operation provides contract manufacturing services to food and ingredient customers, supporting the processing of fermentation-derived and functional materials for downstream integration into finished products. The site is supported by a broader global network with access to significant processing and production capability and plays a critical role within the group’s value chain. Opportunity: This is a senior, site‑based leadership role combining hands-on manufacturing leadership with full site general management responsibility. The business is entering an important phase following the installation and commissioning of a new high‑capacity machine, and requires a strong operational leader to stabilise, optimise, and scale the manufacturing operation. The role has full accountability for site performance and is suited to an engineering‑led manufacturing leader who is comfortable operating close to the equipment, the people, and the processes. While the title is Manufacturing Manager, the scope is effectively that of a General Manager for the site. Responsibilities: • Full responsibility for day‑to‑day manufacturing operations., • Overall site leadership, including responsibility for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and output., • Hands‑on ownership of production engineering activities, with a strong focus on overall operation, fault‑finding, and optimisation., • Lead the commissioning, bedding‑in, and ongoing optimisation of a newly installed high‑capacity machine., • Manage and develop a workforce of approximately 30 staff, including supervisors and engineering resources., • Direct involvement in electrical and/or mechanical troubleshooting within a highly automated, computer‑controlled manufacturing environment., • Oversight of preventative maintenance, reliability, and uptime across all assets., • Ensure compliance with relevant food safety, quality, and regulatory standards., • Work closely with customers and internal stakeholders to plan production, manage changeovers, and meet delivery requirements., • Ownership of site KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield, throughput, and operational efficiency., • Budgetary responsibility for the site, including operational cost control and capital project input. Candidate Requirements: • Mechanical or Electrical Engineering background (Electrical bias particularly valuable)., • Proven experience in a manufacturing leadership role within a technically complex, automated production environment., • Strong hands‑on capability in fault‑finding and problem‑solving on industrial equipment; comfortable working directly with PLC‑driven and computer‑controlled systems., • Experience commissioning, scaling, or stabilising new process equipment in a live manufacturing environment., • Demonstrated ability to lead and manage production teams in a pragmatic, floor‑level manner., • Comfortable taking full ownership of site performance and decision‑making., • Experience in food manufacturing is advantageous but not essential. Remuneration: Salary for this role is in the range of £60,000– £70,000 per year. Additional benefits include pension contributions and a supportive company culture that values work-life balance. For further information, please contact us at or text/call Greg O’Hanlon at +353 87 600 3620. To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter in Word format detailing your relevant experience.