Production Manager
2 days ago
Birmingham
Production Manager – Birmingham \n Salary: £58,000 – £68,000 plus bonus \n Location: Birmingham, with easy access to the M6, M5 and M42 \n Contract: Permanent, full-time \n A respected, privately owned manufacturer in the Birmingham area is looking for a Production Manager to take full responsibility for its production operation. As a private business, it offers the chance to make decisions quickly and see the results of your work directly. You'll lead a team of Supervisors and Shift Managers and have a genuine say in the direction of the business. \n The role \n\n • Take full responsibility for the production function, including budget, headcount, output and overall performance, with real accountability for the results.\n, • Lead a team of Supervisors and Shift Managers across multiple lines or cells, setting clear objectives and holding the team to account for delivering them.\n, • Own the production plan and make sure customer commitments are met on time, in full and to the right quality standard.\n, • Work closely with Planning, Quality, Maintenance and Sales to balance demand, capacity and resources, and to resolve issues before they reach the customer.\n, • Deliver measurable productivity gains, cost reductions and waste elimination, using data and structured improvement methods to prioritise the biggest opportunities.\n, • Manage the production budget, monitoring spend against plan and taking early action to address variances.\n, • Plan and manage resources, including labour, overtime, skills and shift cover, so that the operation is staffed and ready to meet changing demand.\n, • Ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, ISO standards and customer audits, and keep the site audit-ready at all times.\n, • Build a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement, where people take ownership and ideas from the floor are encouraged and acted upon.\n, • Develop and coach your managers and supervisors, building succession and a strong leadership bench within the production team.\n, • Report on production KPIs to the senior leadership team, giving clear, honest updates on performance, risks and improvement plans.\n, • Contribute to the wider business strategy, including investment decisions, capacity planning and the long-term direction of the operation.\n, • Be a visible presence on the shop floor, staying close to the operation and to the people who run it.\n\n About you \n\n • Significant senior production management experience in a manufacturing or engineering environment, with accountability for a full production operation.\n, • Proven experience of leading Supervisors and Shift Managers, ideally across multiple lines, cells or shifts.\n, • A track record of delivering continuous improvement and measurable results, such as improved OEE, reduced waste, lower costs or better on-time delivery.\n, • Commercially aware, with a sound understanding of budgets, margins and the link between operational performance and business results.\n, • Strong communication skills at every level, from operators on the shop floor to directors and customers.\n, • A visible, hands-on leader who is equally comfortable on the shop floor and in the boardroom.\n, • Experience of working with Planning, Quality, Maintenance and Sales to resolve conflicting priorities and keep customers supplied.\n, • Confident using KPIs, root cause analysis and structured problem solving to make decisions and drive action.\n, • A strong working knowledge of health and safety, ISO standards and customer audit requirements.\n, • Comfortable operating in a privately owned business, with the pace, ownership and decision-making that comes with it.\n, • Resilient and decisive, able to stay calm under pressure and to make sound judgement calls when it matters.\n, • A natural developer of people, with experience of building teams, creating accountability and growing future leaders.\n, • Degree-qualified or equivalent experience.\n, • A Lean or Six Sigma qualification is desirable, as is a recognised leadership or management qualification.\n\n What's on offer \n\n • Annual bonus\n, • Company pension\n, • Private healthcare\n, • 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays\n, • Genuine influence on the business strategy\n\n