Manufacturing Manager

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to be
** purpose-led**,
** resilient
* * and
** positive
* * to succeed here because we expect pace and
** agility**, we insist on
** collaboration
* * and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact

Click “Apply” to get started.
** Site introduction:
** Our Carlisle site holds a special place in biscuit-making history, proudly recognised as the oldest biscuit factory in the world, dating back to 1831. Today, it’s powered by a dedicated team of over 980 colleagues, each playing a vital role in shaping our heritage and driving our production capabilities forward. Home to beloved brands like Carr’s and Jacobs, the site operates 9 ovens and 19 packing lines, processing an incredible 42,000 tonnes of flour every year.

Conveniently located near Carlisle Train Station, this historic site continues to be a cornerstone of British biscuit tradition, blending generations of expertise with modern innovation to bring joy to biscuit lovers across the UK and beyond. You’ll have overall responsibility for ensuring the manufacturing area operates safely, efficiently, and with a strong focus on quality, meeting pladis standards and customer expectations.

You’ll play a key role in shaping the site’s continuous improvement strategy, supporting teams, and delivering medium- to long-term goals to keep Carlisle fit for the future.

As part of the Site Leadership Team, you will collaborate on strategic decisions, lead transformation projects, and foster a culture of operational excellence and innovation.
* Safety Leadership:
Promote a safety-first culture and lead departmental safety improvement plans, ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and company standards.
* Quality Excellence:
Deliver quality improvement plans, maintain audit compliance, and champion a mindset of “Right First Time”.
* People Development:
Inspire, mentor, coach, and support performance to build a culture of growth, inclusion, and engagement.
* Performance & Cost:
Work with teams to improve operating performance and deliver year-on-year cost efficiencies through continuous improvement initiatives.
* Budget & Utilisation:
Manage manufacturing budgets and optimise plant utilisation for maximum efficiency.
* Innovation &

Collaboration:

Partner with Marketing, NPD, Engineering, and HR teams to deliver successful new product launches and strategic projects.
* Continuous Improvement:
Champion Lean manufacturing techniques and Carlisle Excellence programmes to embed problem-solving and root cause analysis.
* Leadership Contribution:
Actively contribute to site leadership and strategic planning, influencing long-term operational goals.
** Bring your experience!
**** Essential
* ** Proven manufacturing experience with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
* Experience leading and supporting diverse teams to achieve shared goals.
* Strong communication skills and ability to engage and inspire teams.
* Experience in change management and continuous improvement tools.
* Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver KPIs.
** Desirable
* ** FMCG experience.
* Project management and budget management expertise.
* Experience in unionised environments and leading culture change.
* Engineering understanding in FMCG.
* Operate as part of a collaborative senior leadership team.
* Led large teams and complex operations.
* Initial Telephone call with Talent Acquisition
* 1st stage interview – 45 minutes competency-based interview based on our company values and your experiences.
* Online Leadership Assessment
* 2nd stage interview – 60 minutes – a technical interview to understand your skill set/case study or presentation interview.
* pladis does also use both Psychometric and Aptitude tests to support our…