Plant Manager - Heavy Process Manufacturing

Plant Manager - Heavy Process Manufacturing (3566689) South Yorkshire, England

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PLANT MANAGER – HEAVY PROCESS MANUFACTURING

Plant Manager | Manufacturing Manager | Operations Manager | Engineering Leadership | Continuous Process Manufacturing

Ready for Your Next Step Beyond Production or Engineering Leadership?

Location, North Midlands - Commutable from East Midlands / South Yorkshire / South Cheshire

£75,000 - £85,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance + Executive Benefits

A Major Career Development Opportunity Within Heavy Industrial Manufacturing

This is an outstanding opportunity for an ambitious and technically credible operational leader to step into a highly visible Plant Manager role within a major heavy process manufacturing and industrial operations environment.

Our client operates a large-scale, energy‑intensive manufacturing operation supplying technically demanding products into critical industrial markets. The site is stable, commercially successful, operationally established, and well‑invested. This is not a turnaround or recovery situation.

Instead, the business is looking for an individual capable of helping take the operation to the next level through stronger operational leadership, manufacturing optimisation, leadership development, succession planning, continuous improvement, and enhanced accountability across the wider manufacturing structure.

This role is ideally suited to an experienced:

• Head of Engineering
• Process Plant Operations Manager

who is now looking for the opportunity to step into a broader and more senior Plant Manager position within a heavy industrial manufacturing environment.

The business is specifically interested in individuals who combine:

• Strong technical understanding of heavy process manufacturing
• Experience with in continuous process manufacturing or industrial manufacturing operations
• Leadership experience across production, engineering, maintenance, or operational teams
• Credibility within engineering‑led manufacturing environments
• Strong people leadership and coaching capability
• Ambition, drive, and readiness for the next major step in their career

This opportunity is particularly attractive for someone who has the capability and potential to progress further operationally but currently lacks the internal opportunity to take that next step.

The business operates a large-scale heavy industrial manufacturing operation involving:

• Continuous and batch process manufacturing
• Thermal and high‑temperature processing environments
• Automated production systems and industrial plant equipment
• Bulk materials handling and processing
• High‑volume manufacturing operations
• Energy‑intensive industrial processes
• Complex maintenance and engineering activities
• High standards of safety, environmental, and quality compliance
• Unionised operational teams

The environment would suit candidates from backgrounds such as:

• Heavy process manufacturing
• Construction materials manufacturing
• Industrial minerals processing
• Cement, lime, aggregates, quarrying or related sectors
• Ceramics and building products manufacturing
• Metals, steel, glass, or industrial manufacturing
• Chemicals or industrial processing operations
• High-volume continuous process manufacturing
• Other technically demanding industrial manufacturing environments

You will play a key leadership role within a complex manufacturing operation, with responsibility for:

• Day‑to‑day plant leadership and operational performance
• Manufacturing output, production performance, and operational efficiency
• Health, safety, environmental, and quality standards
• Leadership and development of production and operational teams
• Driving operational consistency and accountability
• Continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, and manufacturing optimisation
• Supporting succession planning and leadership capability development
• Working closely with engineering, maintenance, technical, and commercial teams
• Supporting capital investment and operational improvement projects

Importantly, this is a highly visible, site‑based operational leadership role.

The business is looking for a hands‑on Plant Manager who is comfortable being present…