Section Manager

Manufacturing

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live.

Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Senior Production Manager

Peterlee

£79,424 - £85,000 DOE

Full Time, Permanent 36.5

R

• Approximately 10% travel required
• 5 Days on site

As a Senior Production Manager, you will lead the day-to-day operations of a designated manufacturing area, ensuring the safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery of production targets. This role drives continuous improvement initiatives, develops leadership capability, and ensures the highest standards of safety, quality, delivery, and cost performance are maintained across the operation.

• Lead manufacturing operations within an assigned production area, ensuring performance targets for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and productivity are achieved.
• Create and maintain a culture that prioritises health, safety, environmental compliance, and employee wellbeing.
• Plan and coordinate production activities to ensure efficient use of labour, equipment, materials, and facilities.
• Manage operational performance through the analysis of production metrics and the implementation of improvement plans.
• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives using recognised methodologies such as Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, and quality management systems.
• Ensure production processes, tooling, equipment, and operational methods support manufacturing requirements and customer demand.
• Work collaboratively with Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Maintenance, and other functions to resolve operational challenges and improve performance.
• Ensure products consistently meet customer and company quality standards while maintaining cost and delivery expectations. Monitor material availability and support effective inventory and resource planning to prevent production disruption.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste, optimise processes, and enhance operational effectiveness.
• Lead workforce planning activities, including resource allocation, scheduling, training, skills development, and succession planning.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and performance management to support employee growth and organisational objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable regulatory requirements, company policies, and manufacturing standards.
• Support the implementation of strategic business initiatives and operational improvement programmes.
• Establish clear communication processes across shifts and teams to ensure alignment on priorities, performance, and operational objectives.
• Manage operational risks and make informed decisions regarding production priorities, capacity constraints, and resource allocation.

Degree or equivalent experience desired

Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Knowledge of effective influencing tactics and strategies; ability to impact decisions within and outside own organization.

Knowledge of successful…