Production Manager

Production Manager - Food Manufacturing

Location:

Wakefield

Salary: £50000

Our client, a forward-thinking and modern food manufacturing business, is looking to appoint a Production Stream Manager to lead a key area of their operation. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an innovative organisation focused on performance, people development, and continuous improvement.

As Production Stream Manager, you will take full ownership of a manufacturing stream, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable production. You will lead a team of Group Leaders and play a key role in delivering operational strategy, driving performance, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement across the site. This role will also involve occasional travel to other UK and Ireland locations.

• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety legislation and site standards
• Promote a strong safety-first culture across the operation
• Maintain compliance with food safety standards (HACCP, BRC) and support audits

• Oversee daily production activities to deliver plans and achieve KPIs (OEE, yield, downtime, waste)
• Lead performance reviews and drive actions from data and loss analysis
• Optimise use of labour, materials, and equipment
• Resolve operational issues quickly to minimise downtime

• Ensure adherence to SOPs, CCPs, and quality procedures
• Manage quality investigations and corrective actions
• Maintain high standards of hygiene and sanitation

• Lead, coach, and develop Group Leaders
• Drive engagement, performance management, and succession planning
• Build capability across the production team

• Lead CI initiatives using lean tools such as 5S, RCA, Kaizen, and SMED
• Identify and deliver efficiency and cost-saving opportunities
• Ensure all processes and documentation remain current and effective

• Work closely with planning, engineering, technical, and NPI teams
• Support new product introduction and process improvements
• Align production activity with wider supply chain plans

• Experience with in a food or FMCG manufacturing environment
• Proven leadership experience in an operational setting
• Strong understanding of OEE, lean manufacturing, and performance management
• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, and food safety standards
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills

• IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent
• Experience leading continuous improvement projects
• IT literacy (ERP systems, Microsoft Office)

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Healthcare plan
• Matched pension scheme
• Retail discounts and benefits platform
• Career progression within a modern and growing business

Our client is a progressive food manufacturing business known for its innovation, quality, and sustainable approach. They foster a collaborative and inclusive environment, where employees are empowered to grow, develop, and make a real impact.