Job Description:

Production Manager

Location: Rochester
Salary: £60,000 - £70,000
Employment Type: [Permanent / Full-time]

About the Role

We are recruiting on behalf of our client for an experienced Production Manager to join their growing manufacturing operation and take responsibility for the end-to-end production of their products.

This is a key leadership role overseeing the smart manufacturing cycle from final design handover through manufacturing, fabrication and dispatch. The successful candidate will play a central role in ensuring production is delivered safely, efficiently, on time and within budget, automation and data-led manufacturing.

Working closely with Sales, Design, Production Planning, Manufacturing, Procurement and Installation teams, you will ensure seamless coordination across the business and provide effective real-time oversight of production performance, capacity and delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee day-to-day manufacturing operations across multiple production sites, ensuring efficient use of people, plant, materials and resources.
• Develop, manage and continuously improve the Master Production Schedule, ensuring production capacity is aligned with customer demand and delivery requirements.
• Work closely with the Design team to understand project requirements, assess manufacturing capability and capacity, and identify potential production constraints at an early stage.
• Manage stock and inventory levels, working closely with Procurement and Buyers to ensure materials and components are available to meet forecast demand.
• Ensure manufacturing assets and equipment operate at optimum performance, working with Maintenance teams to implement effective preventative maintenance programmes in line with manufacturer recommendations and warranty requirements.
• Coordinate reactive and remedial maintenance activities, ensuring issues are addressed quickly to minimise downtime and disruption to production.
• Establish and monitor production KPIs, using data and digital tools to identify bottlenecks, improve visibility and drive operational performance.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing principles, and data-driven approaches to reduce waste, improve cycle times, increase throughput and optimise overall production efficiency.
• Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to ensure orders progress smoothly from design handover through to fabrication and dispatch.
• Ensure production activities remain within agreed budgets while maintaining required standards of quality, productivity and customer service.
• Lead, motivate and develop production teams, promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Ensure Health & Safety and Environmental practices are maintained in accordance with company policies and relevant ISO standards.
• Support and facilitate internal and external audits, ensuring compliance standards are consistently maintained.
• Lead initiatives focused on energy efficiency, sustainability and waste reduction, supporting the company's wider ESG objectives.
• Provide clear and timely reporting to senior management on production performance, capacity, risks, issues and improvement opportunities.

About You

We are looking for an experienced and commercially aware Production Manager who combines strong manufacturing leadership with excellent project management and organisational skills..

You will be comfortable working with modern manufacturing technologies and using data to make informed decisions, identify opportunities for improvement and drive operational excellence.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience managing production or manufacturing operations, ideally across multiple teams or sites.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing and fabrication processes.
• Strong project management and production planning skills.
• Experience managing stock, inventory and production materials.
• Experience working with maintenance teams and managing manufacturing equipment performance.
• Knowledge and practical application of Lean Manufacturing / continuous improvement principles.
• Strong understanding of Health & Safety and Environmental requirements, ideally within an ISO-certified environment.
• Experience developing and managing operational KPIs.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong leadership, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.