Production Manager
Up to £55,000 DOE
Yolk Recruitment are proud to be partnering with a leading chilled food manufacturing business to recruit an experienced Production Manager for a pivotal senior leadership position. This is a high-profile, hands-on operational role with genuine influence across a complex, fast-paced manufacturing environment, where you will be responsible for shaping performance, driving standards, and delivering excellence across the end-to-end bakery production process.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a results-driven production leader who thrives in high-volume, time-critical food manufacturing and is motivated by continuous improvement, operational excellence, and team development. You will play a key role in improving OEE, reducing waste, enhancing yield, and embedding a culture of right-first-time production, all while maintaining the highest standards of food safety, GMP, and product quality.
Key responsibilities:
Lead end-to-end bakery production operations across multiple areas including pastry, cooking, meat prep, ovens, ingredient storage, and production lines
Manage and develop Production Shift Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leaders to deliver safe and efficient daily operations
Ensure production plans are delivered on time, in full, in line with customer demand and business priorities
Drive operational performance through ownership of key KPIs including OEE, yield, waste, downtime, and labour efficiency
Lead continuous improvement activity to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve process stability
Ensure full compliance with food safety standards including BRCGS, HACCP, GMP, and internal quality systems
Take ownership of labour planning, agency usage, and workforce efficiency across a 2-shift operation
Collaborate cross-functionally with Technical, QA, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Planning teams to ensure seamless end-to-end operationsThis is what you'll need:
Proven experience operating at Production Manager level within a bakery or food manufacturing environment
Track record of improving OEE, yield, efficiency, and waste performance
Strong knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and food safety systemAnd this is what you'll get:
Competitive salary
Retail discounts
Pension