Production Operations Manager Location: Wallasey, Merseyside Salary: £50,000 - £85,000 Share Options Flexible and Hybrid Working Health, Dental and Mental Health Care Income Protection Electric and Plug-In Hybrid car scheme Company reward & discount platform More! Holiferm invites applications from inspired, innovative, and outstanding individuals for a full-time essential role. Holiferm is facilitating the transition of the $40 billion surfactant market away from harmful, oil-based chemicals to biobased alternatives. We have launched kilotonne-scale production of sophorolipids, working with industrial partners to bring these products to market, and this role will be central to its continued success. Holiferm is also expanding into other biosurfactants, making this an exciting time to join our mission. Join Holiferm as a Production Operations Manager and help lead the scale-up of sustainable biosurfactant manufacturing. We're seeking a proactive, hands-on leader to drive safe, efficient production at our cutting-edge facility in Wallasey. If you're passionate about innovation, collaboration, and making a real environmental impact—this is your opportunity. Production Operations Manager Responsibilities Lead day-to-day production activities to ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable operations within the commercial facility to deliver OTIF product to our valued customers Maintain a safe working environment and effectively manage operational risks Monitor key production metrics and be responsible for managing the operational delivery of the ERP system Develop and execute production schedules to meet output targets and quality standards Coordinate with QA/QC and commercial teams to ensure timely and compliant product delivery Manage maintenance teams to prioritise and schedule essential work to prevent downtime Work alongside process engineering to support efficient and optimised production Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including operating procedures and work processes Support training and development of production team members Manage commissioning and start-up activities for new equipment or processes Provide hands-on support and troubleshooting during production runs Requirements Proven leadership experience in a production or operations environment Hands-on, proactive approach with strong organisational, collaboration, and communication skills Data-driven and creative problem-solving skills Desirable Degree in Engineering (Chemical preferred) Experience with bioreactors, fermentation, or surfactants, and growing businesses Experience managing multiple SKUs in a growing business and working with commercials to deliver an optimised production and business approach Passion for sustainability and innovation Keywords: Operations Manager, Production Manager, Operations Supervisor, Plant Manager, Plant Management, Risk Management, Biosurfactants, Biotechnology, Plant Optimisation, Fermentation, Scale-Up