Process & Production Manager — Ace Grading
Location: Banbury (on-site)
• Type: Full-time, permanent
• Hours: Mon–Fri
• Salary: £40,000–£50,000 DOE
Reports to: Operations Director (with direct access to the Directors)
About Ace Grading
Ace Grading is a UK card-grading company known for speed, consistency, and care. We're hiring a Process & Production Manager to tighten day-to-day operations across intake, grading, quality checks, encapsulation, imaging, and shipping. Your goal is simple: more cards out the door, on time, at the standard our customers expect.
The role
You sit between team leads/managers and the directors. You'll plan the day, keep work moving, remove blockers, and make sure every stage follows clear procedures. You'll keep people, equipment, stock, and information in sync. This is an on-the-floor leadership role with real impact.
What you'll do
Daily running
* Lead a short morning huddle; confirm targets and priorities for each area.
* Plan the flow of work through all stages; rebalance when queues build up.
* Track progress through the day; step in early when something slows or stops.
* Keep secure handling and logging of cards at every hand-off.
People & coordination
* Set clear expectations for team leads and senior operators; coach for consistency.
* Build rotas and cross-training so each station is covered without risking quality.
* Work with Customer Support on urgent orders, corrections, and reholders.
* Escalate any formal people issues to HR/Directors (this role is not HR casework).
Quality & accuracy
* Keep written procedures up to date for every station.
* Check accuracy of labels, imaging, slabs, and final pack-outs.
* Spot quality issues early; fix the cause, not just the symptom.
Tools, stock & space
* Make sure equipment is ready each morning (encapsulation,imaging rigs, printers).
* Arrange repairs and basic preventative maintenance; hold spares and consumables (slabs, sleeves, labels)
* Keep work areas tidy, safe, and set up for fast, mistake-free work.
Data & improvement
* Use Metabase for live dashboards and Google Sheets for trackers.
* Report simple, useful numbers to the team and directors.
* Trial small changes (layout, batching, kitting, checklists); lock in what works.
* Help spec light system tweaks and integrations; coordinate basic user testing.
* Communicate changes clearly and train the team.
What success looks like (your key numbers)
* Cards processed per day (steady, week on week).
* Turnaround times met by service tier.
* Low error/rework rates and clean hand-off logs.
* Reliable coverage and schedule adherence without excessive overtime.
What you'll bring
* Solid experience running production or operations in a quality-critical setting (e.g., print/fulfilment, electronics, light manufacturing, grading/collectibles, or similar).
* A track record of getting more work out on time without lowering standards.
* Calm, clear leadership on a busy floor; direct, fair communication.
* Confidence with Metabase, Google Sheets (lookups, pivots), and Slack.
* High integrity around secure handling of valuable items.
* Right to work in the UK; able to be on-site in Banbury, Mon–Fri.
(Nice to have but not required: basic health & safety training; experience with barcode/scanning workflows; interest in trading cards.)
What we offer
* £40,000–£50,000 salary (DOE).
* Clear impact and visibility with the directors.
* A growing company with room to progress.
How to apply
Send your CV and a short note describing one change you led that increased output and kept (or improved) quality. Include the baseline, what you changed, and the result.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £40,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
Work Location: In person