VACANCY
Role: PRODUCTION MANAGER
Location: Kettering, UK
Salary: up to £50,000.00 per annum DOE
Hours: 37.5 hrs per weekRef:07/26
About Us
In 1919, SATRA began setting standards and advancing technology for Britains Shoe Manufacturing Industry, this included the manufacture of physical testing machinery used for both quality control and product development.
Today, our Test Equipment Division proudly manufactures a wide range of testing machinery here in Kettering which is exported worldwide and trusted by global supply chains.
About The Role
The Production Manager is responsible for the end-to-end coordination of production activities. This role will oversee operational delivery across buying, design, production, warehousing and quality, ensuring customer commitments are met on time, to expected quality levels, and within margin expectations.
This is a hands-on leadership role requiring a strong engineering background, sound production management experience, and growing commercial awareness.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Delivery & Planning
Own and improve end-to-end delivery performance from order acceptance through to shipment, installation, commissioning and service.
Lead integrated planning across engineering, production, servicing and buying, ensuring priorities, capacity and risks are visible.
Production & Service Oversight
Manage and support team leaders responsible for:
Mechanical, electrical and software/firmware design.
Mechanical production and assembly
Electrical production, calibration and commissioning
Global service and technical support
Warehousing & order fulfilment
Ensure production, calibration and service activities follow agreed processes and quality standards.
Ensure clear logging and escalation of design, production, supplier or parts defects.
Commercial & Margin Awareness
Achieve financial objectives through operational decision-making and close working with sales and logistics teams.
Reduce avoidable cost leakage through improved planning, sourcing feedback, internal manufacture vs subcontract decisions, and service charging clarity.
Work closely with direct report and senior leadership to help shape and deliver upon the divisions commercial strategy.
Customer & Market Engagement
Support development of service offerings, training, upgrades and aftermarket opportunities.
Contribute operational and technical input into marketing materials, product positioning and business development activity.
Support sales and logistics teams to resolve product or service-related customer complaints swiftly.
Leadership & Team Development
Communicate clearly and professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
Lead, coach and develop team leaders, improving planning discipline, accountability and confidence.
Encourage a commercially aware, customer-focused culture across production and service teams.
Support skills development, training records and succession planning.
Continuous Improvement & Governance
Work with the divisional manager to drive strategic product development aimed at gaining and/or maintaining a competitive advantage throughout the range.
Improve consistency of operational processes without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
Ensure feedback loops exist between sales, production, service, engineering, buying and quality.
S upport audit readiness for CE/UKCA and UKAS calibration-related activities.
About you
Personal attributes
Practical, grounded and delivery focused.
Comfortable balancing technical, commercial and people demands.
Calm under pressure and able to prioritise.
Willing to challenge constructively and improve ways of working
Strong IT skills with an innate interest in keeping abreast of modern technology.
Longer term ambition to grow into broader operational leadership.
A confident communicator capable of addressing and presenting to the internal and external audiences.
Essential competencies/experience
A qualified mechanical and/or electrical engineer.
5+ years experience within a senior leadership role.
Experience leading both design and production teams.
Strong planning, coordination and problem-solving skills.
Commercial awareness (cost, margin, customer impact).
Experience managing and using ERP systems.
Comfortable working in a low-volume, high-value manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of European and/or international machinery regulations.
UK-based with right to work in the UK.
Desirable competencies/experience
Experience using Business Central ERP.
Exposure to profit and loss accounts.
Experience with machine learning and IoT.
Experience in the manufacture of high precision capital equipment.
Involvement in business development and/or product marketing
Benefits Include Staff benefits include 25 30 days (service related) annual leave; life assurance; a group personal pension plan; income protection; free parking; flexible working hours, potential for global travel.
Closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 6 th June 2026
1 st Stage Teams interviews will take place 16 th June
2 nd Stage in person interviews will take place 24 th June
TPBN1_UKTJ