Job Description
Plant Manager
Northwood Consuma Products – High Volume Tissue Manufacturing
Based: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire £excellent package + relocation
Northwood is an entrepreneurial, highly acquisitive family-owned UK based manufacturing operation producing professional paper hygiene products. Fully vertically integrated, they are a leading partner of choice for an impressive customer base, with a diverse product portfolio across professional wiping, commodity, consumer paper and private label. Northwood’s success in innovation and developing new markets has resulted in profitable volume growth, which is set to continue.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Plant Manager to join Northwood Consuma at their site in Ellesmere Port, which manufactures and supplies major UK Retailers with tissue products. The plant has undergone major investment and currently employs c70 people, operating 24/7, although this is likely to increase following successful sales growth.
A talented, ambitious, and inspirational Plant Manager will assume operational P&L responsibility for this complex, high-volume plant, delivering business objectives focused on volume growth and profit, whilst ensuring unrivalled levels of safety and operational performance in line with the ‘One Northwood’ principles. They will be instrumental in mentoring, developing and providing leadership to a team across Manufacturing, Health & Safety, Quality, Continuous Improvement and Engineering with a broad remit which will include:
* Driving operational strategy to ensure continual volume growth is achieved, and customer expectations are exceeded.
* Leading, engaging, and inspiring the workforce to ensure health, wellbeing and safety are at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
* Identifying opportunities for training and development, driving inclusive team working and an open and empowered culture.
* Driving operational excellence, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement across areas such as Safety, Quality and Productivity (OEE).
* Helping to ensure the site achieves required profitability by exceeding annual targets, showing year on year improvement.
* Developing relationships and creating a ‘partnership’ approach with broader site and Group functions to ensure business objectives are met.
Degree calibre, candidates will have a proven operational/manufacturing plant/site management background gained in a high volume, complex manufacturing environment e.g. packaging, plastics, paper, FMCG etc. You will be capable of delivering rapid and effective change management, with practical experience of utilising and driving continuous improvement tools and techniques.
An accomplished leader with a hands-on approach, and excellent communication skills, you will demonstrate agility, energy and enthusiasm achieving success through inspiring teams to engage and contribute.
All applications and contact from third parties must be made via our retained Recruitment Partner – SP Executive Recruitment Ltd. To apply please send your CV with current salary details quoting ref: SP2662. Applicants must hold a working visa for the UK.
If you have not been invited for interview within 7 days after the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. Closing date: 20th March 2026.