We are recruiting a Production Manager for a well-established, premium food manufacturing business operating in a high-care environment.
This is a hands-on, operational leadership role for someone who enjoys being close to production, setting standards on the shop floor, and taking real ownership of quality, hygiene, and people leadership.
The role
You will have end-to-end responsibility for day-to-day production, with accountability for:
* Consistently high product quality
* Exemplary hygiene and food safety standards
* Leading and developing a small, experienced production team
This is a lean, high-standards operation with no layers of management to hide behind. Success in the role depends as much on judgement, behaviour, and adaptability as it does on technical competence.
You will work closely with the Managing Director and key support functions, with clear authority to set and enforce standards.
Operating environment
* High-care dairy and packing environment
* Retailer-driven pace and expectations
* Fast-paced and sometimes pressurised, particularly around quality, hygiene, and people management
This role suits someone comfortable being visible and accountable, rather than working within rigid structures or narrow job scopes.
Key responsibilities
Production, Quality & Hygiene
* Full accountability for production quality
* Maintain exceptional hygiene standards across operations
* Ensure compliance with HACCP, ISO, and internal quality systems
* Participate in regular product tastings to monitor and challenge quality
Food Safety & Technical Interface
* Work closely with QA / Technical to meet microbiological standards
* Ensure records are accurate, complete, and audit-ready
* Promote a strong food safety culture, not just compliance
* Lead and develop a small, hands-on production team
* Set and enforce behavioural and performance standards
* Address discipline, consistency, and shop-floor behaviours
* Develop supervisors and support workforce structure and pay reviews
Health & Safety
* Act as Safety Officer
* Promote and enforce health & safety standards across the site
* Drive productivity with minimal waste
* Manage utilities sensibly, without compromising quality
Working pattern
* Typical day: approximately 6:30am – 3:30pm
* Flexibility required for early starts, occasional longer days, and weekend cover when needed
This is not a rigid shift role — adaptability is essential.
About you
You are likely to be:
* A Production or Operations Manager from high-care food, or quality-critical FMCG
* Comfortable leading small teams in pressurised environments
* Practical, grounded, and credible on the shop floor
* Calm under pressure; firm but fair with people
* Confident in managing experienced operators
What won’t work
This role is not suited to:
* Highly corporate or policy-heavy managers
* Hands-off, office-based leadership styles
* Individuals who require rigid structures or layers of approval
What success looks like
* Production runs smoothly and predictably
* Hygiene audits and quality checks are consistently strong
* Fewer people-related escalations
* Standards are enforced without drama
* Senior leadership is not pulled into day-to-day production firefighting
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