Production Manager

Production Manager – Food Manufacturing
Location: Wakefield
Salary: £50,000

Our client, a forward-thinking and modern food manufacturing business, is looking to appoint a Production Stream Manager to lead a key area of their operation. This is a fantastic opportunity to join an innovative organisation focused on performance, people development, and continuous improvement.

The Role

As Production Stream Manager, you will take full ownership of a manufacturing stream, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable production. You will lead a team of Group Leaders and play a key role in delivering operational strategy, driving performance, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement across the site.

This role will also involve occasional travel to other UK and Ireland locations.

Key Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety legislation and site standards
• Promote a strong safety-first culture across the operation
• Maintain compliance with food safety standards (HACCP, BRC) and support audits

Operational Performance

• Oversee daily production activities to deliver plans and achieve KPIs (OEE, yield, downtime, waste)
• Lead performance reviews and drive actions from data and loss analysis
• Optimise use of labour, materials, and equipment
• Resolve operational issues quickly to minimise downtime

Quality & Food Safety

• Ensure adherence to SOPs, CCPs, and quality procedures
• Manage quality investigations and corrective actions
• Maintain high standards of hygiene and sanitation

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop Group Leaders
• Drive engagement, performance management, and succession planning
• Build capability across the production team

Continuous Improvement

• Lead CI initiatives using lean tools such as 5S, RCA, Kaizen, and SMED
• Identify and deliver efficiency and cost-saving opportunities
• Ensure all processes and documentation remain current and effective

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with planning, engineering, technical, and NPI teams
• Support new product introduction and process improvements
• Align production activity with wider supply chain plans

Candidate Requirements

Essential

Experience within a food or FMCG manufacturing environment

Proven leadership experience in an operational setting

Strong understanding of OEE, lean manufacturing, and performance management

Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, and food safety standards

Strong communication and problem-solving skills

Desirable

• IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent
• Experience leading continuous improvement projects
• IT literacy (ERP systems, Microsoft Office)

What’s On Offer

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Healthcare plan

Matched pension scheme

Retail discounts and benefits platform

Career progression within a modern and growing business

About the Company

Our client is a progressive food manufacturing business known for its innovation, quality, and sustainable approach. They foster a collaborative and inclusive environment, where employees are empowered to grow, develop, and make a real impact.