Production Manager

Escape

Production Manager

Production / Manufacturing Facility
Market Leading Salary Package
Monday-Friday – Day ShiftAbout the role

Lead production across our clients operations, reporting directly to the Plant Manager. You'll manage a large, established team of around 60 people, with responsibility for a 24/7 process environment where safety, quality, and operational performance are critical.

This is a hands-on leadership role focused on delivering safe, reliable output while building a collaborative culture – leading through influence. You'll work closely with Maintenance and other stakeholders, take ownership of cost control and play a key part in their sustainability journey – one of the site's top priorities alongside safety.

Responsibilities

Lead the day-to-day production and packing plant operations, ensuring safe, consistent 24/7 performance through effective leadership and handover routines
Manage and develop a team of up to 60 employees, including direct leadership of Production Coordinators, a Production Engineer, and an Administrator
Champion a positive, collaborative site culture – handling difficult conversations and decisions while avoiding overly directive, "bang the table" leadership styles.
Drive a proactive safety culture across high-risk operations (e.g., high temperatures, chemical hazards, confined spaces), ensuring standards are maintained at all times
Own key production performance outcomes, balancing output, quality, and efficiency in a process/chemical manufacturing environment where product quality is critical.
Lead the site's sustainability journey within production, identifying solutions and improvements as the business progresses toward lower CO2 impact operations
Plan and deliver the annual plant shutdown, ensuring safe execution, effective contractor management, cost control, and strong on-site leadership throughout the shutdown period
Manage fixed-cost budgets and contribute to variable cost control, ensuring robust financial discipline and reporting
Collaborate closely with maintenance and other functions to prioritise work, reduce operational risk, and support continuous improvement across the plant
Provide management-level decision-making and support out of hours when required to maintain safe, stable operations in a 24/7 manufacturing environmentRequirements

Must be from a heavy industry background such as steel, cement, chemical process plant.
Strong people-management capability, with experience leading large operational teams (c. 50+), including handling difficult conversations and decisions
Solid technical understanding of process/production operations where product quality and process control are critical
Strong safety mindset and experience managing higher-risk environments (e.g., high temperatures, chemical hazards, confined spaces)
Experience working cross-functionally with maintenance, engineering, and other stakeholders to maintain safe, reliable production
Track record of continuous improvement, with the ability to drive change in a collaborative, "team player" leadership style
Ability to support sustainability goals and contribute to an evolving sustainability journey within operations
Budget accountability experience, including fixed-cost control and contractor/contract management exposure (e.g., during shutdowns)
Comfortable being the key decision-maker when issues arise out of hours, in support of a 24/7 operationThis is a fantastic opportunity with a very well cultured business, If you are keen to hear more, please APPLY TODAY