Production Manager in Stoke-on-Trent

Allied Bakeries are owned by Associated British Foods. ABF is a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group with sales of £20.1bn and 138,000 employees in 56 countries. Our sister companies in ABF UK Grocery produce products under many market‑leading household brands, including Jordans, Ryvita, Pataks, Blue Dragon & Silver Spoon. We are proud of our brands: we make top 10 UK grocery brand Kingsmill as well as Allinson’s and Sunblest.

The success of our business depends on us having the right people on the team. We are incredibly passionate about our business, but it isn’t for the faint‑hearted – it’s pacey and demanding so our people need to have a positive attitude and to want to work inclusively. We take massive pride in what we do, not least in how colleagues based in our bakeries and depots have one of the best safety performance records in the industry.

Our Grocery Service Centre, based near Liverpool, is a hub for transactional activity across multiple ABF companies within the ABF Grocery division. Supporting some of our well‑known brands such as Kingsmill, Pataks, Blue Dragon, Jordans, Ryvita and Silver Spoon, amongst others. We deliver Shared Service activities across a wide range of disciplines including Customer Services, Consumer Care, Finance, Payroll, HR and IS.

Overview Of Role

• Location: Newcastle-under-Lyme
• Place of Work: Allied Bakeries Stoke (full‑time on‑site role)
• Salary: Competitive
• Hours: Monday-Friday with flexibility to respond to operational incidents outside of normal working hours

We’re looking for a driven and experienced Production Manager to join our Manufacturing team at Allied Bakeries Stoke. This is a key leadership role where you’ll be responsible for delivering performance across Safety, Quality and Efficiency in a fast‑paced commercial bakery environment. You’ll lead from the front, developing high‑performing teams and driving continuous improvement to ensure operational excellence across your area of responsibility.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading your area with a strong “Safety First” mindset, ensuring a safe, compliant and high‑performing environment.
• Setting consistently high standards through visible leadership, providing clear direction, coaching and support to your team.
• Taking full ownership of manufacturing performance, delivering against production, quality and cost targets.
• Championing a culture of continuous improvement, challenging ways of working to enhance performance.
• Planning proactively to ensure operational resilience, using data and performance insights to drive targeted improvements.
• Leading the delivery of site and national projects, ensuring successful implementation and ownership.
• Developing capability within your team, supporting succession planning and building a strong talent pipeline.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven leadership experience in a fast‑paced, results‑driven manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of production operations, hygiene standards and food safety principles.
• A track record of improving performance, efficiency and operational outcomes.
• The ability to engage, motivate and develop high‑performing teams.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability, with a data‑led approach to decision making.
• The ability to build credibility and influence at all levels of the business.
• A proactive, resilient mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and leading change.
• Experience managing projects or delivering operational improvements is advantageous.

Benefits

• 33 days annual leave
• Up to 10% employer pension contribution
• Private healthcare and healthcare cash plan
• Ongoing leadership development, mentoring and career progression opportunities
• Retail discounts across a wide range of brands
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme