Production Manager in Sheffield

Production Manager – Manufacturing Up to £45,000 per annum Full Time | Permanent 24 Days' Annual Leave + 8 Public Holidays | Life Assurance | Employee Discounts & Benefits We're recruiting a Production Manager for an established British manufacturing business with a long-standing reputation for quality, precision and attention to detail. This is not a high-volume, automated production environment. Our products rely on skilled people, hands-on processes and exceptional standards of workmanship – and we're looking for a Production Manager who understands how to get the very best from that kind of operation. You'll take responsibility for a standalone manufacturing site with accountability for everything from people, safety and quality through to capacity, output and delivery. It's a broad, hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys being close to the operation, knows what good production management looks like and takes real ownership when something isn't working as it should. The Role You will be the senior day-to-day operational lead for the site. Your job is straightforward in principle: keep people safe, maintain exceptional quality, develop a strong team and deliver the production plan. In practice, that means being highly visible across the operation. You'll understand what should be produced today, this week and this month; where capacity sits; where bottlenecks are developing; where quality is drifting; and where your people need support. You'll also recognise that output is only successful when the product is right. Quality and precision are fundamental to this role. You'll create an environment where standards are understood, processes are followed and problems are addressed at source rather than passed further down the line. What You'll Be Doing Lead, motivate and develop a manufacturing team. Take ownership of daily, weekly and monthly production performance, ensuring output and delivery targets are achieved. Plan resources and capacity effectively, ensuring the right skills and people are available to deliver the production plan. Maintain exceptional standards of quality, workmanship and skill set throughout the operation. Build a quality culture, reducing defects, waste and avoidable production issues. Ensure teams consistently work to agreed specifications, Standard Operating Procedures and quality standards. Take day-to-day ownership of Health & Safety, including inspections, near misses, incidents, risk assessments, corrective actions and safe working practices. Manage employee performance, appraisals, attendance, annual leave, training and development. Develop workforce capability through training, cross-skilling and succession planning. Monitor production KPIs, identify bottlenecks and take action when performance moves away from plan. Work closely with Quality and operational colleagues to understand root causes and resolve recurring production issues. Drive practical continuous improvement across safety, quality, productivity, flow and waste. Ensure machinery, equipment and working environments remain safe, maintained and fit for purpose. Provide clear visibility of site performance, capacity, risks and priorities to senior leadership. Work collaboratively across the wider business to ensure your operation delivers what the next stage of the manufacturing process needs, when it needs it. Who We're Looking For You don't need to come from our exact industry. What matters is that you understand skilled manufacturing and know how to lead people in an environment where quality, consistency and attention to detail are every bit as important as hitting the numbers. You'll ideally bring: Proven experience managing a production or manufacturing operation. Experience leading and developing a sizeable operational workforce. Strong understanding of production planning, capacity, resource management and workflow. A genuine passion for quality and experience maintaining high product or workmanship standards. Practical Health & Safety management experience within a manufacturing environment. Confidence managing performance, absence, training and employee development. Experience working with SOPs and structured manufacturing processes. The ability to use production data and KPIs to understand performance and drive action. Strong problem-solving skills and the confidence to tackle issues at their root cause. An understanding of continuous improvement, efficiency and waste reduction. Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with everyone from production operatives through to senior leadership. Experience within a hands-on, skilled, craft-led or quality-sensitive manufacturing environment would be particularly valuable. What Kind of Leader Are We Looking For? We're looking for someone who is visible, practical and accountable. Someone who spends time with their teams and understands what is happening on the production floor rather than managing solely through spreadsheets and reports. You'll set high standards, but you'll also coach and develop people to reach them. You'll be comfortable challenging poor performance or working practices while recognising and protecting the skill and experience that exists within a long-established manufacturing workforce. Above all, you'll understand that safety, quality and delivery aren't competing priorities. A successful operation has to achieve all three. What's On Offer? Salary up to £45,000 per annum 24 days' annual leave + 8 public holidays Life Assurance Access to employee wellbeing support Discounts across hundreds of retail, travel and leisure services Employee product discounts A permanent, full-time position The opportunity to take genuine ownership of a standalone manufacturing operation A highly visible role with direct exposure to senior leadership Ready to Take Ownership? If you're an experienced Production Manager – or an ambitious manufacturing leader ready to take the next step – and you enjoy leading people in an environment where quality and unique skills genuinely matter, we'd like to hear from you. Apply today for a confidential conversation.
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