Production Manager in Bury

Cranswick Country Foods PLC is a FTSE 250 listed British food company with a strong record of growth and significant investment of over £125m in the last five years to maintain industry leadership. The business supplies the UK’s top retailers, restaurants, and food-to-go chains with a wide range of products, including fresh pork, gourmet sausages, cooked meats, air-dried bacon, sandwiches, savoury pastries, and continental deli items. Cranswick works closely with customers while also offering its own-brand products, emphasizing quality, innovation, and reliability. The company focuses on developing a multi-skilled, motivated, and empowered people and supports career progression through structured development opportunities.

Role Description: This is an on-site Production Manager role where you will oversee daily factory operations for your area, ensuring that production plans are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the required quality standards. Responsibilities include managing and coordinating production teams, monitoring line performance, and resolving issues that affect output, food safety, or product quality. The role will involve collaborating closely with technical, planning, engineering, and warehouse teams to optimize throughput, minimise waste, and maintain compliance with company and regulatory requirements. The Production Manager will also be expected to lead continuous improvement initiatives, support colleague training and development, and maintain a strong focus on health, safety, and hygiene on the production floor.

Qualifications:

• Experience in production or operations management within food manufacturing or a similar fast-paced FMCG environment, with a solid understanding of end-to-end factory processes.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills, including the ability to coordinate teams across shifts, motivate colleagues, manage performance, and support training and development.
• Good knowledge of food safety, quality, and compliance standards (e.g., HACCP, BRC, customer audits), with the ability to embed and maintain high hygiene and safety practices.
• Competence in planning, problem-solving, and decision-making, including experience managing KPIs, reducing waste, improving efficiency, and responding quickly to operational issues.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work closely with cross-functional teams such as Technical, Engineering, Planning, and Supply Chain.
• Comfort using production and reporting systems and strong numerical and analytical skills to interpret data and drive improvements.
• Flexibility to work shift patterns or extended hours if required to support operational needs, and a proactive, hands-on approach on the production floor.
• Relevant qualification in a related field (e.g., Food Science, Engineering, Operations Management, or equivalent experience) is beneficial.