General Manager in Leeds

Our client is a specialist manufacturing operation operating as part of a wider international group active across food, nutraceutical, agri-feed and fermentation-based biotechnology. The UK operation provides contract manufacturing services to food and ingredient customers, supporting the processing of fermentation-derived and functional materials for downstream integration into finished products. The site is supported by a broader global network with access to significant processing and production capability and plays a critical role within the group’s value chain.

This is a senior, site-based leadership role combining hands-on manufacturing leadership with full site general management responsibility. The business is entering an important phase following the installation and commissioning of a new high-capacity machine, and requires a strong operational leader to stabilise, optimise, and scale the manufacturing operation. The role has full accountability for site performance and is suited to an engineering-led manufacturing leader who is comfortable operating close to the equipment, the people, and the processes. While the title is Manufacturing Manager, the scope is effectively that of a General Manager for the site.

Responsibilities

• Full responsibility for day-to-day manufacturing operations.
• Overall site leadership, including responsibility for safety, quality, delivery, cost, and output.
• Hands-on ownership of production engineering activities, with a strong focus on overall operation, fault-finding, and optimisation.
• Lead the commissioning, bedding-in, and ongoing optimisation of a newly installed high-capacity machine.
• Manage and develop a workforce of approximately 30 staff, including supervisors and engineering resources.
• Direct involvement in electrical and/or mechanical troubleshooting within a highly automated, computer-controlled manufacturing environment.
• Oversight of preventative maintenance, reliability, and uptime across all assets.
• Ensure compliance with relevant food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Work closely with customers and internal stakeholders to plan production, manage changeovers, and meet delivery requirements.
• Ownership of site KPIs and continuous improvement initiatives focused on yield, throughput, and operational efficiency.
• Budgetary responsibility for the site, including operational cost control and capital project input.
• Act as the senior site representative with customers, auditors, suppliers and external stakeholders as required.
• Provide oversight of site utilities, consumables and key operational contracts to support safe, efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Oversee production scheduling, materials flow and dispatch activities to ensure customer requirements are met.
• Provide clear, timely reporting to group leadership/board level on site performance, risks and priorities.
• Oversight of staffing, training and performance management to ensure the site is resourced and standards are maintained.
• Ensure customer and compliance audits are managed professionally and corrective actions are closed out effectively.

Candidate Requirements

• Mechanical or Electrical Engineering background (Electrical bias particularly valuable).
• Proven experience in a manufacturing leadership role within a technically complex, automated production environment.
• Strong hands-on capability in fault-finding and problem-solving on industrial equipment; comfortable working directly with PLC-driven and computer-controlled systems.
• Experience commissioning, scaling, or stabilising new process equipment in a live manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage production teams in a pragmatic, floor-level manner.
• Comfortable taking full ownership of site performance and decision-making.
• Experience in food manufacturing is advantageous.
• NEBOSH or IOSH health and safety qualification (or equivalent experience).
• Level 2 or Level 3 Food Safety and HACCP knowledge.

Remuneration

Salary for this role is in the range of £60,000–£70,000 per year. Additional benefits include pension contributions and a supportive company culture that values work-life balance.