Production Manager (Bakery) in London

Location: Llantrisant, RCT

Salary: Up to £60,000 + 33 days annual leave, pension and sick pay

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Shifts: 2-shift structure

Industry: Chilled Food Manufacturing (Bakery & Pastry)

Applicants must have savoury bakery experience in a production management position for at least 3+ years.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Bakery Production Manager to take full operational leadership of our chilled pastry and bakery manufacturing site. This role is responsible for delivering safe, efficient, compliant and high-performing production across four production lines, pastry manufacturing, cooking and meat preparation areas, ingredients storage, and ovens/baking.

This is a highly influential role requiring strong leadership, outstanding operational capability, and a track record of driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced, short-shelf-life food environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
  • Lead all bakery manufacturing areas including pastry production, filling & cooking, meat prep, ingredient storage, baking and four high-volume production lines.
  • Manage Shift Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders to ensure daily delivery of production plans safely and on time.
  • Oversee material flow, ensuring meat prep and cook room areas remain on plan to avoid delays.
  • Full responsibility for the Ovens area, product quality and baking profiles.
  • Manage labour planning, standards, crewing and agency usage, ensuring accurate cost control.
  • Drive strong GMP and technical compliance in partnership with Technical & QA teams.
• Performance & Continuous Improvement
  • Own and deliver performance metrics including OEE, line efficiency, yield, waste, labour productivity and downtime.
  • Identify and close performance gaps through structured continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Ensure accurate performance reporting and management of Redzone KPIs.
  • Champion right-first-time quality and production stability.
• Quality, Food Safety & GMP
  • Ensure compliance with BRCGS, HACCP and all food safety and legal requirements.
  • Embed exceptional GMP, hygiene and housekeeping standards across all areas.
  • Lead investigations, corrective actions and support customer audits and technical visits.
  • Work with Quality teams to reduce waste, improve standards and maintain audit-ready conditions.
• People Leadership
  • Build, coach and develop a high-performing production leadership team.
  • Manage performance, succession planning, capability development and engagement.
  • Lead all people processes including absence, holidays, training, discipline and grievances.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, involvement and pride.
• Cost & Resource Management
  • Control labour, materials, giveaway, rework and waste to meet budget requirements.
  • Work closely with Supply Chain and Planning to maximise raw material efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Engineering to improve reliability, maintenance and line performance.
  • Support NPD and Process teams with new launches and process changes.
  • Collaborate with Supply Chain, Planning, Technical and Quality teams to ensure seamless operations.
• Customer Service
  • Ensure production plans are achieved, and customer service levels are consistently met.
  • Escalate risks early, take corrective action and support the reduction of customer complaints.
• Health & Safety
  • Champion a safety-first culture with no compromise.
  • Ensure full compliance with site H&S policies for employees and contractors.
  • Investigate unsafe practices and ensure timely corrective actions.

Key Behaviours

• Highly self-motivated, enthusiastic and leads by example.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical ability.
• Strong attention to detail and resilience under pressure.
• Commercially aware with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Builds strong relationships and communicates effectively at all levels.
• Passionate about quality, safety and operational excellence.

Essential Experience

• Significant senior production management experience within chilled food manufacturing (ideally bakery/pastry).
• Strong background in high-volume, short-shelf-life environments.
• Proven experience improving OEE, yield, waste and line efficiency.
• Strong leadership capabilities across multi-area operations.
• Excellent knowledge of GMP, food safety and quality systems.
• Data-driven and confident in performance analysis and decision-making.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within complex environments including cooking, baking and raw meat handling.
• Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with major audits and customer-facing interactions.

Key Objectives

• Plan attainment: 95%+ on all shifts.
• OEE: 70% pure OEE / 80% non-pure OEE.
• Giveaway: Pastry waste: Reduction through improved process control.
• GMP: Strong standards and fewer non-conformances.
• Quality: Right-first-time manufacturing with zero defects.

You may have experience in the following: Bakery Production Manager, Food Production Manager, Pastry Production Manager, Savoury Bakery Manager, Chilled Food Manufacturing, Production Manager, Factory Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager.