Production Manager (Bakery)

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. Overseeing a 2-shift operation, 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.