Production Manager

Salmo Salar Ltd is a leading producer of premium smoked salmon, renowned for our commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation. We take pride in our artisanal approach and state-of-the-art facilities, ensuring that every product meets the highest standards of taste and excellence. As we continue to expand, we are seeking a dedicated and experienced Production Manager to join our team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in food manufacturing, excellent leadership skills, and a passion for maintaining the highest quality standards.

As the Production Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of our smoked salmon production operations. You will ensure that production runs efficiently, safely, and to the highest quality standards, while leading and developing the production team to deliver consistent output against plan. This is a hands-on leadership role, focused on operational delivery, people management, and continuous improvement within the production function. You will also maintain a flexible approach to the Factory/Production Manager's role and provide suitable cover as and when required for other remits.

Key Responsibilities

• Production Operations: Manage daily production activities within the smoked salmon facility. Ensure production plans and schedules are achieved while maintaining quality, food safety, and efficiency. Monitor performance against agreed KPIs, including output, yield, downtime, and labour efficiency. Maintain a visible, hands-on presence on the production floor.
• Quality & Food Safety: Ensure all production activities comply with internal quality standards and food safety requirements. Work closely with the quality assurance team to investigate and address any issues and implement corrective actions. Promote a strong food safety and quality culture across the production team.
• Team Leadership & People Management: Lead, motivate, and develop production operatives and supervisors. Ensure appropriate staffing levels, training, and skill development within the team. Conduct performance reviews, provide regular feedback, and manage performance issues in line with company procedures. Foster a positive, engaged, and safety-focused working environment.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, reduce waste, and improve consistency. Support and implement process improvements using Lean Manufacturing or similar continuous improvement approaches. Encourage team involvement in improvement initiatives.
• Cost & Resource Management: Monitor labour, material usage, and production costs within agreed budgets. Support initiatives aimed at improving yield, reducing waste, and improving overall cost efficiency.
• Reporting & Communication: Provide regular updates on production performance, issues, and improvement actions. Escalate operational risks or constraints in a timely and solution-focused manner.
• Compliance and Safety: Ensure compliance with all health, safety, hygiene, and environmental standards within production. Promote safe working practices and ensure procedures are followed at all times. Support audits and inspections as required.

Qualifications

• Proven experience (minimum 5 years) in a Production Manager or similar role within a food manufacturing environment (seafood experience desirable but not essential).
• Strong knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and other food safety standards.
• Demonstrated experience managing production teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.
• Confident communicator with the ability to engage and influence at all levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
• A supportive and collaborative work environment.
• The chance to be part of a company committed to sustainability and quality.

If you are passionate about the food industry and have the skills and experience to excel in this role, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your resume and a cover letter detailing your relevant experience and why you are the ideal candidate for the position to us. Salmo Salar Ltd is an equal opportunity employer and embraces diversity and inclusion in our workforce. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We appreciate your interest in joining our company, and we look forward to reviewing your application. Please note, should you have not heard from us within 10 working days of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful at this time. Due to high levels of applications we are unable to provide individual feedback to candidates.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent Benefits: Free parking, On-site parking Ability to commute/relocate: Bellshill ML4 3LX: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required) Experience: Food Production Scheduling: 3 years (required), Food Production Management: 3 years (required) Work authorisation: United Kingdom (required) Work Location: In person