Production Manager in Morecambe

Sonaspection International Ltd is seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead and coordinate production activities within a small, specialist welding and manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will take ownership of production processes from goods inward through to final inspection, ensuring products are manufactured safely, efficiently, on time, and to the high quality standards expected of the company.

This is a hands-on leadership role suited to someone who combines strong technical manufacturing knowledge with a practical, team-focused management style. The Production Manager will work closely with Quality Assurance, NDT, Finance, Workshop, and senior leadership to maintain operational discipline, improve processes, and support a positive, accountable team culture.

Key responsibilities

• Own and manage the production process from goods inward, material availability, work preparation, welding/fabrication activities, testing, finishing, and final inspection.
• Create, maintain, and communicate practical production plans that align customer requirements, capacity, materials, labour availability, quality requirements, and delivery commitments.
• Monitor production progress daily, identify constraints, and take timely action to protect safety, quality, cost, and delivery performance.
• Work closely with Quality Assurance to ensure manufacturing standards, inspection requirements, traceability, documentation, and non-conformance processes are consistently followed.
• Ensure product quality is befitting of Sonaspection International Ltd’s reputation and that final output meets customer, regulatory, and internal standards.
• Lead, support, and develop production staff, including setting expectations, monitoring behaviour, addressing conduct or performance issues, and identifying training and development needs.
• Track labour utilisation, attendance, overtime, productivity, and resource deployment to ensure efficient use of people and skills.
• Promote a strong team ethic across production, encouraging collaboration, accountability, pride in workmanship, and open communication.
• Apply lean manufacturing principles, 5S, continuous improvement, and Six Sigma methods to reduce waste, improve workflow, strengthen process control, and increase productivity.
• Maintain production KPIs and routine reporting, including output, quality performance, rework, labour efficiency, downtime, schedule adherence, and improvement actions.
• Support root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventative actions relating to production issues, quality concerns, late deliveries, and process failures.
• Ensure production areas remain safe, organised, audit-ready, and compliant with company procedures, health and safety expectations, and applicable UK legislation.
• Coordinate with Stores, Purchasing, Engineering, QA, and leadership to resolve material, technical, resource, or process issues that could affect production performance.
• Contribute to recruitment, onboarding, training, skills-matrix development, succession planning, and workforce capability improvement.
• Recommend improvements to systems, documentation, tooling, equipment, layout, planning methods, and reporting processes.

Essential experience and skills

• Proven experience in a Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Production Supervisor, or similar leadership role within welding, fabrication, engineering, manufacturing, or another technical industrial environment.
• Strong understanding of end-to-end production flow, including goods inward, stores/material control, production planning, labour allocation, in-process checks, final inspection, and despatch readiness.
• Experience creating and managing production plans, schedules, resource plans, and daily/weekly production priorities.
• Demonstrable experience of lean working, continuous improvement, 5S, and ideally Six Sigma tools or methodology.
• Confident people manager with experience of leading staff, monitoring attendance and behaviour, managing performance, coaching employees, and identifying development needs.
• Ability to interpret production data, labour tracking information, quality reports, and operational KPIs to drive practical improvements.
• Strong working knowledge of quality assurance requirements, inspection discipline, traceability, non-conformance control, and corrective action processes.
• Good understanding of health, safety, and environmental responsibilities in a manufacturing setting.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively between shop-floor teams, quality, stores, engineering, purchasing, and senior management.
• Organised, structured, and resilient, with the ability to prioritise competing demands in a small-company environment.
• Computer literacy, including confident use of Microsoft Office and production, ERP, MRP, or planning systems where applicable.
• Must already possess the right to work in the UK.

Desirable qualifications and experience

• Formal qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Fabrication/Welding, Operations Management, or a related discipline.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent continuous improvement training.
• Experience working to ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems.
• Knowledge of welding standards, fabrication processes, NDT, specialist inspection, or technically controlled manufacturing environments.
• Experience implementing labour tracking, skills matrices, cross-training plans, capacity planning, or production planning tools.
• Experience supporting audits, customer visits, supplier quality discussions, or technical production reviews.

Personal attributes

• Strong team ethic and willingness to work collaboratively within a small specialist business.
• Hands-on, visible leadership style with the credibility to lead experienced production personnel.
• High standards of workmanship, discipline, housekeeping, safety, and quality.
• Calm, practical problem-solver who can make sound decisions under pressure.
• Commercially aware, with an understanding of how production performance affects customer service, margin, reputation, and business growth.
• Committed to continuous improvement and developing people as well as processes.

Location and Working Arrangements

The role is based at Sonaspection International Ltd in Morecambe, UK. The ideal candidate will live within approximately 30 minutes’ commuting distance of the site; however, candidates from further afield will be considered where they can demonstrate reliable attendance and commitment to the role.

The role reports to the COO.

Usual working hours are Monday to Thursday, 7:00am to 4:30pm, and Friday, 7:00am to 11:00am. Working times may need to be adapted depending on business demand, and some overtime may be required during particularly busy periods.

Salary and benefits

£45,000 to £50,000 basic salary, dependent on experience.

• Performance-based bonus scheme, linked to agreed production, quality, delivery, safety, labour efficiency, and continuous improvement objectives.
• 10% matched company pension scheme.
• Life insurance.
• Medical cashback scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Competitive wider benefits package.
• Opportunity to play a key operational leadership role in a specialist, quality-led welding and manufacturing business with a strong team culture.