Production Manager in Cheltenham

Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire

We are looking for an experienced and proactive Production Manager to lead our Assembly facility, ensuring the delivery of high‑quality performance, output and engagement. This role plays a key part in achieving our business goals for profitable growth, customer service excellence, safety, and employee engagement. You will drive operational effectiveness, lead continuous improvement activities, and identify opportunities to enhance efficiency, cost performance and quality across the site.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Performance Management
  • Provide strong leadership to Production Coordinators and assembly teams, aligned to the company’s Core Values.
  • Drive down scrap, defects and poor quality outflow to customers.
  • Lead performance management activities including appraisals, coaching, capability development and managing poor performance.
  • Deliver effective shift communication, including briefings and handovers across shifts.
• Operational Delivery
  • Lead and manage daily operations to ensure targets for performance, output, safety and quality are consistently met.
  • Implement and maintain visual management and standardised ways of working.
  • Work with Production Coordinators to manage labour, capacity, and resources effectively.
  • Contribute to plant forward planning and budgeting, including production, staffing and output requirements.
• Continuous Improvement
  • Lead and support continuous improvement activities using 5S, lean manufacturing and other CI tools.
  • Identify, plan and implement cost, efficiency and quality improvements.
  • Support site projects, improvement programmes and long‑term initiatives aligned to business growth.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Engage with other Production Managers and functions such as Engineering, Planning, Maintenance, HSE and HR to ensure smooth operations across UK Supply.
  • Provide reports and management information in line with key performance indicators.
• Safety, Environment & Wellbeing
  • Ensure the highest standards of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) are maintained at all times.
  • Conduct regular H&S tours, audits and support incident investigations.
  • Manage the wellbeing and safety of all team members in the Assembly facility.
  • Ensure compliance with site HSE policies, procedures and best practice.

Experience & Qualifications

• Proven experience managing a team in a manufacturing or production environment.
• Strong people leadership and team‑management skills.
• Experience in assembly output and capacity management.
• Working knowledge of Continuous Improvement tools and methodologies.
• Completed a recognised apprenticeship or equivalent technical qualification.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience implementing lean manufacturing or similar CI frameworks.
• Background in a high‑volume or complex assembly environment.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence and engage at all levels.
• Excellent relationship‑building and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Strong organisational and time‑management abilities with the capability to manage competing priorities.
• Good numerical, analytical and verbal reasoning skills.
• Ability to deliver structure, consistency and high‑quality operational standards.

Benefits

You will receive a competitive salary (and a discretionary bonus), flexible working and excellent benefits including 27 days holiday allowance (before bank holidays), 3 days paid volunteering leave, comprehensive private healthcare, enhanced pension plan, life assurance, optional participation in a Share Ownership Plan, free onsite parking, flexible benefits, and access to a personal discounts portal. We also offer a range of additional support and benefits through our Everyone is Included Group Inclusion Plan. We are also a Disability Confident Committed Employer.