Production Supervisor - Manufacturing in Oldham

An established manufacturing business in Oldham is seeking a hands-on Production Supervisor to lead a medium-sized shop-floor team of 15+ employees within a busy production department. The department is responsible for the production, assembly, finishing and packing of a range of metal components and manufactured products.

This role will suit an experienced people leader and practical problem solver who can bring structure to daily production, communicate clear expectations and respond quickly to bottlenecks, quality issues and changing priorities. You will take responsibility for the daily production plan, labour allocation, team performance and the consistent achievement of safety, quality and output standards. The business already has elements of 5S, lean manufacturing and continuous improvement in place. You will work closely with an improvement-focused management team to strengthen these practices and improve overall departmental performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop a shop-floor team of 15+ production employees.
• Ensure a clear production plan is in place at the start of each shift and communicate priorities through daily team briefings.
• Allocate labour across different production processes to maintain workflow and achieve output targets.
• Monitor production throughout the day, identifying bottlenecks, delays, shortages and resource issues.
• Take prompt action when production falls behind plan, including reorganising labour and priorities where required.
• Ensure materials, components, consumables, machinery and equipment are available to support the production schedule.
• Maintain safety, quality, housekeeping and workplace organisation standards across the department.
• Complete accurate end-of-shift reporting covering output, production issues, quality concerns and safety matters.
• Support 5S, lean manufacturing, cross-training and continuous improvement activity.
• Develop team capability through skills matrices, coaching, one-to-ones and performance discussions.

About You

You will be a confident and resilient shop-floor leader who is comfortable managing a medium-sized production team within a busy manufacturing environment. You will need to build credibility with the workforce, communicate clearly and maintain consistent standards across employees with different levels of experience, capability and motivation. You should also be a practical problem solver who can identify production issues, make sound decisions and adjust labour or priorities when required.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience within manufacturing, engineering or a similar production environment.
• Experience leading a medium-sized shop-floor team.
• Strong people-management, communication and production-planning skills.
• The confidence to run daily briefings, set expectations and challenge poor standards appropriately.
• Experience allocating labour and responding to changing production priorities.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks.
• Experience monitoring production output, quality, safety and performance.
• A practical, visible leadership style and a genuine interest in continuous improvement.
• Basic computer skills, including email and production reporting.
• Flexibility around start and finish times when operational requirements demand it.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within metal processing, fabrication, engineering, machining, assembly, finishing or packing would be advantageous.
• Exposure to 5S, lean manufacturing, skills matrices, cross-training, visual management or employee performance management would also be beneficial.
• Direct experience of the company’s specific manufacturing processes is not essential. Strong production leadership, communication and problem-solving skills are more important, provided you are willing to learn the operation.

Working Environment

This is a visible, shop-floor-based role within a busy industrial manufacturing environment. The operation involves active machinery, metal components, oils and production materials. Candidates must be comfortable working in a practical environment and maintaining clear expectations around safety, housekeeping and performance. This role would not suit someone seeking a predominantly office-based supervisory position.

Why Apply?

This is an opportunity to take ownership of an established manufacturing department and make a visible difference. You will have the support of an improvement-focused management team and the opportunity to strengthen daily production control, develop the workforce and help create a more stable, organised and efficient operation.