Production Manager

Production Manager – Birmingham

Salary: £58,000 – £68,000 plus bonus

Location: Birmingham, with easy access to the M6, M5 and M42

Contract: Permanent, full-time

A respected, privately owned manufacturer in the Birmingham area is looking for a Production Manager to take full responsibility for its production operation. As a private business, it offers the chance to make decisions quickly and see the results of your work directly. You'll lead a team of Supervisors and Shift Managers and have a genuine say in the direction of the business.

The role

• Take full responsibility for the production function, including budget, headcount, output and overall performance, with real accountability for the results.
• Lead a team of Supervisors and Shift Managers across multiple lines or cells, setting clear objectives and holding the team to account for delivering them.
• Own the production plan and make sure customer commitments are met on time, in full and to the right quality standard.
• Work closely with Planning, Quality, Maintenance and Sales to balance demand, capacity and resources, and to resolve issues before they reach the customer.
• Deliver measurable productivity gains, cost reductions and waste elimination, using data and structured improvement methods to prioritise the biggest opportunities.
• Manage the production budget, monitoring spend against plan and taking early action to address variances.
• Plan and manage resources, including labour, overtime, skills and shift cover, so that the operation is staffed and ready to meet changing demand.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, ISO standards and customer audits, and keep the site audit-ready at all times.
• Build a culture of accountability, engagement and continuous improvement, where people take ownership and ideas from the floor are encouraged and acted upon.
• Develop and coach your managers and supervisors, building succession and a strong leadership bench within the production team.
• Report on production KPIs to the senior leadership team, giving clear, honest updates on performance, risks and improvement plans.
• Contribute to the wider business strategy, including investment decisions, capacity planning and the long-term direction of the operation.
• Be a visible presence on the shop floor, staying close to the operation and to the people who run it.

About you

• Significant senior production management experience in a manufacturing or engineering environment, with accountability for a full production operation.
• Proven experience of leading Supervisors and Shift Managers, ideally across multiple lines, cells or shifts.
• A track record of delivering continuous improvement and measurable results, such as improved OEE, reduced waste, lower costs or better on-time delivery.
• Commercially aware, with a sound understanding of budgets, margins and the link between operational performance and business results.
• Strong communication skills at every level, from operators on the shop floor to directors and customers.
• A visible, hands-on leader who is equally comfortable on the shop floor and in the boardroom.
• Experience of working with Planning, Quality, Maintenance and Sales to resolve conflicting priorities and keep customers supplied.
• Confident using KPIs, root cause analysis and structured problem solving to make decisions and drive action.
• A strong working knowledge of health and safety, ISO standards and customer audit requirements.
• Comfortable operating in a privately owned business, with the pace, ownership and decision-making that comes with it.
• Resilient and decisive, able to stay calm under pressure and to make sound judgement calls when it matters.
• A natural developer of people, with experience of building teams, creating accountability and growing future leaders.
• Degree-qualified or equivalent experience.
• A Lean or Six Sigma qualification is desirable, as is a recognised leadership or management qualification.

What's on offer

• Annual bonus
• Company pension
• Private healthcare
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays
• Genuine influence on the business strategy