Senior Production Manager

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead a historic, family‑owned bakery business in Manchester. You will own end‑to‑end production responsibility, working directly with the owners to drive quality, efficiency and growth.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate production and packaging operations across multiple lines to meet quality and output targets.
• Plan and deliver production schedules aligned with demand, resources and maintenance requirements.
• Implement continuous‑improvement initiatives to boost efficiency, reduce waste and enhance performance.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, hygiene and health & safety standards.
• Manage a team of approximately 40 staff, fostering engagement, development and high performance.

Required profile

• 8+ years of production or manufacturing leadership experience in food manufacturing.
• Proven track record of delivering results through lean, continuous‑improvement and TPM projects.
• Strong understanding of food‑safety regulations, audits and compliance frameworks.
• Effective leadership skills with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Experience in the bakery sector is advantageous.

Required skills

• Lean Manufacturing
• Continuous Improvement
• Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OOE)
• Yield improvement
• Food Safety compliance

What we offer

• Salary range £55,000 – £72,000 per year
• 33 days holiday
• Enhanced company pension
• Full‑time, Monday‑Friday, days only