Production Manager

Production Manager

You will join a well-established, global engineering manufacturer with a UK operation supporting customers worldwide. You will take ownership of a defined production unit and lead it day-to-day, making sure safety, quality, delivery and cost performance are not just maintained but improved.

You will inherit a department that wants to do things better. You will be expected to look at what’s happening on the ground, get to the root cause of issues using data, and then implement practical changes that stick. You will bring the team with you by communicating clearly, listening properly, and building buy-in rather than forcing change.

The product range is complex with a mix of optics, mechanical, electronic, software and physics principles. Although you don’t have to be an expert in all of these areas you will need to come from a hi-tech background ideally working with optical products or components.,

You will manage performance against weekly and monthly KPIs, take action where performance dips, and coach your team through a structured continuous improvement approach. You will drive cost reduction projects across productivity, scrap and manufacturing hours, while keeping a strong grip on inventory management and stock accuracy.

You will work closely with Engineering on NPI activity to ensure manufacturing readiness, and you will build strong working relationships across Operations, Logistics, Supply Chain and HR to remove blockers quickly and keep delivery on track.

Key requirements

Required

Technical background in optics or lasers (or closely aligned photonics / optical systems manufacturing)
Proven experience in a Production Management role within a Lean manufacturing environment
Ideally a degree or qualification in a relevant discipline.
Data-centric problem solver with a structured, analytical approach to resolving complex issues
Strong people leadership and coaching skills, with evidence of securing buy-in and improving culture/performance