Production Manager
Leeds
Full time, Permanent
£28,000 - £34,000 per year
Play a key role in building a growing, purpose-led and unique business with genuine social impact!
Please note: you must be authorised to work in the UK
Getting Clean didn't start in the boardroom, or even the bathroom... it started in chaos. Our founder, Chris, was introduced to heroin when he was just 12! Years of addiction, prison and homelessness followed.
Then something changed:
After Chris got referred to Narcotics Anonymous, he found recovery and became an award-winning support worker. But he saw a problem: People in recovery weren't being given real opportunities. So in 2022 he created Getting Clean: Recovering addicts helping each other. Building pride. Building purpose.
Then came the soap:
It started as a therapeutic activity. As we learned more about soap, we learned more about the dodgy chemicals and realised something powerful. Getting clean isn't just about stopping drugs. It's cleaning up systems. Cleaning up stigma. Cleaning up supply chains full of dodgy chemicals.
So we asked a slightly mad question: What if soap could fund recovery?
We sold our first bars wrapped in brown paper. People didn’t just buy soap. They bought the story. They bought the impact. Within two years we had: Engaged over 120 people in recovery Delivered 200+ therapeutic soap-making workshops Provided paid employment to recovering addicts. And we’re just getting started. Now we’re building something bigger. A bold, unapologetic, profit-for-purpose soap brand that donates 50% of profits to addiction charities and Lived Experience Recovery Organisations across the UK.
So we need a Production Manager:
We need somebody to take ownership of day-to-day soap production, turning a growing order book into consistently high-quality products that leave the factory on time and in full.
You’ll run the production floor, plan output, manage ingredients and stock, maintain quality and lead a small team that includes people building skills, confidence and routine through recovery.
This isn’t a job for someone who wants to manage production from behind a spreadsheet. You’ll be expected to lead it, improve it and, when necessary, roll your sleeves up and get stuck in yourself.
What you’ll do:
* Plan, schedule, and run daily/weekly production to meet order volumes and launch deadlines
* Lead, train, and mentor production team members, many of whom are building skills and confidence through recovery
* Own quality control across batches, consistency, formulation accuracy, and finish, and troubleshoot issues as they arise
* Manage raw material and packaging stock levels, working with suppliers to place orders and avoid production delays
* Maintain and improve production processes, workspace organisation, and batch records as volumes grow
* Ensure health & safety and food/cosmetic-grade hygiene standards are met and maintained on the production floor
* Work with the leadership team on bringing new products and seasonal ranges from development into repeatable production
* Keep accurate stock, yield, and production data to support planning and cost decisions
* Step in on the floor yourself when needed, this is a doing role as much as a leading one
What we’re looking for:
* Strong organisational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
* Comfortable working across product, marketing, and commercial tasks in a small, fast-moving team
* Commercially minded, with an interest in ethical consumer goods and brand-building
* Confident communicator who can work with suppliers, partners, and creatives
* Self-starter who thrives in ambiguity and takes ownership
* Detail-oriented, but able to think strategically about growth and product-market fit
Nice to haves:
* Experience in soapmaking, cosmetics, or a similarly regulated hand-production environment
* Experience training or supervising people from varied backgrounds, including those in recovery or with support needs
* An interest in scaling a small production operation as order volumes grow
* An interest in addiction recovery, social justice, or purpose-driven business
Why join us?
* Take real ownership of production as we scale from a local project to a national brand
* Work closely with the leadership team and see the direct impact of your work on the business
* Help build a business that gives back, by design, not as an afterthought
* See the impact of your leadership first-hand, as the skills, structure, and steady presence you bring on the floor genuinely help people in recovery rebuild confidence and routine
* Join a small team with ambition, humour, and some slightly wild ideas
Why soap?
Because it’s everyday. Because it sits in your shower. Because “getting clean” means something.
Every bar we make is:
* Cold-processed
* Free from dodgy chemicals
* Made by people with lived experience of addiction
* Built to create employment, not dependency
We don’t believe people in recovery are broken… we believe they’re underestimated!
This role is ideal for someone who's spent time on a production floor, knows what good looks like, and wants the responsibility of running it themselves. Any experience in training, safeguarding and social enterprise would be valuable for this role. If you're hands-on, dependable, and want to help build something meaningful from the ground up, we'd love to hear from you.
How to apply:
If you have the skills and experience required for this position, click “apply” today and check your inbox for an email providing more information on how to complete your application and provide any other supporting documents.
You must be authorised to work in the UK. No agencies, please.
Other suitable skills and experience includes Production Manager, Production Lead, Manufacturing Manager, Manufacturing Supervisor, Production Supervisor, Operations Manager, Factory Manager, Production Team Leader, Manufacturing Team Leader, Soap Production Manager, Cosmetics Production Manager, Process Manager, Workshop Manager, Production Operations Manager, Manufacturing Operations Manager
Salary description
£28000.00 - £34000.00 per year