Salary: Up to £60,000 + 33 days annual leave, pension and sick pay
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Shifts: 2-shift structure
Industry: Chilled Food Manufacturing (Bakery & Pastry)
Applicants must have savoury bakery experience in a production management position for at least 3+ years.
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Bakery Production Manager to take full operational leadership of our chilled pastry and bakery manufacturing site. Overseeing a 2-shift operation, this role is responsible for delivering safe, efficient, compliant and high-performing production across four production lines, pastry manufacturing, cooking and meat preparation areas, ingredients storage, and ovens/baking.
This is a highly influential role requiring strong leadership, outstanding operational capability, and a track record of driving continuous improvement in a fast-paced, short-shelf-life food environment.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership
• Lead all bakery manufacturing areas including pastry production, filling & cooking, meat prep, ingredient storage, baking and four high-volume production lines.
• Manage Shift Managers, Supervisors and Team Leaders to ensure daily delivery of production plans safely and on time.
• Oversee material flow, ensuring meat prep and cook room areas remain on plan to avoid delays.
• Full responsibility for the Ovens area, product quality and baking profiles
• Manage labour planning, standards, crewing and agency usage, ensuring accurate cost control.
• Drive strong GMP and technical compliance in partnership with Technical & QA teams.
Performance & Continuous Improvement
• Own and deliver performance metrics including OEE, line efficiency, yield, waste, labour productivity and downtime.
• Identify and close performance gaps through structured continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure accurate performance reporting and management of Redzone KPIs.
• Champion right-first-time quality and production stability.
Quality, Food Safety & GMP
• Ensure compliance with BRCGS, HACCP and all food safety and legal requirements.
• Embed exceptional GMP, hygiene and housekeeping standards across all areas.
• Lead investigations, corrective actions and support customer audits and technical visits.
• Work with Quality teams to reduce waste, improve standards and maintain audit-ready conditions.
People Leadership
• Build, coach and develop a high-performing production leadership team.
• Manage performance, succession planning, capability development and engagement.
• Lead all people processes including absence, holidays, training, discipline and grievances.
• Foster a culture of accountability, involvement and pride.
Cost & Resource Management
• Control labour, materials, giveaway, rework and waste to meet budget requirements.
• Work closely with Supply Chain and Planning to maximise raw material efficiency
Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Partner with Engineering to improve reliability, maintenance and line performance.
• Support NPD and Process teams with new launches and process changes.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Planning, Technical and Quality teams to ensure seamless operations.
Customer Service
• Ensure production plans are achieved, and customer service levels are consistently met.
• Escalate risks early, take corrective action and support the reduction of customer complaints.
Health & Safety
• Champion a safety-first culture with no compromise.
• Ensure full compliance with site H&S policies for employees and contractors.
• Investigate unsafe practices and ensure timely corrective actions.
Key Behaviours
• Highly self-motivated, enthusiastic and leads by example
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical ability
• Strong attention to detail and resilience under pressure
• Commercially aware with a continuous improvement mindset
• Builds strong relationships and communicates effectively at all levels
• Passionate about quality, safety and operational excellence
Essential Experience
• Significant senior production management experience within chilled food manufacturing (ideally bakery/pastry).
• Strong background in high-volume, short-shelf-life environments.
• Proven experience improving OEE, yield, waste and line efficiency.
• Strong leadership capabilities across multi-area operations.
• Excellent knowledge of GMP, food safety and quality systems.
• Data-driven and confident in performance analysis and decision-making.
Desirable Experience
• Experience within complex environments including cooking, baking and raw meat handling.
• Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma or continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience with major audits and customer-facing interactions.
Key Objectives
• Plan attainment: 95%+ on all shifts
• OEE: 70% pure OEE / 80% non-pure OEE
• Giveaway: <3%
• Pastry waste: Reduction through improved process control
• GMP: Strong standards and fewer non-conformances
• Quality: Right-first-time manufacturing with zero defects
You may have experience in the following: Bakery Production Manager, Food Production Manager, Pastry Production Manager, Savoury Bakery Manager, Chilled Food Manufacturing, Production Manager, Factory Manager, Operations Manager, Manufacturing Manager
REF-(Apply online only)
Salary description
£60000.00 - £60000.00 per year