Production Manager

A world class Manufacturing business, based in Plymouth are seeking an experienced Production Manager to

manage all Manufacturing & Production activities across site, ensuring that the factory runs at optimum efficiency, with engaged employees producing consistently high quality, right-first-time products to meet customer demand on-time, in-full and in-budget.

Reporting to the Senior Manager Manufacturing the Production Manager is accountable for all aspects of the operational performance and management of Production. This encompasses Pumps and Motors machining and assembly, leading a group of production Team Leaders across 3 shifts to achieve key business indicators based around productivity, profitability and cost, quality and employee engagement, working in line with core values of Safety, Quality and Profitability.

Develop the capability of the Production Team leaders and the engagement of the Production Teams with business and departmental goals, and harnessing employee engagement to achieve sustained improvements are key to success in this role.

The Production Manager is responsible for achieving daily/weekly/monthly production targets, achieving quality and delivery expectations, minimising costs, maximising efficiency and productivity and ensuring that best working practices are maintained.

Main duties:
• Lead the deployment and implementation of Business Strategy in the department, ensuring team leaders and operators are aligned with and working towards defined company objectives. Responsible and accountable for agreed Key Performance Indicators that are aligned to achievement of the business goals and cascaded effectively within the operational team.
• As a member of the extended leadership team, take part in Strategy meetings and manage strategies aligned to the Business's Strategy, targeting improvements in the department. The Production Manager has the ability to plan and achieve medium to long-term goals whilst still consistently ensuring that the team achieves short-term goals and deadlines.
• Plan and organise resources (people, process, materials and equipment) to achieve production targets and production plans, on time and in full. Ensure production targets and production plans are shared with team leaders. Identify variances to production targets, for example: quality issues, breakdowns, people performance and take appropriate action, escalate as necessary.
• Manage in accordance with the Company values, in respect of safety, health and environmental standards, quality standards and all associated procedures, and ensure consistency of processes, standards, effectiveness etc across all shifts.
• Encourage and instil a continuous improvement mindset, applying lean manufacturing techniques, problem-solving methodology and data-driven improvement approach in team leaders and operators.
• Collaborate effectively across functions to drive achieve required results and improvements, such as reducing downtime and achieving operational improvements. For example, working closely with Engineering teams to improve machine up-time and effectiveness, or collaborating with Supply Chain and Planning to ensure materials and component availability and optimise production.
• Responsible for Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and the component parts of OEE.
• Analyse, identify and implement opportunities to reduce set up, changeover, processing and cycle times using SMED techniques to achieve continuous improvements in productivity, including routine operator maintenance, planned preventative maintenance and appropriate reactive maintenance, particularly of constraint points, in conjunction with Production Engineering Manager.
• Lead on communication within the department, encouraging an open culture of two-way communication and feedback – including daily Roadblock meeting, weekly tool-box meeting, regular 1:1s with Team Leaders, communicating the Team Brief.
• Manage to achieve high performance:
• Clearly define expectations and accountabilities with Team Leaders and define ‘standard work’.
• Agree relevant individual and team objectives and review performance regularly. Address any concerns, development needs or areas of under-performance promptly and implement support, training or development as required. Ensure that team leaders implement a similar approach with their direct reports.
• Review shift and team performance and work with Team Leaders to support them in developing action plans for their teams – improving operator engagement, identifying training needs, enhancing cross-skilling, progression, talent identification, addressing areas of poor performance etc as required.
• Implement a coaching approach to performance improvement, recognise successes and celebrate wins within the team and wider business as appropriate.
• Active participation in various meetings including but not limited to: Health & Safety committee, Sales & Operational Planning, and various other leadership and operational meetings as required. Participate in customer and supplier visits, audits, outreach activities etc that are appropriate to this role.
• Lead relevant projects effectively – including strategy implementation, capital investment projects, or such ad-hoc projects that may be required from time to time.

Education & Skills Required
• A professional background in operational management in an engineering or related specialism, that will include significant people-management experience.
• A professional leadership or management qualification, and demonstrable experience in achieving results through effective people management.
• Qualification or significant experience successfully implementing Lean Manufacturing principles and methodology to achieve sustained results.
• Able to travel in UK and possibly oversees, on occasion to visit suppliers, customers, attend training or exhibitions.
• Relevant experience in a similar or related engineering or precision manufacturing environment
• Leadership or management experience including efficiency improvement, achieving business goals, project management, people management.
• Proven skills and track record in leading, developing and coaching diverse teams to achieve high quality results
• Significant practical and theoretical experience in successfully applying lean manufacturing techniques, processes, and demonstrable problem-solving skills, such as 5S, 6Sigma