Production Manager

Production Manager Up to £55,000 DOE Yolk Recruitment are proud to be partnering with a leading chilled food manufacturing business to recruit an experienced Production Manager for a pivotal senior leadership position. This is a high-profile, hands-on operational role with genuine influence across a complex, fast-paced manufacturing environment, where you will be responsible for shaping performance, driving standards, and delivering excellence across the end-to-end bakery production process. This is an exceptional opportunity for a results-driven production leader who thrives in high-volume, time-critical food manufacturing and is motivated by continuous improvement, operational excellence, and team development. You will play a key role in improving OEE, reducing waste, enhancing yield, and embedding a culture of right-first-time production, all while maintaining the highest standards of food safety, GMP, and product quality. Key responsibilities: • Lead end-to-end bakery production operations across multiple areas including pastry, cooking, meat prep, ovens, ingredient storage, and production lines • Manage and develop Production Shift Managers, Supervisors, and Team Leaders to deliver safe and efficient daily operations • Ensure production plans are delivered on time, in full, in line with customer demand and business priorities • Drive operational performance through ownership of key KPIs including OEE, yield, waste, downtime, and labour efficiency • Lead continuous improvement activity to enhance productivity, reduce costs, and improve process stability • Ensure full compliance with food safety standards including BRCGS, HACCP, GMP, and internal quality systems • Take ownership of labour planning, agency usage, and workforce efficiency across a 2-shift operation • Collaborate cross-functionally with Technical, QA, Engineering, Supply Chain, and Planning teams to ensure seamless end-to-end operations This is what you'll need: • Proven experience operating at Production Manager level within a bakery or food manufacturing environment • Track record of improving OEE, yield, efficiency, and waste performance • Strong knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and food safety system And this is what you'll get: • Competitive salary • Retail discounts • Pension