Production Manager – Food, Flavour & FMCG Manufacturing

Location: Wirral, Merseyside
Salary: £30,000 – £38,000 per annum
Job Type: Full-time
Industry: Food Manufacturing / Flavour Manufacturing / FMCG / Production / Manufacturing

Production Manager Job – Wirral, Merseyside

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Production Manager to join a successful food, flavour or FMCG manufacturing business in Wirral, Merseyside.

We are looking for a strong, hands-on Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, Production Supervisor or experienced Production Team Leader who can take ownership of the day-to-day operation of a defined manufacturing area and lead a production team to achieve safety, quality, production output, delivery and operational performance targets.

The successful Production Manager will have direct responsibility for a designated production area, which may include Liquids, Powders or Automation, and will play a key role in ensuring the efficient and compliant running of the manufacturing operation.

This is an ideal opportunity for an experienced food manufacturing professional, flavour manufacturing professional, FMCG Production Manager or senior production team leader looking to progress their career within a growing manufacturing environment in Wirral, Merseyside.

The Role – Production Manager

The Production Manager will take ownership of the safe, efficient and compliant operation of their designated production area.

Working closely with the Operations Manager, the Production Manager will translate the overall manufacturing plan and site standards into clear daily direction for the production team.

Rather than simply monitoring production, this is a hands-on manufacturing management role where you will be accountable for people, production standards, productivity, quality, safety and results within your area.

You will lead and manage production operatives, allocate labour and resources, resolve production problems, monitor manufacturing KPIs and drive continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will also develop a broad understanding of all production operations, allowing them to provide management cover, technical support and operational continuity across the wider manufacturing site.

Key Responsibilities – Production & Manufacturing Management

• Take full ownership of the safe, efficient and compliant operation of your designated production area.
• Lead and manage day-to-day production operations within Liquids, Powders or Automation.
• Own delivery of the agreed production plan and manufacturing schedule.
• Allocate labour, raw materials, equipment and resources to achieve production targets.
• Monitor production progress throughout the shift and take immediate action to resolve delays, shortages, downtime and resource issues.
• Work closely with the Operations Manager to manage production capacity, staffing and operational requirements.
• Coordinate with Planning, Warehouse, Quality Assurance (QA), Engineering and other departments to maintain production flow.
• Develop strong working knowledge across all manufacturing areas to provide operational cover when required.
• Ensure production targets are achieved while maintaining required standards for quality, food safety, hygiene, health and safety and allergen control.

Production Team Leadership & People Management

As Production Manager, you will be a visible and accountable leader who takes responsibility for the performance and development of the production team.

Key people management responsibilities will include:

• Directly manage production operatives within your designated manufacturing area.
• Set clear expectations around productivity, quality, safety, housekeeping and attendance.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, training and development.
• Hold employees accountable to agreed production and workplace standards.
• Give clear, constructive and timely performance feedback.
• Conduct first-line performance conversations.
• Escalate formal disciplinary, grievance and absence-management processes to the Operations Manager in conjunction with HR.
• Lead the induction and onboarding of new production employees.
• Build a positive, productive and accountable manufacturing team.
• Encourage teamwork, engagement and continuous improvement across the production department.

Production Planning, Labour & Resource Management

• Take ownership of labour allocation and production resource planning within your area.
• Ensure production operatives are deployed effectively to meet the daily manufacturing schedule.
• Monitor production performance against planned output.
• Identify and resolve labour shortages, material shortages, equipment issues and production delays.
• Escalate significant capacity and headcount requirements to the Operations Manager.
• Work collaboratively with Production Planning and Warehouse teams to ensure materials are available when required.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Maintenance to minimise production downtime.
• Ensure manufacturing resources are used efficiently and productively.

Health, Safety, GMP & Manufacturing Compliance

The Production Manager will take ownership of day-to-day health and safety performance and manufacturing compliance within their production area.

You will be responsible for ensuring:

• All employees follow site Health & Safety procedures.
• Appropriate PPE is worn and maintained.
• COSHH procedures are followed correctly.
• Workplace hazards and unsafe conditions are identified and addressed immediately.
• Near misses and safety concerns are reported and acted upon.
• Production activities comply with relevant GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements.
• HACCP and food safety controls are followed.
• Allergen management and allergen control procedures are maintained.
• Production processes are carried out safely, hygienically and in accordance with company procedures.

Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Efficiency

A key part of this Production Manager job in Wirral will be driving continuous improvement and improving manufacturing efficiency.

You will:

• Identify opportunities to improve production efficiency, productivity and output.
• Lead local process improvement initiatives within your area.
• Reduce manufacturing waste, downtime and production losses.
• Monitor production KPIs and identify areas requiring improvement.
• Track and report area-level production performance and manufacturing KPIs.
• Feed improvement opportunities into the wider site Continuous Improvement Programme.
• Encourage production employees to identify practical ways of improving processes.
• Take ownership of operational problems and implement effective solutions.

Communication & Production Team Engagement

• Conduct regular production team briefings, shift meetings and daily huddles.
• Communicate production plans, targets, changes and performance clearly to the team.
• Keep production employees informed of operational priorities.
• Act as the first point of contact for production-related issues within your area.
• Maintain strong communication with the Operations Manager and other departments.
• Be a visible, approachable and accountable Production Manager on the manufacturing floor.

Housekeeping, Documentation & Audit Readiness

The Production Manager will own housekeeping and record-keeping standards within their production area.

Responsibilities include:

• Maintain high standards of production area housekeeping and cleanliness.
• Promote a strong "clean as you go" culture.
• Ensure production areas remain organised, safe and audit ready.
• Ensure production, cleaning, maintenance and compliance documentation is completed accurately and on time.
• Maintain accurate batch and production records.
• Support preparation for internal and external audits.
• Ensure production documentation meets GMP, food safety and quality requirements.

Area-Specific Production Responsibilities

Liquids Production Manager Responsibilities

For candidates working within the liquid manufacturing / liquid production area, responsibilities will include:

• Manage day-to-day liquid production, filling and packing operations.
• Ensure the liquid production plan is achieved safely, efficiently and to specification.
• Lead weighing, blending and mixing operations in accordance with approved recipes and production requirements.
• Ensure accurate weighing and dispensing of raw materials.
• Monitor liquid manufacturing processes and resolve issues quickly.
• Ensure correct cleaning and production changeovers between manufacturing runs.
• Ensure allergen controls are correctly implemented.
• Provide management cover across Powder and Automation production areas when required.

Powders Production Manager Responsibilities

For candidates working within the powder manufacturing / powder production area, responsibilities will include:

• Manage day-to-day powder production, blending and packing operations.
• Ensure the powder manufacturing plan is delivered safely, efficiently and to specification.
• Lead sieving, dispensing and blending processes.
• Ensure raw materials are accurately weighed and dispensed in line with recipes and production requirements.
• Monitor powder production processes and take immediate action when issues arise.
• Ensure effective cleaning, changeovers and allergen control between production runs.
• Provide management cover across Liquid and Automation production areas when required.

Automation Production Manager Responsibilities

The Automation Production Manager will act as the lead operational contact for the site's new CDL machine, helping develop manufacturing capability and supporting the introduction and continuous improvement of automation across the production operation.

Responsibilities will include:

• Act as the key operational contact for the new CDL automated production equipment.
• Support the implementation and development of automation within manufacturing.
• Build site capability and operational knowledge around automated production.
• Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency through automation.
• Provide management cover across Liquid and Powder production areas.
• Support production teams with cross-functional manufacturing knowledge.
• Promote best practice across production operations.
• Ensure production, quality, hygiene, GMP and allergen control standards are maintained across all manufacturing areas.

Key Skills & Competencies – Production Manager

The ideal Production Manager / Manufacturing Manager will be:

• A strong, hands-on production leader who takes ownership of results and outcomes.
• Comfortable managing people and holding production employees accountable.
• Confident having difficult performance conversations when required.
• Positive, supportive and approachable while maintaining clear workplace standards.
• Proactive in identifying and resolving production problems before they escalate.
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise workload in a busy manufacturing environment.
• Comfortable working under pressure to meet production targets and manufacturing deadlines.
• A strong communicator with excellent team leadership skills.
• Focused on safety, quality, productivity and continuous improvement.

Technical Skills & Manufacturing Experience

The successful candidate should have strong knowledge and practical experience in:

• GMP – Good Manufacturing Practice
• HACCP
• Food Safety
• Allergen Management
• COSHH
• Food manufacturing
• Flavour manufacturing
• FMCG manufacturing
• Production management
• Manufacturing operations
• Liquid production
• Powder production
• Weighing and dispensing
• Blending and mixing
• Filling and packing
• Production planning
• Production documentation
• Batch documentation
• Manufacturing KPIs
• Waste reduction
• Downtime reduction
• Continuous improvement
• Microsoft Office

Experience using paper-based or digital production and batch documentation systems is required.

Qualifications & Experience – Production Manager

The ideal candidate will have:

• Proven experience as a Production Manager, Production Supervisor, Production Team Leader, Manufacturing Supervisor or Senior Production Operative within a food, flavour, FMCG or similar manufacturing environment.
• Previous experience leading and managing a production team.
• Strong understanding of food manufacturing, flavour manufacturing or FMCG production processes.
• Experience in liquid or powder compounding is desirable depending on the production area.
• Experience with weighing, blending, mixing, filling, packing or similar manufacturing processes is advantageous.
• IOSH Working Safely, or equivalent Health & Safety training, is desirable.
• Level 2 Food Safety / HACCP qualification is desirable, or a willingness to complete the qualification.
• Experience working within a GMP, HACCP and allergen-controlled manufacturing environment.

Along with our client, we are committed to a diverse workforce and as such recruit from a wide available pool of talent, with the hiring, assessment and selection process being fair, free from bias and one which ensures the right person is selected for the job, based on merit. We treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.

A copy of our D&I policy can be made available upon request.