Production Manager

LOCATION: Beverley, East Yorkshire

SALARY: £40,000 - £42,000

Naturewall are looking for an experienced, hands-on Production Manager to take responsibility for the safe, consistent and efficient day-to-day running of its Beverley manufacturing site.

Leading production supervisors, site team leaders and operators, you’ll turn the agreed production plan into reliable output, ensuring customer orders are completed on time, in full and to specification while maintaining control of labour, quality, waste and downtime.

This is an excellent opportunity for a visible and decisive manufacturing leader who enjoys being close to the operation, developing people and creating the stable production platform needed to support continued business growth.

WHY THIS ROLE STANDS OUT

Take full ownership of day-to-day production at Naturewall’s Beverley manufacturing site.

Lead and develop production supervisors, team leaders and operators across multiple manufacturing processes.

Make a measurable impact on safety, OTIF, productivity, quality, waste and equipment reliability.

Help build the operational capability required to support growth across direct-to-consumer, leisure, modular, retail and commercial channels.

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING

Take full control of the production floor each day, setting priorities, allocating resources and ensuring the agreed production plan is delivered.

Own daily and weekly schedule attainment across bonding, machining, finishing, packing, bespoke and dispatch-facing production activities.

Drive OTIF performance and ensure customer orders are completed on time, in full and to the required specification.

Set high standards for health and safety, housekeeping, machine discipline and incident reporting.

Ensure risk assessments, safe systems of work, training records and corrective actions remain current and are consistently followed.

Establish, maintain and continuously improve SOPs and visual operating standards across the production environment.

Build quality into every stage of production, improving first-pass yield and reducing defects, rework and recurring quality issues.

Lead, coach and hold accountable the production supervisors, team leaders and operators.

Develop supervisors and team leaders to take genuine ownership of their areas and resolve operational issues effectively.

Plan labour by line and shift, ensuring resources and skills are aligned with demand and production bottlenecks.

Control overtime and agency usage while protecting output and customer service.

Oversee operator care and the delivery of planned preventive maintenance, coordinating breakdown responses and escalating engineering or investment requirements.

Maintain disciplined material flow, line-side stock, work-in-progress and Kanban controls.

Ensure production information is recorded accurately and on time within Katana and other agreed systems.

Lead daily production meetings and regular performance reviews covering output, labour, quality, waste, downtime and safety.

Identify and implement practical improvements to throughput, line balance, changeovers, layout, workplace organisation and production efficiency.

Work closely with planning, procurement, product, logistics, customer service and commercial teams to manage priorities, new product introductions and customer commitments.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Proven experience managing production within a fast-paced manufacturing environment, with responsibility for multiple processes or production lines.

A strong track record of improving output, quality, safety, efficiency and team performance.

Confidence leading supervisors, team leaders and operators, including setting expectations and addressing underperformance.

A practical understanding of production planning, capacity, labour deployment, material flow and bottleneck management.

Working knowledge of health and safety requirements within a machinery-led manufacturing environment.

Experience using structured problem-solving, root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methods.

Confidence using manufacturing systems, spreadsheets and operational data to make and communicate decisions.

The ability to remain calm under pressure, prioritise effectively and lead practical recovery plans when performance is at risk.

A visible, structured and accountable leadership style, with the ability to set demanding but fair standards.

Strong commercial awareness and an understanding of how service, quality, labour, waste and downtime affect customer value and profitability.

Experience within panel processing, woodworking, laminating, CNC machining, finishing, assembly or a related manufacturing environment would be advantageous.

Experience supporting repeat B2B production programmes with fixed specifications, schedules and service levels would also be beneficial.

Knowledge of Katana, another ERP/MRP platform or digital shop-floor reporting system would be desirable.

IOSH Managing Safely or an equivalent health and safety qualification would be beneficial.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

A visible and influential leadership role with genuine ownership of day-to-day production performance.

The opportunity to establish strong production routines, operating standards and clear accountability across the site.

The scope to develop supervisors and team leaders into confident and effective leaders.

The chance to make a measurable impact on OTIF, productivity, safety, quality, waste and equipment reliability.

A key role in creating the stable manufacturing platform required to support Naturewall’s continued growth.

The opportunity to work closely with the Head of Operations and wider business functions on operational priorities and improvements.

WHY EMMERSON KITNEY?

At Emmerson Kitney, we Recruit Different. We’re committed to building long-term relationships with both our clients and candidates, taking the time to understand what matters most to you. We work in true partnership to match talented professionals with outstanding career opportunities.

WHAT NEXT?

If you’re an experienced Production Manager looking for a hands-on leadership role where you can strengthen performance, develop people and support the growth of a successful manufacturing business, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a retained search with Emmerson Kitney. All third-party applications will be forwarded to us as the exclusive recruitment partner.