Production ManagerLocation: Banbury (On-site, 5 days per week) Hours: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pmSalary: negotiable, depending on experienceReports to: Managing / Operations Director  We have partnered with a market leading business operating in a specialist, high-demand niche market. What started as an entrepreneurial, founder-led operation has grown rapidly — They are now looking for a forward-thinking production manager to play a key role in their operations department, contributing to the overall growth and expansion of the business. This is a great opportunity to join a performance-driven environment where output, quality and teamwork matter. This will be largely focused on building stronger leadership layers, implementing clearer processes, and consistent performance standards across production. A hands-on manager role focused on stabilising day-to-day operations, strengthening wider team leadership, and embedding structure as the business scales. This position balances operational execution with people leadership and continuous improvement. This is a pivotal moment for the business — and the Production Manager will sit at the heart of that journey. Key Duties:

• Day-to-day leadership responsibility for six functional leads across encapsulation, quality assurance, dispatch/logistics, and supporting operational areas. The indirect team size is approximately 40–45 employees within fast-moving production functions.
• Directly manage and develop functional leads, building accountability and ownership
• Create structure, clarity, and consistency in team operations
• Oversee workflow management, production planning, and operational coordination
• Ensure delivery against quality, productivity, and turnaround targets
• Partner with the Managing/Operations Director to introduce scalable operational processes
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on efficiency and quality
• Maintain strong alignment, stable and predictable production output and quality standards.
• Improve visibility and tracking of performance metrics
• Strong, visible leadership presence on the production floor

The Ideal Candidate:

• Production or operations leadership experience in fast-paced, high-volume environments
• Background in manufacturing, logistics, or similar operational settings highly desirable
• Experience within scaling or growing businesses
• Proven track record of managing teams and improving performance
• Comfortable in hands-on, non-corporate environments

Leadership & Style:

• Visible, people-focused leader who leads from the front
• Direct communicator who builds trust and accountability
• Confident real-time decision-maker
• Resilient, pragmatic, and solutions-driven
• High ownership mindset with strong emotional intelligence

Technical Capability:

• Experience in KPI-driven environments
• Strong workflow and productivity management
• Familiar with performance tracking and reporting
• Process improvement mindset (Lean desirable)
• Exposure to quality or compliance-focused environments beneficial