Production Manager

Production Manager

RATstands Ltd
Essex
£35,000–£38,000 DOE

RATstands Ltd is looking for a hands-on Production Manager to lead a small production team and take greater ownership of the technical side of manufacturing.

The role would suit an experienced Production Supervisor, Team Leader or technically minded manufacturing professional ready to take the next step into production management.

You will work alongside our current Production Manager during a structured handover ahead of their retirement in February 2027.

The Role

You will be responsible for:

• Managing day-to-day production and leading 2 Production Operatives.
• Planning and prioritising production workloads.
• Managing stock levels of components and materials required for production, identifying shortages and ensuring requirements are raised in good time.
• Reading and working from technical drawings.
• Producing prototypes and products from drawings with minimal support.
• Resolving day-to-day technical and manufacturing issues.
• Working closely with our Design Engineer on new products, design changes and manufacturability.
• Improving production methods, quality and efficiency.
• Managing day-to-day factory health and safety.
• Providing operational warehouse cover when the Warehouse Manager is unavailable.

Essential Experience & Skills

You will have:

• Experience in a manufacturing, production or engineering environment.
• Previous supervisory, team leader or production management experience.
• Practical experience of fabrication.
• Practical experience of assembly.
• Experience in product manufacture.
• Strong practical and technical ability.
• Experience reading and working from technical drawings and specifications.
• Experience solving practical production or manufacturing problems.
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workloads.
• An understanding of production stock and component requirements.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• A good standard of spoken and written English, sufficient to understand technical information and health and safety requirements, give clear instructions and communicate effectively across the business.
• The confidence to communicate clearly with Production Operatives, the Design Engineer, Warehouse Manager and senior management.
• A hands-on approach and willingness to work closely with a small team.
• The confidence to take ownership of production and routine technical decisions.

Desirable

Experience of the following would be an advantage:

• Prototyping.
• New product introduction.
• Working alongside design engineers.
• Process improvement within a manufacturing environment.

The Opportunity

This role is broader than the current Production Manager position, which has historically been more supervisory in nature.

The successful candidate will take greater ownership of production, technical problem-solving and the link between design and manufacture, with the aim of reducing day-to-day dependency on the Design Engineer.

Pay: £35,000.00-£38,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Free flu jabs
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Work Location: In person