Job Description:

Assistant Production Manager – Manufacturing

Location: St Neots, Cambridgeshire
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience
Sector: Manufacturing / Engineering

The Opportunity

Our client is a well-established manufacturing business seeking an experienced and proactive Assistant Production Manager to join their production team in St Neots.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on production leader who enjoys driving operational performance, developing people and delivering continuous improvement in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Reporting to the Production Manager, you will take responsibility for managing end-to-end production activities, from Goods In and Metal Picking Stores through to Photomechanical Processing, Etching and Dimensional Inspection.

You will play a key role in ensuring production operates safely, efficiently and to the highest quality standards, whilst meeting customer delivery requirements and supporting the business's ongoing growth and operational objectives.

The Role

As Assistant Production Manager, you will provide visible leadership across multiple production processes, balancing Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (SQDC) to achieve agreed performance targets.

You will be responsible for:

• Leading and managing end-to-end production operations, from Goods In through to Dimensional Inspection.

• Developing and communicating production plans to optimise labour, materials, equipment and capacity.

• Monitoring production performance, KPIs and operational data to identify opportunities for improvement.

• Driving a culture of accountability, engagement, continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Ensuring compliance with health and safety, environmental, quality and regulatory requirements.

• Maintaining effective production controls, standard operating procedures and process parameters.

• Overseeing equipment maintenance, calibration and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) activities.

• Investigating non-conformance, scrap, process inefficiencies and operational risks, ensuring corrective actions are implemented.

• Managing material stock levels, supplier performance and inventory control.

• Ensuring production areas remain clean, organised and maintained to a high visual standard.

• Developing team capability through coaching, training, performance management and skills matrices.

• Working collaboratively with internal departments, customers and suppliers to improve operational performance.

• Using structured problem-solving methods, PDCA and value-stream thinking to reduce waste and improve process capability.

About You

We are looking for an experienced production professional with a strong leadership background and a passion for manufacturing excellence.

You will ideally have:

• A minimum of 3 years' experience managing teams within a production or manufacturing environment.

• Proven experience leading production teams and managing operational performance.

• Strong knowledge of production planning, workflow management and resource optimisation.

• Experience using KPIs and operational data to drive improvements.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

• The ability to coach, train and develop employees to improve team capability.

• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.

• A confident, proactive and solutions-focused approach to leadership.

• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and Outlook.

• The ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments.

• A positive, customer-focused attitude and sound operational judgement.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within an engineering, technical or specialist manufacturing environment.

• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings.

• Experience with CAD, SolidWorks or 3D modelling.

• Knowledge of quality tools, structured problem solving and continuous improvement methodologies.

• Experience with stock control, supplier management, COSHH assessments or TPM.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Production Planning & Capacity

Ensuring production plans are communicated effectively, workflow is managed efficiently and future capacity constraints are identified and escalated.

Process Control & Quality

Maintaining accurate SOPs and work instructions, monitoring process parameters and ensuring consistent product quality.

People Leadership

Building a skilled, engaged and accountable production team through coaching, training, regular team meetings and performance management.

Continuous Improvement

Using data, PDCA and structured problem-solving techniques to reduce waste, improve throughput, minimise lead times and deliver sustainable operational improvements.

Health & Safety

Maintaining a safe, compliant and well-organised working environment across all managed production areas.

Why Apply?

This role offers the opportunity to join a specialist manufacturing environment where you can make a genuine impact on production performance, team development and continuous improvement.

You will have the opportunity to work closely with senior production leadership and play a key role in supporting operational excellence across the business.

Apply Now

If you are an experienced Production Supervisor, Production Manager, Assistant Production Manager or Manufacturing Team Leader looking for your next career opportunity, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today with your CV, or contact our recruitment team for more information.

All applications will be treated in confidence.