Harmony Fire
Plant Director
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Department: Factory - Management & Admin
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Chesterfield
Reporting To: Nathan Rowles
Description
SolidCor is on a mission to make volume fire door replacement possible within days — enabling the industry to rapidly achieve compliance and community safety in every building. Born out of the urgent need for change following the Grenfell disaster, we have built the fastest production times in the industry and the widest range of primary-tested fire door configurations. We are growing fast and we are looking for A-players to help us get there.
We are passionate about getting things right and obsessed with quality. Our products are safety-critical — when a fire door fails, the consequences are real. We are now investing in a best-in-class new factory, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, to take our production capability to the next level.
We are looking for a Plant Director to take full ownership of the Chesterfield factory operation — leading production, quality, safety, and people across the site and driving the performance that will power SolidCor’s next phase of growth. This is a senior leadership role with real accountability: you will set the standard on the factory floor, build a high-performing team around you, and ensure the plant delivers at the level our mission demands.
This is not a role for someone who manages from a distance. We need a plant leader who is visible, hands-on, and utterly committed to doing things the right way — every shift, every day.
Key Responsibilities
- Take full operational accountability for the Chesterfield factory — owning output, quality, cost, safety, and people performance across the site.
- Lead, develop, and inspire the factory team — building a culture of high standards, accountability, and continuous improvement from the shop floor up.
- Drive production planning and capacity management to meet customer demand, ensuring the right output at the right time without compromising on quality.
- Own the quality management system for the factory — ensuring all fire doorsets are manufactured in full compliance with certification requirements, British Standards, and SolidCor’s internal standards.
- Maintain an uncompromising H&S culture — leading by example, ensuring all legal and regulatory requirements are met, and continuously improving the safety of the working environment.
- Work closely with the Technical & Compliance Manager to ensure product compliance is embedded into every stage of production.
- Partner with the commercial and project teams to align factory capacity and scheduling with order pipeline and delivery commitments.
- Lead the commissioning and integration of new machinery and production processes, including the transition to SolidCor’s new factory facility.
- Report on factory KPIs — output, quality, efficiency, safety, and cost — to senior leadership.
- Drive a continuous improvement mindset across the operation, identifying and eliminating waste, inefficiency, and non-conformance.
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Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- An A-player mindset — high standards, extreme ownership and the drive to do things properly, the first time.
- Proven track record as a Plant Director, Factory Manager, or equivalent senior operations leader in a manufacturing environment.
- Strong commercial awareness — experienced managing factory budgets, costs, and efficiency targets.
- Experience leading large, multi-disciplinary factory teams — with a track record of building high-performing cultures.
- Deep knowledge of manufacturing quality systems, compliance frameworks, and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma or equivalent).
- Uncompromising approach to health and safety — experienced in managing H&S across a live manufacturing environment.
- Strong stakeholder management skills — able to engage credibly at board level and on the factory floor.
- Background in joinery, timber, construction products, or a related manufacturing discipline (preferable).
- Experience managing factory commissioning, relocation, or major capital investment projects (preferable).
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Job Benefits
This is a chance to take the wheel of one of the UK’s most exciting fire door manufacturers at a pivotal moment — leading a brand-new factory, a growing team, and an operation that directly contributes to the safety of residents across the country. At SolidCor, we ask a lot — and we give a lot back. The hours are real, the standards are high and the work is demanding, but for those who show up, deliver and go the extra mile, the rewards follow. A-players here enjoy a competitive salary, a Personal Development Plan with leadership mentoring and ongoing training, unlimited holiday, a bonus scheme paying up to 50% of annual salary, private medical insurance, enhanced maternity and paternity, lunch, snacks and refreshments on us every day (fresh fruit and Takeaway Friday included), a team social budget, cycle to work, an auto-enrolment pension, two major company events a year and our Reward and Recognition scheme — including European mini-breaks for those who go above and beyond. It is a collaborative, high-energy environment focused on doing things the right way — and none of it is a perk for showing up; it’s what we share with the people pulling the business forward.
SolidCor is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all applicants for employment regardless of age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief. We want everyone who works with us to feel valued and to make a difference.
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