W Talent
Plant Manager
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About the Company
My client is a well-established FMCG manufacturer operating within a highly automated production environment. The business has a strong focus on operational excellence, quality, safety and continuous improvement, supported by sophisticated automated manufacturing processes.
About the Role
We are seeking a hands-on Plant Manager to take responsibility for the day-to-day performance and continuous improvement of a highly automated manufacturing operation in the West Midlands. This is a broad operational role, with responsibility extending beyond production into Health & Safety, Maintenance, Facilities and Lean/Continuous Improvement. The successful candidate will be comfortable being close to the operation, working alongside production and engineering teams, identifying opportunities for improvement and driving solutions through to implementation.
Responsibilities
- Lead the day-to-day manufacturing operation, ensuring production targets, quality standards and customer requirements are consistently achieved.
- Take overall responsibility for Health & Safety across the operation, promoting a strong and proactive safety culture.
- Work closely with engineering and maintenance teams to maximise equipment reliability, availability and performance.
- Lead and develop PPM (Planned Preventative Maintenance) initiatives to improve asset reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.
- Oversee site facilities, ensuring the plant remains safe, compliant and operationally effective.
- Drive Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives across the operation.
- Identify and eliminate waste, inefficiency and recurring operational issues through structured problem-solving.
- Work hands-on with automated production lines, understanding the interaction between equipment, processes and people.
- Develop robust processes and standards to support consistent production performance.
- Maintain a strong focus on quality and customer service, particularly within an FMCG environment supplying major retailers.
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Qualifications
A strong engineering background, ideally combining a relevant academic qualification with substantial hands-on engineering experience.
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Required Skills
- Proven managerial experience within an FMCG or highly automated manufacturing environment.
- Practical experience working with automated production lines and manufacturing equipment.
- A strong understanding of maintenance principles, with experience of developing and leading PPM programmes.
- Demonstrable experience of Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies.
- A hands-on approach, with the credibility and confidence to work directly with production and engineering teams.
- Experience of working within a fast-paced FMCG environment where quality, efficiency and customer service are critical.
- Experience of manufacturing products supplied to major UK retailers.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to engage teams and drive change.
- A practical, commercially aware approach and the ability to make decisions quickly in a manufacturing environment.
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