Pybus Recruitment Ltd
Workshop Production Manager
Newcastle upon Tyne
£80k/yr
Posted 4 months ago
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Job Title: Workshop Production Manager
Location: Manufacturing Facility
Reports to: Managing Director
Direct Reports: Workshop Supervisors, Team Leaders, and up to 35 Industrial Engineers
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Role Overview
The Workshop Production Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant delivery of production operations within a specialist vehicle manufacturing environment. The role provides overall leadership of workshop activities, ensuring vehicles are manufactured to specification, on time, and in full compliance with homologation and industry safety standards.
The postholder will lead and manage a team of approximately 35 industrial engineers, covering fabrication, assembly, and production support functions. Using industrial engineering principles, the Workshop Production Manager will drive productivity, efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement, while maintaining the highest standards of health and safety.
Key Responsibilities
Workshop & Production Management
- Lead the day-to-day operation of the manufacturing workshop, ensuring production targets, quality standards, and delivery deadlines are met
- Translate production plans into clear daily and weekly schedules for fabrication and assembly teams
- Monitor workflow, identify constraints, and implement corrective actions to maintain throughput
- Ensure effective utilisation of labour, materials, equipment, and space
- Drive a culture of accountability, discipline, and operational excellence
Management & Leadership of Industrial Engineering Team
- Provide direct leadership and management of a team of approximately 35 industrial engineers
- Set clear objectives, performance expectations, and accountability aligned to business and production goals
- Allocate workloads, balance capacity, and ensure resources are deployed effectively
- Conduct regular one-to-ones, performance reviews, and annual appraisals
- Identify skills gaps and ensure appropriate training, certification, and development plans are in place
- Build and sustain a high-performing team culture focused on quality, safety, and continuous improvement
Safety Leadership & Compliance
- Act as a visible and proactive safety leader across the workshop and engineering teams
- Ensure full compliance with HSE legislation, company policies, and safe systems of work
- Oversee risk assessments, method statements, and safe operating procedures for engineering and fabrication activities
- Promote a strong safety culture through toolbox talks, training, and behavioural safety initiatives
- Investigate incidents and near misses, ensuring root causes are identified and corrective actions implemented
- Ensure all machinery, tools, and fabrication processes are operated safely and compliant with regulations
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Industrial Engineering & Process Optimisation
- Apply industrial engineering principles to optimise workflows, layouts, and production processes
- Define, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and increase repeatability
- Conduct time studies, capacity planning, and process reviews
- Support new product introductions and changes to build processes
Sheet Metal Fabrication & Vehicle Assembly
- Oversee all sheet metal fabrication activities, including cutting, forming, bending, welding, and finishing
- Ensure fabrication and assembly activities meet engineering drawings, tolerances, and quality standards
- Coordinate fabrication, sub-assembly, and final vehicle build operations
- Work closely with engineering and design teams to resolve build issues and improve manufacturability
Quality, Compliance & Homologation
- Ensure all vehicles manufactured are compliant with relevant industry safety standards and homologation requirements
- Support preparation of technical documentation, build records, and evidence packs for regulatory approval
- Liaise with quality, engineering, and external authorities during audits, inspections, and certification activities
- Ensure non-conformances are addressed promptly and corrective actions verified
- Maintain full traceability and production records to support compliance and quality assurance
Productivity, Efficiency & Performance Management
- Drive productivity and efficiency across the workshop using data-driven decision making
- Monitor and report on KPIs including output, labour efficiency, quality, downtime, rework, and safety performance
- Balance cost, quality, delivery, and safety to achieve optimal production performance
- Report regularly to senior management on production status, risks, and improvement actions
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Materials, Equipment & Cross-Functional Coordination
- Coordinate with procurement and planning teams to ensure material availability aligns with production schedules
- Manage workshop equipment maintenance and support capital investment decisions
- Work closely with operations, quality, engineering, and compliance teams to deliver integrated manufacturing outcomes
Requirements
Skills, Experience & Qualifications
Essential Experience
- Proven experience as a Workshop Production Manager, Manufacturing Manager, or equivalent in a vehicle, engineering, or fabrication environment
- Demonstrable experience leading large industrial engineering or production teams (30+ employees)
- Strong background in specialist or low-volume vehicle manufacturing or major accident repair
- Hands-on experience with sheet metal fabrication processes
- Solid understanding of industrial engineering principles
- Experience supporting homologation and compliance to vehicle safety standards
- Track record of driving productivity, safety, and continuous improvement in a regulated environment
Essential Skills & Knowledge
- Strong leadership, people management, and decision-making skills
- Excellent planning, scheduling, and problem-solving abilities
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications
- Strong working knowledge of UK/EU HSE and vehicle safety regulations
- Data-driven approach with experience using KPIs to drive performance
- Confident communicator across engineering, production, and senior leadership teams
Desirable Qualifications
- Degree or HNC/HND in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering
- Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma qualification
- IOSH or NEBOSH Health & Safety qualification
- Experience working within ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
- Production output versus plan
- Labour efficiency and productivity
- Quality and first-time-right build performance
- Homologation and audit success
- Health & Safety performance metrics
- Continuous improvement and waste reduction outcomes
Benefits
- £80,000 OTE
- Hours 7am to 4pm Mon-Fri
- Company Pension
- Holiday allowance
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Skills
Workshop management
Production management
Industrial engineering
Sheet metal fabrication
Vehicle assembly
Team leadership
Process optimization
Health and safety compliance
Homologation
Quality assurance
KPI reporting
Capacity planning
Lean manufacturing
Six sigma
Risk assessment
Technical documentation