Manufacturing Manager

Sector: Sheet Metal Manufacturing Location: Chorley Salary: [£ Competitive — Circa £50K] Hours: 39 per week (Mon–Thu 7:30am–4:30pm, Fri 7:30am–12:30pm) — enjoy your Friday afternoons back Reports to: Managing Director

Lead the floor. Drive the performance. Build the team.

We are working with a well-established sheet metal manufacturer to recruit a hands-on, results-driven Manufacturing Manager to take full ownership of their Sheet Metal Production Department. This is the role for someone who knows the shop floor as well as the spreadsheet — a leader who can hit production targets today while building the systems, people, and culture that win tomorrow.

If you understand laser cutting, punching, bending, fabrication, welding, finishing, paint and assembly — and you get a buzz out of turning a busy production area into a smooth, efficient, profitable operation — we want to hear from you.

What you'll be responsible for

You'll own the overall leadership, performance and continuous improvement of the department, making sure production targets, quality standards, delivery commitments, cost objectives and safety requirements are all met. Day to day, that means:

• Production & delivery — Building weekly and monthly production plans, chairing daily/weekly meetings, coordinating workflow across areas, and delivering customer orders On Time In Full (OTIF) while driving down lead times.
• Efficiency & improvement — Improving labour efficiency, machine utilisation and OEE, reducing downtime, scrap and rework, and leading Lean and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Quality — Maintaining and improving the Quality Management System, investigating root causes of defects, and championing a "Right First Time" culture.
• People & leadership — Developing skills across the teams, conducting appraisals, building succession plans, and promoting a positive, disciplined, high-performing environment.
• Health & Safety — Promoting a zero-accident culture, running risk assessments and safety reviews, and ensuring full compliance with statutory obligations.
• Cost control — Managing labour costs and overtime within budget, reducing cost per unit, and ensuring accurate job costing through clocking discipline and ERP accuracy.

What we're looking for

• Strong leadership and team management experience in a manufacturing environment
• Solid knowledge of sheet metal manufacturing processes
• Production planning and capacity management expertise
• ERP system proficiency
• Financial and cost awareness
• Lean Manufacturing knowledge
• Confident problem-solving and root cause analysis
• Excellent communication and organisational skills
• A sound understanding of Health & Safety

How you'll be measured

You'll own a clear set of KPIs, including OTIF delivery, output vs plan, OEE and machine utilisation, labour efficiency and cost per unit, Right First Time and reject rates, safety performance (LTIs, near-miss reporting), and team metrics such as turnover, absenteeism and training.

What's on offer

• A genuine leadership role with real autonomy and direct access to the Managing Director
• An early Friday finish every week

Ready to apply?

To find out more or to apply, please submit your CV or call (phone number removed) and one of our consultants will be in touch. 

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.