Production Area Manager

Production Shift Manager / Area Manager – Food Manufacturing

Leicester | Three permanent vacancies | Early and afternoon shifts | Up to £43,800 + benefits

Can you help a good Team Leader become a better manager?

Someone who can handle a difficult conversation, make a sound decision and take responsibility for their team’s performance.

That’s a central part of these three Production Area Manager roles.

We’re working with an established food manufacturer in Leicester that needs experienced production leaders to develop its people and improve operational performance. There’s knowledge and talent within the workforce, alongside established ways of working that need a fresh perspective.

If you’re a Production Shift Manager, Area Manager, Section Manager or Production Manager who enjoys coaching people and making improvements on the factory floor, there’s plenty here to get involved in.

Three vacancies. Choose your shift.

Early shift — Monday–Friday, 06:00–14:30: Up to £43,800. Experience in chilled or high-care food manufacturing.

Afternoon shift — Monday–Friday, 14:00–22:30: Up to £41,500. Low-risk production experience, ideally within meat processing or meat manufacturing.

Afternoon shift — Sunday–Thursday, 13:30–22:00: Up to £43,800. Low-risk food manufacturing experience essential; raw meat or raw material handling experience highly desirable.

Each is a separate, permanent position with its own shift pattern.

The role

Reporting to a Production Manager, you’ll take responsibility for a production area, leading through your Team Leaders to deliver the daily production plan safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.

People management will be a substantial part of your role. You’ll coach Team Leaders, identify training needs and help capable colleagues prepare for greater responsibility. You’ll also manage performance, attendance and employee relations fairly and consistently.

Alongside developing the team, you’ll be responsible for:

Production performance: monitoring manufacturing KPIs, investigating shortfalls and implementing corrective actions.

Labour planning: organising people and resources to meet production requirements.

Food safety and quality: maintaining hygiene, HACCP and process standards throughout the shift.

Health and safety: ensuring safe working practices and addressing risks promptly.

Continuous improvement: identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency and strengthen working practices.

Cross-functional working: resolving operational issues with Technical, Engineering, Planning and Supply Chain colleagues.

Shift communication: setting clear priorities, running effective handovers and making sure actions are followed through.

The Sunday–Thursday role also carries responsibility as the most senior operational leader on shift, taking ownership of decisions and escalations across the area.

The challenge you’re taking on

This is a fast-paced food production environment with an experienced workforce. You’ll be managing people who know their jobs well, alongside colleagues who need more support to develop.

You’ll need to listen, earn credibility and explain why a change matters. Then make sure it happens.

That means being visible on the factory floor, addressing problems early and keeping standards consistent when production is under pressure. You’ll have support from an experienced leadership team and the opportunity to influence how your area operates.

What you’ll bring

You’ll have proven people-management experience within food manufacturing and a background relevant to the production area you’re applying for.

Your