Job Description

: Head of Manufacturing

Job Title:

Head of Manufacturing

Company:

Zeus Media Limited

Location:

WS9 8BZ (On-site)

Salary:

45,000-50,000 per year (DOE)

Hours:

Full-time, Monday-Friday, core hours with flexibility required

About Us

Zeus Media Limited is a market-leading label manufacturer with a reputation for efficiency, innovation, and quality. We operate advanced finishing and converting machinery in a clean, modern, high-performance environment. Our team work hard, think differently, and support each other to deliver exceptional results for our customers.

We are now looking for a

Head of Manufacturing

-- a strategic leader who will drive operational excellence, develop our processes, and take ownership of manufacturing performance and development across the factory floor.

Role Overview

As Head of Manufacturing, you will be responsible for leading and managing all manufacturing functions across the business. You will ensure production runs smoothly, on time, to quality standards and cost expectations, and that continuous improvement is embedded in everything we do. You will develop and implement strategies, systems, and practices to optimise performance, reduce variability, and support growth.

You will lead by example, coach and develop team members, and work with cross-functional leaders (Sales, Operations, Engineering, Quality) to deliver operational goals.

This is a

hands-on, operationally focused leadership role

-- not purely office-based. You will be expected to spend significant time on the factory floor, coaching, observing, solving problems, and elevating standards.

Key ResponsibilitiesOperational Leadership

Provide leadership and management of the manufacturing/production function across all shifts. Set performance goals in productivity, quality, delivery, cost and safety. Oversee planning, scheduling, workflow, and resource allocation. Ensure all work is carried out safely and comply with health & safety standards. Drive consistency in set-up changeovers, maintenance execution, and throughput efficiency.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead, mentor and develop supervisors, team leads, and operators. Identify capability gaps and implement training, development programs, and succession planning. Foster a "can-do," high-performance culture that matches the company's core values. Conduct performance reviews, set objectives, and monitor progress.

Process Improvement & Quality

Own continuous improvement strategies (Lean, 5S, Waste reduction). Analyse production data and KPIs to identify bottlenecks, waste, underperformance and areas for improvement. Work with teams to implement improvements, verify results, and document standard work. Sustain compliance to internal quality standards, customer requirements, and industry norms.

Technical & Equipment Oversight

Influence decisions on machinery upgrades, tooling acquisition, and process technologies. Work with Engineering/Technical teams on preventative maintenance planning, breakdown response, and uptime improvement. Ensure effective machine performance, troubleshooting support and technical alignment between shifts.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Sales, Planning and Supply teams to align production outputs with customer commitments. Work with Quality/Compliance teams on SOPs, audits, documentation and corrective actions. Support operations leadership with budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and capital planning.

Reporting & Accountability

Monitor, measure and report manufacturing KPIs (OEE, yield, downtime, quality, on-time delivery). Present performance to senior leadership and propose action plans. Implement corrective actions and follow through delivery to avoid recurrence.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for someone who is:

Operationally Strong

You've been accountable for running production lines, scheduling, and delivery in a manufacturing environment. You understand changeover optimisation, uptime performance, throughput, quality control and machine efficiency.

A Proven Leader

You can motivate, develop, and hold people accountable. You communicate clearly -- both on the factory floor and with senior stakeholders. You build trust, lead by example, and can manage conflict with professionalism.

Analytical & Improvement-Driven

You use data to make decisions, and you drive improvements that stick. You have experience with continuous improvement methodologies.

Hands-On & Practical

You are comfortable walking the production floor every day. You understand mechanical processes, tooling, troubleshooting, and how production actually runs in real life -- not just in theory.

Culturally Aligned

You value teamwork and work with people, not at them. You expect high standards and lead others to meet them. You are resilient, decisive, and solutions-oriented.

Requirements

Proven experience in a manufacturing leadership role (Head of Manufacturing, Operations Manager, Production Manager, Plant Manager or equivalent) -- ideally in print, labels, packaging, converting, manufacturing or similar process environment. Strong mechanical and operational understanding. Experience with scheduling, planning and performance measurement. Track record of leading teams and delivering measurable improvements. Competent with production data, KPIs, and reporting. Good communication skills and stakeholder management. UK right-to-work.

Benefits

Competitive salary (40000-50,000 DOE). Bonus scheme. 28 days holiday (including bank holidays). Full training and professional development. Leadership opportunity in a growing company. Clean, modern workspace. Free on-site parking. Supportive, collaborative working environment.
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: 40,000.00-50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Canteen Free parking On-site parking Profit sharing
Work Location: In person