Assistant Production Manager - County Leitrim

Assistant Production Manager - County Leitrim

Department: Operations

Reports to: Site Manager

The Role

Our client is seeking an Assistant Production Manager to support the day-to-day management of production operations within a busy manufacturing environment.

Reporting to the Site Manager and working closely with the Production Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the efficient operation of the production facility, ensuring production targets, quality standards, yields, cost controls and delivery schedules are achieved while maintaining compliance with Health & Safety, Food Safety and Environmental standards.

The role also contributes to operational planning, continuous improvement initiatives and the ongoing development of production processes.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operational Management

• Plan, coordinate and oversee daily production activities to ensure safe, efficient and cost-effective operations.
• Develop production plans in collaboration with Planning and Sales teams to meet customer demand.
• Support the delivery of production, quality and service objectives.
• Monitor daily production performance, including productivity, yields, waste, downtime and operational KPIs.
• Support improvements in production efficiency and manufacturing processes.
• Lead and support production teams to achieve the highest standards of safety, quality, productivity and customer service.
• Ensure customer orders are produced accurately and delivered in accordance with customer specifications and agreed timelines.
• Work closely with supervisors and production teams to ensure appropriate staffing, equipment and resources are available to meet production targets.

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Champion Health & Safety initiatives across the production department.
• Complete routine safety inspections and ensure safe systems of work are maintained.
• Promote compliance with Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental policies and procedures.
• Foster a strong safety-first culture throughout the production team.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and process improvement activities.
• Ensure production quality standards are consistently achieved.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives to improve productivity and reduce waste.
• Implement operational improvements that enhance efficiency, reduce inventory and minimise production costs.
• Support change management initiatives aligned with business objectives.

Maintenance & Resource Planning

• Liaise with the Maintenance team to ensure preventative maintenance programmes are completed and equipment downtime is minimised.
• Support workforce planning and recruitment activities to ensure appropriate staffing levels.
• Ensure employees receive appropriate induction, training and ongoing development.
• Maintain training records and support employee competency development.

Performance Management & Reporting

• Conduct performance reviews and support the ongoing development of direct reports.
• Address performance issues in line with company policies and procedures.
• Prepare daily, weekly and monthly operational reports including:
• Labour efficiency
• Productivity
• Recruitment and retention
• Attendance and absenteeism
• Equipment uptime and downtime
• Production KPIs
• Lead daily performance meetings and monitor agreed action plans.
• Collaboration

Work closely with cross-functional teams including:

• Site Management
• Production
• Quality
• Dispatch & Logistics
• Maintenance
• Planning
• Health & Safety
• Human Resources
• Finance

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

Essential Requirements

• Previous experience in a Production Supervisor, Production Team Leader, Assistant Production Manager or similar manufacturing leadership role.
• Experience working within a manufacturing or food production environment.
• Strong understanding of production planning, operational KPIs and manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety, Quality and Food Safety standards.
• Experience leading and developing production teams.
• Excellent organisational, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Strong analytical ability with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Good IT skills and experience using production reporting systems.

Personal Attributes

• Hands-on leadership style with a proactive approach.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• Ability to motivate and develop teams.
• Results-driven with excellent attention to detail.
• Effective decision-maker with strong problem-solving ability.
• Committed to operational excellence, safety and continuous improvement.