Assistant Production Manager - Food Manufacturing
Co. Antrim
Salary: Competitive + Benefits

An established and well-invested food manufacturing business in Co. Antrim is currently recruiting for an Assistant Production Manager to support operations across their production departments. This is a key role within the production leadership team, offering exposure to a complex, high-performing site with strong development opportunities.

Why apply?
This role offers an excellent opportunity for a driven and capable production professional to take the next step in their leadership career within a dynamic food manufacturing environment. It is suited to someone who thrives on the factory floor, enjoys mentoring teams, and is passionate about delivering high-quality results

Insight into your day to day:
You will work closely with the Production Manager to ensure daily output, quality, compliance, and team performance targets are consistently met - with a strong emphasis on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

• Support the day-to-day running of Cheese or Whey production, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.
• Maintain a strong safety culture on site, ensuring adherence to health & safety and environmental compliance.
• Drive product quality and process consistency through effective GMP practices and team supervision.
• Play a hands-on role in leading, mentoring, and developing production operators and team leaders.
• Support performance management, attendance, training, and communication across your team.
• Ensure SOPs are understood, trained, and consistently followed across shifts.
• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Quality, and Planning to optimise production performance.
• Prepare daily/weekly performance updates, reporting on KPIs, trends, and improvement areas.
• Contribute to key site projects, including process improvement, lean initiatives, and capital investments.

Your essential ingredients
Essential:

• A relevant degree (preferably in Food Technology or a related science-based field).
• Minimum 2 years' supervisory or management experience within a food, manufacturing, or production environment.
• Strong leadership and organisational skills, with the ability to manage priorities in a fast-paced setting.
• Confident communicator, capable of engaging with cross-functional teams and driving accountability.
• Comfortable using MS Office and digital production tools for reporting and analysis.

Desirable:

• Background in FMCG, dairy, or pharmaceutical production.
• Familiar with SCADA systems or similar plant automation tools.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing methodologies and continuous improvement tools such as RCA, 5 Whys, or Standard Work.

What to do next:
To apply or for a confidential discussion, contact Paul Muir on 02890 313720 or apply via the link.

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR A FULL LIST OF OUR CURRENT VACANCIES.