Job Title: Workshop Production Manager

Role Overview

The Workshop Production Manager is responsible for the safe efficient and compliant delivery of production operations within a specialist vehicle manufacturing environment. The role provides overall leadership of workshop activities ensuring vehicles are manufactured to specification on time and in full compliance with homologation and industry safety standards.

The postholder will lead and manage a team of approximately 35 industrial engineers covering fabrication assembly and production support functions. Using industrial engineering principles the Workshop Production Manager will drive productivity efficiency quality and continuous improvement while maintaining the highest standards of health and safety.

Key Responsibilities

Workshop & Production Management

• Lead the daytoday operation of the manufacturing workshop ensuring production targets quality standards and delivery deadlines are met
  
• Translate production plans into clear daily and weekly schedules for fabrication and assembly teams
  
• Monitor workflow identify constraints and implement corrective actions to maintain throughput
  
• Ensure effective utilisation of labour materials equipment and space
  
• Drive a culture of accountability discipline and operational excellence
  

Management & Leadership of Industrial Engineering Team

• Provide direct leadership and management of a team of approximately 35 industrial engineers
  
• Set clear objectives performance expectations and accountability aligned to business and production goals
  
• Allocate workloads balance capacity and ensure resources are deployed effectively
  
• Conduct regular onetoones performance reviews and annual appraisals
  
• Identify skills gaps and ensure appropriate training certification and development plans are in place
  
• Build and sustain a highperforming team culture focused on quality safety and continuous improvement
  

Safety Leadership & Compliance

• Act as a visible and proactive safety leader across the workshop and engineering teams
  
• Ensure full compliance with HSE legislation company policies and safe systems of work
  
• Oversee risk assessments method statements and safe operating procedures for engineering and fabrication activities
  
• Promote a strong safety culture through toolbox talks training and behavioural safety initiatives
  
• Investigate incidents and near misses ensuring root causes are identified and corrective actions implemented
  
• Ensure all machinery tools and fabrication processes are operated safely and compliant with regulations
  

Industrial Engineering & Process Optimisation

• Apply industrial engineering principles to optimise workflows layouts and production processes
  
• Define implement and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions
  
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce waste improve efficiency and increase repeatability
  
• Conduct time studies capacity planning and process reviews
  
• Support new product introductions and changes to build processes
  

Sheet Metal Fabrication & Vehicle Assembly

• Oversee all sheet metal fabrication activities including cutting forming bending welding and finishing
  
• Ensure fabrication and assembly activities meet engineering drawings tolerances and quality standards
  
• Coordinate fabrication subassembly and final vehicle build operations
  
• Work closely with engineering and design teams to resolve build issues and improve manufacturability
  

Quality Compliance & Homologation

• Ensure all vehicles manufactured are compliant with relevant industry safety standards and homologation requirements
  
• Support preparation of technical documentation build records and evidence packs for regulatory approval
  
• Liaise with quality engineering and external authorities during audits inspections and certification activities
  
• Ensure nonconformances are addressed promptly and corrective actions verified
  
• Maintain full traceability and production records to support compliance and quality assurance
  

Productivity Efficiency & Performance Management

• Drive productivity and efficiency across the workshop using datadriven decision making
  
• Monitor and report on KPIs including output labour efficiency quality downtime rework and safety performance
  
• Balance cost quality delivery and safety to achieve optimal production performance
  
• Report regularly to senior management on production status risks and improvement actions
  

Materials Equipment & CrossFunctional Coordination

• Coordinate with procurement and planning teams to ensure material availability aligns with production schedules
  
• Manage workshop equipment maintenance and support capital investment decisions
  
• Work closely with operations quality engineering and compliance teams to deliver integrated manufacturing outcomes
  

Skills Experience & Qualifications

Essential Experience

• Proven experience as a Workshop Production Manager Manufacturing Manager or equivalent in a vehicle engineering or fabrication environment
  
• Demonstrable experience leading large industrial engineering or production teams (30 employees)
  
• Strong background in specialist or lowvolume vehicle manufacturing or major accident repair
  
• Handson experience with sheet metal fabrication processes
  
• Solid understanding of industrial engineering principles
  
• Experience supporting homologation and compliance to vehicle safety standards
  
• Track record of driving productivity safety and continuous improvement in a regulated environment
  

Essential Skills & Knowledge

• Strong leadership people management and decisionmaking skills
  
• Excellent planning scheduling and problemsolving abilities
  
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications
  
• Strong working knowledge of UK/EU HSE and vehicle safety regulations
  
• Datadriven approach with experience using KPIs to drive performance
  
• Confident communicator across engineering production and senior leadership teams
  

Desirable Qualifications

• Degree or HNC/HND in Mechanical Manufacturing or Industrial Engineering
  
• Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma qualification
  
• IOSH or NEBOSH Health & Safety qualification
  
• Experience working within ISO 9001 or similar quality management systems
  

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Production output versus plan
  
• Labour efficiency and productivity
  
• Quality and firsttimeright build performance
  
• Homologation and audit success
  
• Health & Safety performance metrics
  
• Continuous improvement and waste reduction outcomes