Senior Manufacturing Leader

Are you an experienced Senior Manufacturing Leader looking for an opportunity to lead a large-scale operation, develop high-performing teams and drive lasting improvements in manufacturing performance and culture?

Job Title: Senior Manufacturing Leader

Location: Bury St Edmunds

Salary: Package Circa. £100,000

This Senior Manufacturing Leader role is a brilliant opportunity for a proven manufacturing professional who enjoys being visible within an operation, building strong relationships and taking ownership of meaningful change. You will join an established manufacturing business with significant investment support and a clear commitment to improving operational performance, colleague development and commercial results.

As a member of the Site Leadership Team, you will lead the entire supply operation, including engineering, while working closely with support functions through a matrix structure. The role combines responsibility for safe, reliable day-to-day delivery with a substantial transformation agenda, giving you the opportunity to shape how teams work, strengthen leadership capability and deliver sustainable improvements.

As Senior Manufacturing Leader, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading a large-scale manufacturing operation, taking accountability for safety, quality, customer service, productivity and cost.
• Developing and delivering the Operations Plan and Performance Improvement Plan, aligning priorities with the wider site strategy.
• Driving cultural change by improving engagement, building trust and creating greater ownership and accountability throughout the operation.
• Coaching and developing Operational Leaders, giving them the direction, support and autonomy to lead their teams effectively.
• Improving overall equipment effectiveness, operational reliability and productivity through Lean methodology and continuous improvement.
• Managing significant operational budgets, maintaining financial control and balancing production costs, customer requirements and profitability.
• Working closely with engineering teams to improve equipment performance and support sustainable operational improvements.
• Introducing and embedding standardised processes, ensuring changes are adopted consistently and improvements are sustained.
• Building strong relationships with commercial partners, central functions and the wider leadership team.
• Acting as a visible role model for quality, environmental, safety and health standards.

As a Senior Manufacturing Leader, you will need:

• Senior leadership experience within a complex, large-scale manufacturing or operational environment.
• A proven track record of personally leading substantial operational and cultural change, seeing initiatives through to sustained results.
• Experience building high-performing teams, developing managers and improving engagement through coaching and clear accountability.
• Evidence of improving manufacturing performance through Lean, DMAIC or other structured continuous improvement approaches.
• Experience managing significant budgets, with strong commercial awareness and an understanding of how operational decisions affect profitability.
• A strong commitment to safety leadership and experience developing a positive, proactive safety culture.
• Confident communication and influencing skills, including experience working across functions within a matrix structure.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to build business cases and make sound decisions under pressure.

You will need to be approachable, commercially aware and confident leading through people. This Senior Manufacturing Leader opportunity will suit someone who listens, builds credibility on the factory floor and brings teams together around clear objectives. You will combine high expectations with a supportive coaching style, giving people the confidence and autonomy to develop while holding them accountable for results.

With significant scope to influence culture, performance and long-term business outcomes, this role offers a substantial leadership challenge and a platform for future senior leadership progression.

If you are an experienced Senior Manufacturing Leader looking for a role where you can take ownership and make a real impact, apply today with your CV.

We would love to discuss your experience and tell you more about the opportunity.

Anne Corder Recruitment Ltd acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and as an employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying you will be registered as a candidate with Anne Corder Recruitment Ltd, and your personal data may be added to our database as part of the application process. Our privacy policy is available on our website and explains how we will use your data.

Your details will be reviewed by one of our Recruitment Partners and we will contact you within 5 working days if your application is to be progressed further. INDEEDENG