Description

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Production Manager to lead our workshop operations and manage production scheduling at our factory in Newbury.

This is a pivotal role combining hands-on leadership with strategic planning and data-driven decision-making.

You will be responsible for coordinating people, materials, and workflow across multiple concurrent bespoke projects – ensuring they are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards.

You’ll analyse production requirements, schedule effectively, and continually develop our production team, our capabilities and capacity.

Key Responsibilities

• Uphold high standards of health, safety, and environmental compliance.
• Plan/schedule and oversee all production activities, balancing resource capability, workload, capacity, and deadlines, meeting job budgets, specifications, and quality standards.
• Ensure materials, contracted services, and components are available in-line with production plans.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a team of skilled production staff.
• Use data and reporting to manage production requirements; identify and address issues, bottlenecks, and drive improvement.
• Responsible for production area layout, enhancements, maintenance and overall housekeeping.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance and increase capability, workflow, quality, and profitability.
• Overall responsibility for production and companywide safety, including reviewing current and ongoing controls and implementing improvements.
• Working closely with cross functioning teams.
• Deliver business objectives and initiatives.
• Evaluate and implement required equipment, software, and/or process improvements.

Experience & Skills

• Experience managing a safety-first production environment and culture.
• Proven experience in production management in signage or similar industry (production, manufacturing, and fabrication)
• Strong analytical and planning skills with a focus on production scheduling and workflow optimisation.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft suite.
• Comfortable implementing, working with, and developing job management, scheduling, or ERP systems.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, able to respect, motivate and coordinate a diverse skilled and respected team.
• Solid understanding of relevant materials, and associated handling and processing.
• Solid understanding of relevant production machinery/equipment, and associated capabilities and limitations.
• Calm, organised, and solutions-driven, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with a can-do attitude.
• Proven experience and practical leadership are key.
• Existing Health & Safety or supervisory certification (e.g. IOSH, first aid) advantageous.

Key Benefits

We are a small versatile collective of makers, thinkers, and doers.

Our passion for what we do manifests in our love of craft, pride in our people and the partnerships we have with our clients. Our tight-knit team make impactful and measurable contributions in a dynamic, high-impact environment.

Being part of the Cobal team includes :

• Competitive salary (regularly reviewed, aligned to experience and skills)
• Pension contribution
• Ongoing personal development & training
• Friendly and supportive work environment
• Being part of an industry leading growing business
• Wellbeing initiatives