General Manager/Plant Manager - Heavy Process Manufacturing

PLANT MANAGER / GENERAL MANAGER - HEAVY PROCESS MANUFACTURING

South Yorkshire / North Midlands Border

C£90,000 + Bonus + Car Allowance + Executive Benefits

A Leadership Role That Will Define Operational Performance for the Next Decade

This is not a role for someone seeking incremental progression.

It is a leadership appointment for an individual who understands how to build capability, drive accountability, and elevate operational performance through people within complex, heavy industrial environments.

Our client operates one of the UK's most significant multi-site processing operations, producing high-volume, technically demanding products for critical industrial applications. The business is well-established, financially stable, and central to its markets-yet now seeks to move beyond steady-state performance and unlock the next phase of operational excellence.

The Context - A Stable Operation Ready for Evolution

The operation is not in distress. Safety, production and customer delivery are established and reliable.

However, the business recognises that:

• Performance is being sustained rather than stretched
• Leadership capability below senior level is not yet fully realised
• Greater accountability and ownership across teams is required

This role is therefore about evolution, not rescue.

It requires a leader who can shift an organisation from:

• Dependence on senior leadership

to

• A structure where performance is driven through empowered, accountable teams

The Scope - Multi-Site, High Impact, Highly Visible

You will assume responsibility for a complex, energy-intensive operation comprising multiple processing plants across two sites, with:

• Turnover in excess of £100 million
• A diverse product portfolio
• A large, multi-layered operational workforce
• Direct accountability for senior operational leaders

You will operate at the intersection of:

• Operational delivery
• Commercial alignment
• Strategic planning

Ensuring production capability, cost efficiency and customer demand are consistently balanced and optimised.

The role carries full responsibility for:

• Operational performance and continuous improvement
• Health, safety and environmental standards
• Cost management and budget delivery
• Development of leadership capability across the operation
• Capital investment planning and execution

As outlined in the role profile, the operation requires alignment between production planning and commercial demand, alongside continuous improvement in efficiency, safety, and cost performance

The Environment - Complex, Unionised, Leadership-Dependent

This is a traditional heavy industrial environment with:

• Unionised workforce
• Established processes and systems
• Strong technical capability within teams

What it now requires is:

• Stronger leadership at multiple levels
• Greater ownership and accountability
• A leader who develops people rather than becomes the solution

What Will Define Your Success

Success in this role will not be measured by technical intervention.

It will be defined by your ability to:

• Build and strengthen leadership capability across the organisation
• Develop succession pipelines from apprentice through to senior leadership
• Create an environment where individuals are capable, empowered and accountable.
• Reduce reliance on senior leadership for day-to-day performance
• Drive measurable improvements in operational efficiency, cost performance and safety and compliance.

Who You Are

You are an experienced operational leader who has already:

• Led complex manufacturing or processing operations
• Managed large, multi-functional and unionised teams
• Delivered performance through others, not through direct intervention

Your background is likely to have been gained within heavy industrial or process-led environments, such as:

• Steel, glass, ceramics or other high-temperature manufacturing
• Chemical, petrochemical or continuous process operations
• Industrial manufacturing, energy-intensive or bulk processing environments
• Industrial minerals, cement, lime or quarrying

What matters most is not the specific product, but your ability to:

• Lead in complex, unionised environments
• Build capability and accountability across leadership layers
• Deliver sustainable operational performance through people

You understand that:

• sustainable performance is achieved through strong teams, not individual heroics

Working Model

This is a site-based leadership role.

Presence on site is essential to:

• Lead effectively
• Build relationships
• Drive cultural change

This is not a hybrid or remote position.

Candidates should be based within commuting distance of the South Yorkshire / North Midlands region.

The Opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to:

• Lead a strategically important UK operation
• Influence the future direction of a major industrial business
• Shape leadership capability across multiple sites
• Deliver meaningful, long-term operational transformation

Package

• £80,000 - £90,000 base salary
• 25% performance bonus
• £625 per month car allowance
• Private medical (family)
• Pension (10% employer contribution)
• Additional flexible benefits

Application

To explore this opportunity in confidence, please apply with a detailed CV.

All applications will be handled with strict confidentiality.

Ref: 3566689