Production Manager (Digital Printing and Automation)

This role leads the Digital Printing and Automated Finishing operations at the Dagenham site, with end-to-end accountability for digital print, UV varnishing, lamination, and Smart Stacker automation.

The Production Manager will drive operational excellence, combining people leadership, process optimisation, and technology-led manufacturing to deliver high-quality, on-time, cost-effective production at scale. The role plays a critical part in supporting business growth through automation, waste reduction, quality improvement, and continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

Operational Leadership & Manufacturing Excellence

· Lead and manage all aspects of Digital Printing, UV Varnishing, Lamination, and Smart Stacker automated finishing.

· Ensure production plans are delivered safely, efficiently, and to agreed OTIF, quality, and cost targets.

· Own day-to-day production performance, capacity planning, and workflow optimisation across the digital print value stream.

· Drive a high-performance culture focused on quality, pace, accountability, and continuous improvement.

· Act as a key contributor to site-wide production strategy and peak planning.

People Management & Workforce Planning

· Build, lead, and develop a team of Operators who are flexible, multi-skilled, and quality driven.

· Attend daily production stand-up meetings to review performance, risks, and priorities.

· Deliver structured performance reviews, appraisals, and KPI’s aligned to business objectives.

· Manage attendance, timekeeping, and shift compliance.

· Design and maintain effective shift patterns and production workflows.

· Plan and manage temporary labour requirements in advance of peak periods.

Training, Skills & Capability Development

· Oversee role-specific induction training for digital print and automated finishing.

· Drive cross-skilling and multi-machine capability across digital print, varnish, lamination, and automation.

· Work collaboratively with other Production Managers to support cross-departmental skills coverage.

· Define, control, and audit machine training standards to ensure only trained and authorised staff operate equipment.

Quality, Efficiency & Continuous Improvement

· Embed a customer-centric quality culture across print, UV, Lamination and Smart Stacker.

· Ensure all production meets or exceeds company KPIs for quality, productivity, waste, and cost.

· Analyse quality data from customer feedback and internal metrics, leading corrective and preventative actions.

· Champion lean manufacturing principles, driving waste reduction and efficiency improvements.

· Ensure production areas and equipment are maintained to high standards of 5S, cleanliness, and safety.

· Own preventative and corrective maintenance routines (daily / weekly / monthly).

· Monitor, analyse, and reduce downtime across all digital and automated equipment.

· Lead waste analysis across production and suppliers, implementing measurable improvement actions.

· Plan and schedule work to ensure downstream processes meet customer delivery date and time requirements.

· Use data to drive informed decisions on capacity, performance, and improvement priorities.

Skills & Experience

· Strong experience in Digital Printing within a fast-paced production environment

· Proven leadership experience managing production teams and shift patterns

· Experience with automated finishing or production automation

· Strong understanding of quality systems, waste reduction, and lean manufacturing

· Confident using production systems (e.g. Site Flow, ERP/MRP systems)

· Excellent planning, prioritisation, and decision-making skills

· Experience with UV varnishing, lamination, or Smart Stacker / automated finishing systems