About the Role
The Senior Production Manager will be responsible for leading day-to-day production across a high-volume offset printing and die-cutting facility. This role owns production performance—safety, quality, output, scrap, cost, and on-time delivery—while driving continuous improvement and developing teams.
Key Activities
Lead daily production planning and execution across offset printing and die cutting to meet customer commitments and throughput targets.
Provide strong technical and process leadership in offset printing (make-ready, colour management, press efficiency, troubleshooting, maintenance coordination).
Oversee die cutting operations, including setup optimisation, tooling readiness, waste reduction, and throughput improvements.
Balance capacity, labour, and schedules across departments; partner with Planning/CSR/Sales to prioritise work and manage changes.
Champion a safety-first culture; ensure adherence to all EHS procedures and safe work practices.
Maintain and improve quality standards across printing and converting (in-process checks, defect prevention, root cause analysis).
Drive corrective actions for customer complaints and internal nonconformances; implement preventive measures.
Own KPIs including OEE/uptime, run speeds, waste/scrap, on-time delivery, rework, and labour productivity.
Implement Lean/CI initiatives (5S, standard work, SMED, visual management) to improve flow and reduce downtime and variation.
Partner with Maintenance to plan preventative maintenance and minimise unplanned downtime.
Support capital planning and equipment upgrades (press improvements, die cutting enhancements, automation opportunities).
Ensure readiness of materials, plates, inks, dies/tooling, and changeover execution.
Preferred Skills
Experience in folding carton, packaging, labels, or commercial print with converting operations.
Lean/CI background (Six Sigma/Lean certification a plus).
Familiarity with production management systems/ERP and shop-floor reporting (OEE, downtime tracking, etc.).
Education and Experience
7+ years of progressive manufacturing/production leadership experience in a high-volume offset printing environment.
Demonstrated technical strength in offset press operations (make-ready efficiency, quality control, troubleshooting, productivity improvement).
Working knowledge of die cutting operations (setups, tooling, throughput drivers, defect modes) with the ability to lead and optimise converting performance.
About Us
Finding a great opportunity that fosters growth, a great culture, and leadership opportunities can be difficult. Top Quality Recruitment (TQR) connects professionals with leadership opportunities across the Packaging, Food and Beverage, Medical Devices, and Biotechnology industries. With 50+ years of experience, we believe in one-to-one communication and finding the best candidate/employer match possible.
TQR is an equal-opportunity employer that encourages diversity. We will consider all applications.
Accommodation for applicants with disabilities is available upon request.
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