Head of Production
Every business has a core function, which might be making something, supplying it or offering a service. But businesses also need a whole infrastructure around them to run, from marketing to personnel.
The head of production is there to ensure the smooth operation of that core function on which everything else depends. It’s a crucial task, and although there will be plenty of important interaction with the other departments, they will be steering the company’s profitability.
Another important role of the head of production will be overseeing the development of new products to take to market. In technical businesses, that could involve overseeing a research and development department or a team of engineers, but in more generic or creative industries such as fashion, managing designers and factories, and maintaining a supply chain, will be part of the job.
The skills required
Production is a wide-ranging subject, covering everything from food supply to creating aviation components, so managers tend to be drawn from within certain sectors as they have familiarity with the way business is done. That said, head of production jobs often go to candidates with a varied CV, as it shows they have a grasp of the principles of productivity that they can apply to various industries.
Whatever your background, you’ll need to show an ability to think strategically, as production line creation and research are long processes that need plenty of forward planning. That will also mean that you’re constantly dealing with current projects as well as those in development and brand new concepts that might be a decade away. And all the time, you’ll need great personal skills as it's the team below you, and the board, who need to be up to speed on developments and goals.
Head of Production Jobs in St Helens
As towns go, St Helens is relatively new, only being formally declared a town in the middle of the 1800s as a result of the rapid growth and joining together of a number of small villages and hamlets. It’s fair to say that St Helens had a good Industrial Revolution, with good coal mining, chemical works, salt mining, lime and alkali extraction and copper smelting going on in the area. But all this was overshadowed by St Helens’s reputation as a glassmaking town, with several huge factories contributing to the success.
Glassmaking and coal mining survived as a large employers up until the 1980s and early 1990s, but it these associations have more or less left the town now, except for Pilkington, which remains in the town.
St Helens now exists as a mainly residential town, with retail and entertainment playing a large part. As well as a thriving town centre there are several retail outlets and supermarkets for big-name brands. It’s also in the commuter belt for both Liverpool and Manchester, and is well served by road and rail. The blend of industry and residential trade does create the opportunity for Head of Production vacancies to appear in St Helens, and we have found several of these or related placements in recent years.
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Head of production recruitment at Cast UK
If you think you deserve a better head of production salary, Cast UK is where to start looking for your next career move.We only deal with managerial and executive level candidates, so you know that if you see a job on our boards, or if we contact you with a potential opening, it’s going to be a high quality position. Click the link below to register with us so we can contact you.
Recruitment is a two-way process, so if you’re an employer looking for a head of production, you can trust Cast UK to filter out the unqualified and cut straight to the chase with an excellent shortlist when you use us. If you’re looking for the perfect recruitment partner, call 0333 121 3345 and speak to one or our specialists.
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