Production Manager

• Lead day-to-day production across complex electrical and fabrication projects.
• Be the link between planning and execution on the ground.
• Join a growing business where workflow, safety, and quality genuinely matter.

Help deliver the work that keeps projects moving. Safely, efficiently, and to the highest standard.

ADE is continuing to grow its project pipeline and workshop capability, driven by strong demand from the rapidly expanding data centre and critical infrastructure sector. As investment in energy resilience and high-reliability infrastructure accelerates, the business is scaling to deliver more complex, higher-specification work at pace.

This is your opportunity to build capability in a fast-growing industry where precision, speed, and reliability directly enable major infrastructure outcomes. It’s an environment that strengthens leadership in production discipline, commercial awareness, and large-scale delivery.

You’ll report to the Operations Manager and work closely with engineering, procurement, and workshop teams. You’ll be trusted to lead from the front, solve problems in real time, and keep production moving. Importantly, your work will directly support the delivery of infrastructure that underpins the digital economy, meaning the impact of your output is visible, meaningful, and tied to high-growth national and global demand.

What you’ll be responsible for:

You’ll be the leader and coordinator of production activities across multiple projects and workstreams, ensuring clear expectations are set around performance, priorities, and work standards, always with a focus on embedding a strong safety culture.

You’ll be pivotal in building effective working relationships on site and contributing to continuous improvement across production processes and workflow.

• Coordinating labour, materials, plant, and subcontractors to meet production schedules.
• Executing work in line with drawings, specifications, and approved plans.
• Monitoring progress and proactively addressing delays, bottlenecks, or constraints.
• Supporting short-term planning, look-ahead scheduling, and work sequencing.
• Providing accurate updates on progress, productivity, and risks to the Operations Manager.
• Monitoring quality of work, reducing rework, and maintaining high standards.
• Supporting job costing, labour tracking, and identification of variations.

What you’ll bring:

You’ll be comfortable operating at pace in high-pressure environments, while maintaining a calm and considered approach.

Your experience leading production or operational teams within heavy manufacturing, fabrication, or mechanical environments, where workflow, capacity, and output are tightly managed, will set you up for success.

• Strong understanding of production planning, workflow, and capacity management.
• The ability to coordinate labour, machinery, and materials to maximise efficiency and output.
• Demonstrated experience driving continuous improvement initiatives, with a strong working knowledge of LEAN principles and Six Sigma methodologies.
• Demonstrated leadership experience across trades, supervisors, or shift-based teams.
• A strong focus on quality, with experience reducing defects and rework.
• A visible and practical commitment to safety in workshop or site environments.
• Solid problem-solving skills and the ability to make decisions in real time.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across teams and stakeholders.
• Trade or tertiary qualifications in mechanical, fabrication, or production-related disciplines (highly regarded).

What’s on offer:

This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll have real influence over day-to-day production outcomes, with the opportunity to help shape how production is planned, coordinated, and delivered within a structured and accountable environment.

• A team environment that values safety, teamwork, and getting the job done properly.
• Long-term opportunity as the business continues to expand its capability and capacity.

Additional details:

• Based in Hexham with regular workshop and site engagement.
• Involvement across multiple concurrent projects and production activities.

If you’re a practical, hands-on leader who thrives in the detail of daily operations, and you enjoy bringing order, structure, and momentum to production environments, this is your opportunity.

Apply now or reach out to Paul at Rarekind for a confidential discussion.

Email: psneddon@rarekind.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-sneddon/

Reference Number

BH-61622

Contact

Sophie Farmer

Consultant – Engineering, Supply Chain & Logistics