Production Director

Established 1867, Todd & Duncan has earned the trust of fashion houses and knitwear manufacturers for generations, producing cashmere and lamb’s wool yarns coloured, spun and crafted in Scotland.

Combining traditional methods with a modern approach, all Todd & Duncan yarn is produced at its Loch Leven mill in Scotland, using methods that are true to the ways of the past. With a story that starts at the heart of the Scottish industrial era in Alva, it is now the only Scottish yarn spinner offering cashmere yarn to fashion houses and premium manufacturers worldwide.

With ambitious growth plans, the business is now seeking to appoint a new Production Director to join the senior leadership team, based in Kinross.

Reporting to the Managing Director, this is a fantastic opportunity at an exciting time for Todd & Duncan as it seeks to further drive performance across the business and expand into new markets. The Production Director will play a critical role in delivering a sound, robust and best in class operational platform for the business to build on.

There are also significant plans to modernise the factory on a large scale which will include new buildings and production machinery which will help us grow. The Production Director will play a lead role in the delivery of these plans both from a strategic and operational perspective and it would be advantageous if candidates had some experience of this. Clearly this is a highly attractive and rewarding part of the role.

The individual will hold overall accountability for the development and performance of the production function for the business along with the following responsibilities (not limited to);

• The development of a continual improvement programme and a strategic 5+ year capability map to ensure the People, Process and Systems are fit for purpose
• The ongoing management of a strategic CAPEX plan to deliver the business ambition, and propose factory improvement projects which will improve business performance
• Engagement with all areas of the business including Technical, Commercial and Planning & Logistics to build a robust S&OP process, optimally balancing supply with demand in new and existing markets
• Provide supportive leadership and appropriate resources to underpin the business, strategic objectives and continually improve towards best practice across a suite of KPIs
• Construct and execute detailed AnnualOperating Plans which are updated quarterly and ensures consistent delivery of KPI and financial commitments, working with Planning, Procurement, Engineering and other support
• Drive sustained improvement in EHS, quality and efficiency through the transformation to lean manufacturing, and ensure Health and Safety is championed across the business
• Lead waste minimisation project across the site that covers raw material waste, minimise production and finished product waste/rejects
• Play a key role in the introduction of new products, optimisation of existing products and the identification, evaluation and introduction of modern technologies to improve product quality
• Present weekly/monthly reports to Board on factory performance to include labour and waste analysis

We are seeking to appoint an experienced Manufacturing leader with a track record of success preferably with an understanding of technical textile production processes.

The successful candidate will possess most of the following;

Education

• Engineering, Science or Operations/Supply Chain related degree or a relevant discipline.

Certifications

• Lean, Six Sigma or TPM accreditation would be advantageous.

Experience & Skills

• Experience of operating in a senior operations role within a technical textiles production environment, with an understanding of yarn production processes (advantageous).
• Plant General Management is essential, leading multidisciplinary teams. Broader supply chain experience would be an advantage, particularly S&OP.
• Experienced in ‘Operational Excellence’ programs (Lean, 6 Sigma, TPM) and ideally has implemented a pillar framework in a site or multi-site environment.
• Inclusive and collaborative style, able to work in matrix organisations, connecting people and best-practices. Tough on standards and execution discipline.