Manufacturing Project Manager Recruitment

Manufacturing Project Manager recruitment at PMagency focuses on organisations delivering projects where production continuity, cost control and quality are tightly linked. We work with manufacturers across the UK including automotive, aerospace, food and beverage, FMCG and industrial engineering businesses operating in high volume or regulated environments.

Clients typically engage us when capital projects disrupt output, process improvement initiatives fail to embed or new product introductions overrun due to poor cross functional coordination. Manufacturing Project Management requires professionals who can operate confidently between production, engineering, supply chain and commercial teams. Our insight is informed by the PMagency Annual Salary Survey, now in its 14th year, tracking long term hiring and salary trends across UK manufacturing.

Roles we recruit for and 2026 salary insight

• Junior Project Manager (2026 average salary £40,100)
  Salaries increased by 4.0% compared with 2025 as manufacturers continue to strengthen delivery support functions. Junior Project Managers typically assist with planning, reporting and coordination between production and engineering teams. Hybrid working stands at 42%, reflecting the need for on site engagement.

• Project Manager (2026 average salary £59,300)
  Up 4.6% year on year, driven by demand across capital investment, automation and process improvement projects. Project Managers are responsible for end to end delivery including cost, schedule and production impact. PRINCE2, PMP and Six Sigma certification deliver an average salary uplift of 9%, particularly where projects carry operational risk.

• Senior Project Manager (2026 average salary £75,800)
  A 4.8% increase on 2025, reflecting pressure on complex, multi site manufacturing programmes. Senior Project Managers lead high value initiatives with direct impact on throughput, quality and cost. Hybrid working reduces to 35% due to site based delivery requirements.

• Programme Manager (2026 average salary £92,700)
  Salaries rose by 4.7% year on year, particularly within plant expansion, systems integration and continuous improvement portfolios. Programme Managers oversee interdependent projects aligned to production and commercial objectives.

• Continuous Improvement Manager (2026 average salary £79,900)
  Up 4.5% on last year, reflecting sustained investment in efficiency and waste reduction. This is one of the roles where Six Sigma is frequently referenced in job titles, particularly in high volume manufacturing.

Regionally, demand for Manufacturing Project Managers is strongest in the Midlands, North West, Yorkshire and the South West. The Midlands remains the largest employment base and sits close to the UK average, while the North West and Yorkshire have seen faster year on year salary growth of around 5.0% driven by automation and investment in advanced manufacturing. South East roles attract a salary premium of approximately 6%, largely within specialist and high value production environments.

According to PMagency Annual Salary Survey data, Manufacturing Project Management salaries have increased by 27% over the past five years, outperforming the wider Project Management market in production led sectors. 69% of Manufacturing Project Managers receive employer funded training, most commonly PRINCE2, PMP and Six Sigma Green or Black Belt. Certified professionals earn on average 10% more than non-certified peers, with the strongest uplift seen where delivery outcomes are directly linked to operational performance. Retention is closely tied to workload realism, site support and leadership alignment rather than flexible working, which remains secondary in most manufacturing settings.