Mill Manager - Workington Mill

Are you an experienced industrial leader ready to take overall responsibility for a complex, sustainable manufacturing operation?

Are you a culture-builder with a strong focus on results, who is passionate about leadership and wants to shape the future of the Workington mill?   

We are now looking for a Mill Manager to lead our mill into the future.

Your next workplace

Holmen Workington Mill is an integrated pulp and paperboard mill located on the edge of the Lake District in the north of England. We produce premium paperboard under the Incada brand – an important part of the shopping experience for customers around the world.

Since 2013, the Workington Mill has been powered almost entirely by fossil-free energy. Today, circa 370 colleagues work together here in a safety-focused, collaborative and development-driven environment, close to both nature and community.

Holmen is a company characterised by courage, commitment and responsibility.  These values are the key to our success and help support behaviours, priorities and decisions every day. At the Workington mill, we continuously work to improve and develop our working methods to ensure quality and sustainability.

Your future challenge

As Mill Manager, you have overall responsibility for the operation, performance, and long-term development of the Workington Mill. You lead and develop the mill organisation in line with Holmen’s values and the business area’s strategy, with a strong focus on safety, customer focus, efficiency, and sustainability.

You provide clear direction and inspiring leadership, build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and drive continuous improvement and innovation in line with Holmen’s ambitions.

Employee engagement is a key success factor at the Workington Mill. As Mill Manager, you actively involve others, value diverse perspectives, and foster open dialogue. You promote continuous learning through regular feedback, challenge yourself and others to develop, and build a strong, collaborative team culture that supports well-informed decision-making.

This is a senior leadership role with significant influence, where you set direction, ensure safe and stable operations, and strengthen the mill’s competitiveness both today and for the future.

Your main areas of responsibility:- 

• Overall responsibility for mill operations, performance, and results
• Lead and develop the mill organisation, management team, and leaders
• Drive continuous improvements in safety, quality, productivity, and cost efficiency
• Ensure strong customer focus and delivery performance
• Develop the mill in line with Holmen’s sustainability ambitions and long-term strategy
• Act as a role model for Holmen’s values: courage, commitment, and responsibility
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and safety requirements
• Lead change and development initiatives to strengthen competitiveness and resilience

To succeed in this role

The successful candidate will hold a relevant degree in engineering, industrial economics or similar; several years’ experience of leadership within the manufacturing industry; good knowledge of working environment and safety matters; strong drive and the ability to engage and develop your employees; as well as excellent communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships.

We believe you bring:

• Solid experience from the manufacturing industry
• Proven leadership capabilities and substantial experience in managing people and organisations
• Experience of operations and working as part of the senior management team
• Strong financial and business understanding
• A university degree or equivalent experience

It is considered an advantage if you also have experience of lean manufacturing and change management.

As a person, you are a clear, inspiring and values-driven leader who creates trust and engagement. You work in a structured and goal-oriented way, are comfortable making decisions, and have a genuine interest in developing both people and performance.

Our Offer

At Holmen, you will step into a senior, strategically important role within an international, sustainability-driven organisation with strong values and long-term ambitions. You will be entrusted with a broad mandate and significant autonomy, with real influence over the mill’s performance, development and long term competitiveness. 

We have an open and welcoming atmosphere, shaped by our values of courage, commitment and responsibility. The role combines strategic responsibility with hands-on leadership, offering the opportunity to drive change, shape priorities, and deliver tangible impact in a core part of our business.

This is a unique opportunity for you who want to operate at a high strategic level within a global company, while also benefiting from close collaboration and fast decision-making, and from living and working close to the Lake District, an environment that offers exceptional access to nature, outdoor activities, and a high quality of life.

Apply today

Does this sound like your next challenge? You are warmly welcome to submit your application; we will review applications on an ongoing basis.