Shift Operations Lead — Lean Manufacturing (Pet Wellness)

Lyka Pet Food Pty; Greater Dandenong; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

18 weeks parental leave

Wellbeing support

Pet-friendly office

Training budget

Job summary

Lyka is a fast-growing Australian pet wellness company seeking a Production Leader to drive safety, quality and delivery across multiple high-speed production lines. You will manage SOPs, QA/QC, and ensure HACCP/GMP compliance while leading a large manufacturing team in a dynamic start-up environment.

You will champion continuous improvement, Lean methodologies, and cross-team collaboration to meet targets and shorten lead times.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of leadership experience in an automated food processing or FMCG environment.
• Proven experience managing a large workforce across multiple high-speed production lines.
• Hands-on experience with HACCP, GMP and FSSC 22000 (FSSC highly regarded).
• Demonstrated track record of implementing LEAN methodologies.
• Strong people leadership — you coach, develop, and get the best out of frontline teams.
• Experience facilitating root cause analysis forums.
• Mechanically minded with basic machine troubleshooting ability.
• Strong operational IT skills and attention to detail.
• Bachelor's degree in manufacturing, engineering or a related field (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Drive safety and compliance with SOPs, policies, and Golden SHEQ Rules.
• Lead inspections, GEMBA walks, and action close-out.
• Champion Lyka's SHEQ system and continuous improvement forums.
• Manage SOP, QA and QC documentation and audit operator performance.
• Ensure HACCP, GMP and other standards are upheld across processes.
• Track and investigate customer complaints and non-conformances; remediation.
• Maintain full traceability through quality records.
• Own KPI dashboards for achievement to plan and schedule.
• Coordinate across teams to ensure on-time delivery to high quality standards.
• Embed Lyka's Operational Management System (LOMS) and best practices.
• Direct and develop frontline leaders and operators across shifts.
• Coordinate and manage manufacturing employees to achieve targets.
• Integrate shift actions to ensure continuity.
• Implement and encourage LEAN methods to reduce waste and increase efficiency.
• Lead root cause analyses and drive corrective/preventative actions; contribute to HACCP and GMP evolution.

Skills

Leadership

LEAN

HACCP

GMP

Manufacturing operations

People management

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in manufacturing/engineering

Tools

ERP systems

Manufacturing IT

Job description

Lyka is a fast-growing Australian pet wellness company seeking a Production Leader to drive safety, quality and delivery across multiple high-speed production lines. You will manage SOPs, QA/QC, and ensure HACCP/GMP compliance while leading a large manufacturing team in a dynamic start-up environment.

You will champion continuous improvement, Lean methodologies, and cross-team collaboration to meet targets and shorten lead times.