Bakery Night Shift Team Leader

Dougies Goodies; Ballymena; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Dougies Goodies is seeking a Baker Night Shift Team Leader to own overnight bakery operations, lead from the front and ensure the plan is delivered safely and on time. You’ll manage people, equipment and materials to keep production moving and hand over a clear brief to the day team.

The role requires hands-on leadership in a fast-paced bakery environment, strong HACCP knowledge, and a focus on quality, hygiene and safety. If you thrive under pressure and value teamwork, this is your opportunity.

Qualifications

• Experience in bakery/food manufacturing or fast-paced production.
• Experience leading or supervising a production team.
• Confidence managing people and making decisions during busy shifts.
• Good understanding of food safety, hygiene and quality standards.
• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP and food manufacturing best practice.
• Strong organisational and planning skills.
• Ability to prioritise when several things need attention.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all bakery production activities throughout the night shift.
• Ensure the daily production plan is achieved on time and in full.
• Allocate people and resources effectively across the bakery.
• Monitor production and take action when targets are at risk.
• Lead, motivate and support bakery operatives and machine operators.
• Run clear shift briefings and communicate priorities and plan.
• Coach and develop team members on procedures and standards.
• Support attendance, performance and conduct management across the shift.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, quality and hygiene.
• Ensure products meet quality, weight, appearance and packaging standards.
• Keep production, quality and traceability records accurate.
• Promote a safe working environment and follow health & safety procedures.
• Ensure PPE use and safe operation of equipment.
• Monitor machinery and escalate breakdowns or maintenance needs.
• Work with Engineering to minimise downtime.
• Keep equipment and production areas clean and maintained.
• Monitor ingredients, packaging and consumables for production needs.
• Track performance including output, waste, labour efficiency, downtime, quality and safety.
• Prepare clear shift reports and handover to the day shift.

Skills

Bakery leadership

People management

Food safety oversight

HACCP knowledge

Quality assurance

Strong planning

Communication

Decision making

Problem solving

Team coaching

Job description

Baker Night Shift Team Leader

Dougies Goodies – Doing Good, Pinking up the World

At Dougies Goodies, we’re building something that’s about more than cake.

Yes, we care about making brilliant products.

Yes, we care about hitting our targets and growing the business.

But we also care about our people, doing things properly, and creating a bakery we can all be proud of.

We’re looking for a Bakery Night Shift Team Leader to take ownership of our bakery operations through the night — someone who can lead from the front, keep production moving, and make sure everything is ready for the day ahead.

You’ll play a key role in making sure our production plan is delivered safely, efficiently, on time and to the quality our customers expect.

Because while most people are sleeping, our bakery is very much awake.

The Role

You’ll be at the heart of our night-shift bakery operation, leading the team and taking responsibility for the smooth running of production throughout the shift.

This is a hands-on leadership role.

You’ll coordinate people, production, equipment and materials to make sure the plan gets delivered — while maintaining high standards of food safety, quality and health & safety.

You’ll work closely with Production Management and our wider Quality, Engineering, Planning and Warehouse teams, making sure issues are dealt with quickly and the morning team receives a clear and accurate handover.

If you enjoy leading people, solving problems and seeing a busy production plan come together — you’ll feel at home here.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Leading and coordinating all bakery production activities throughout the night shift
• Making sure the daily production plan is achieved on time and in full
• Allocating people and resources effectively across the bakery
• Monitoring production throughout the shift and taking action when targets are at risk
• Leading, motivating and supporting bakery operatives and machine operators
• Running clear shift briefings and making sure everyone understands the plan and priorities
• Coaching and developing team members on procedures, standards and best practice
• Supporting the management of attendance, performance and conduct across the shift
• Maintaining high standards of food safety, quality and hygiene
• Ensuring products meet agreed standards for quality, weight, appearance and packaging
• Making sure production, quality and traceability records are completed accurately
• Promoting a safe working environment and ensuring health & safety procedures are followed
• Ensuring PPE is used correctly and equipment is operated safely
• Monitoring bakery machinery and escalating breakdowns or maintenance requirements
• Working with Engineering to minimise downtime and disruption to production
• Making sure equipment and production areas are cleaned and maintained to the required standards
• Monitoring ingredients, packaging and consumables to ensure production has what it needs
• Managing ingredient usage and helping reduce unnecessary waste
• Tracking performance including production output, waste, labour efficiency, downtime, quality and safety
• Preparing clear shift reports and communicating performance and issues to management
• Providing a thorough handover to the day-shift team so nothing gets lost between shifts

What You’ll Bring

• Experience working in a bakery, food manufacturing or fast-paced production environment
• Previous experience leading or supervising a production team
• Confidence managing people and making decisions during a busy shift
• A good understanding of food safety, hygiene and quality standards
• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP and food manufacturing best practice
• Strong organisational and planning skills
• The ability to prioritise when several things need attention at once
• Confidence monitoring production targets and responding when things aren’t going to plan
• A practical, hands‑on approach to problem solving
• Good communication skills and the ability to work across different teams
• A genuine focus on getting things right first time

The Way You Work

You don’t lead from the sidelines — you’re part of the team.

• You lead by example and set the standard you expect from others
• You stay calm when production gets busy
• You spot problems early and take action
• You communicate clearly and make sure everyone knows what’s expected
• You’re comfortable making decisions and taking ownership
• You care about the people working alongside you
• You challenge poor standards rather than walking past them
• You’re always looking for a better, safer or more efficient way of doing things
• And when something doesn’t go to plan, you focus on fixing it and learning from it

What Success Looks Like

You’ll know you’re doing a great job when:

• The production plan is delivered on time and in full
• Our products consistently meet the quality standards our customers expect
• Food safety and hygiene standards are maintained throughout the shift
• Labour is being used effectively
• Waste and production losses are controlled
• Machinery downtime is minimised and issues are escalated quickly
• The bakery is a safe, organised place to work
• Production records are accurate and completed properly
• Your team knows what’s expected of them and feels supported to deliver it
• The day shift arrives to a clear handover and a bakery that’s ready for what comes next

Why Dougies Goodies?

• You’ll be part of a business that genuinely wants to Do Good
• You’ll play an important role in a growing bakery and production operation
• You’ll have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills as the business grows
• You’ll work with a team that values kindness, honesty and doing things the right way
• You’ll have the opportunity to help shape how we operate as we continue to scale
• You’ll see the results of your work every single morning
• And yes… there will be cake

A Good Fit Looks Like

You’re the person people can rely on when it’s busy.

You know how to get the best from a team while maintaining high standards.

You take pride in leaving the bakery in a better position than you found it.

You understand that great production isn’t just about making more — it’s about making things safely, efficiently and consistently well.

And you know that a great night shift sets up the whole business for a great day.

If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s Do Good together.