Hygiene Performance Lead

Nestle; Bebington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Nestle is seeking a Hygiene Performance Lead to ensure the highest standards of hygiene, food safety and operational excellence at our UK production facility. You will lead a team of Line Operators, oversee cleaning activities and manage the site cleaning contractor relationships, driving continuous improvement and strong cross-functional collaboration.

You will work closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain to deliver safe, efficient manufacturing performance and maintain

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams within an FMCG or food manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of production operations, hygiene standards and food safety requirements.
• Data-driven with strong problem-solving and continuous improvement skills.
• Effective communicator across Operations, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain.
• HACCP, GMP, allergen management and hygiene controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead hygiene, cleaning and sanitation activities across the site, ensuring the highest food safety and housekeeping standards are maintained.
• Manage and develop a team of Line Operators, driving capability, performance and operational excellence.
• Oversee the site cleaning contractor relationship, monitoring service performance, managing escalations and ensuring issues are resolved effectively.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP and food safety standards through robust hygiene validation, audits and continuous improvement activities.
• Use operational data and cross-functional collaboration to drive performance improvements, reduce waste and minimise operational risk.
• Promote a strong culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement across the hygiene operation.

Skills

Team leadership

Food safety

HACCP knowledge

GMP knowledge

Data analysis

Continuous improvement

Problem solving

Communication

Lean

Health & safety

Education

NVQ Level 3 / Apprenticeship

HACCP Level 2

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Provide day-to-day manufacturing support, ensuring the effective delivery of food hygiene standards while managing service relationships across food safety, quality, operational performance, and issue resolution., As a Hygiene Performance Lead, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the highest standards of hygiene, housekeeping, food safety and operational excellence across our production facility. Leading a team of Line Operators, you will oversee end-of-production cleaning and sanitation activities, ensuring hygiene plans are effectively executed and any issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. Working at the heart of manufacturing operations, you will act as the key contact for our cleaning contractor, building strong supplier relationships, driving service performance, and ensuring a proactive approach to hygiene management. You will collaborate closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain teams to deliver safe, efficient and high-quality manufacturing performance.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• Lead hygiene, cleaning and sanitation activities across the site, ensuring the highest food safety and housekeeping standards are maintained.
• Manage and develop a team of Line Operators, driving capability, performance and operational excellence.
• Oversee the site cleaning contractor relationship, monitoring service performance, managing escalations and ensuring issues are resolved effectively.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, GMP and food safety standards through robust hygiene validation, audits and continuous improvement activities.
• Use operational data and cross-functional collaboration to drive performance improvements, reduce waste and minimise operational risk.
• Promote a strong culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement across the hygiene operation.

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Strong safety performance and adherence to safe working practices.
• Consistent food safety and quality compliance, with audit-ready standards maintained at all times.
• Effective delivery of hygiene plans and operational service targets.
• Timely resolution and escalation of hygiene and service-related issues.
• Continuous improvement in operational performance, reducing repeat issues, downtime and waste.
• High levels of team capability, training completion and engagement with site standards

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams within an FMCG or food manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of production operations, hygiene standards and food safety requirements.
• Proven ability to drive performance, manage escalations and deliver operational excellence.
• Knowledge of HACCP, GMP, allergen management and hygiene controls.
• Data-driven with strong problem-solving and continuous improvement skills.
• Effective communicator with the ability to build relationships across Operations, Engineering, Quality and Supply Chain.
• Comfortable using manufacturing systems, reporting tools and standard operating procedures.
• Lean, TPM or Continuous Improvement experience is advantageous., NVQ Level 3, Apprenticeship, or equivalent experience in Manufacturing, Engineering, Food Hygiene or Operations.
• HACCP Level 2 or a willingness to obtain certification.
• IOSH Working Safely, IOSH Managing Safely or similar health and safety training.
• Working knowledge of Lean or Continuous Improvement tools such as 5S, Standard Work and Root Cause Analysis.
• Office based role within a food manufacturing environment. Role requires regular time on the factory floor and exposure to noise, dust (grain), moving machinery, temperature variation, and manual handling activities.
• Right to work in the UK In accordance with Home Office guidance successful candidates will be required to evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. We have assessed this role and do not consider that we would be able to sponsor a successful candidate under the Skilled Worker route as the role does not meet the relevant Home Office criteria; the successful candidate therefore must be able to demonstrate their own right to work during the recruitment process without Sincereal sponsorship.
• Equal Opportunities We work together as one team. Everyone is welcome here, and we treat each other with fairness, respect, and equality