Hygiene Technician

Ornua; Leek; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company pension

Generous holiday allowance

Subsidised staff canteen

Discounted cheese and butter

Confidential employee assist

Bike and tech scheme

Onsite physio

Job summary

Ornua Foods UK in Leek is hiring a Hygiene Operative to safeguard our production sites. You will ensure machines and production areas meet strict hygiene and food safety requirements, performing routine cleaning and reporting environmental concerns as part of a collaborative technical team.

This night-shift role offers 40 hours a week with a competitive annual salary of £35,880 and benefits including pension, holidays, staff canteen discounts, and wellbeing schemes.

Qualifications

• Previous hygiene experience desirable; training provided.
• Good verbal and written English skills required.
• Ability to follow safety procedures and handle cleaning chemicals.

Responsibilities

• Work in a safe manner as part of a team of Hygiene Operatives.
• Complete cleaning of factory equipment and environment to high standards per SOPs.
• Support Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Quarterly Hygiene activities.
• Demonstrate Ornua values and follow company procedures and policies.
• Contribute to GMP improvements whilst promoting a Clean as You Go policy.
• Collaborate with hygiene team leader, QA, engineers and shift managers to improve cleaning processes.
• Be flexible to meet business demands.

Skills

Hygiene experience

English communication

Education

Food Safety Level 2

Job description

Hygiene Operative

Job title: Hygiene Operative

Reports to: Hygiene Team Leader

Location: Leek, Ornua Foods UK

Salary: £35,880 per annum

Hours: Nights, 40 hours per week

Benefits: Company pension, generous holiday allowance, subsidised staff canteen, discounted cheese and butter, confidential employee assist, bike and tech scheme, onsite physio and much more

Ornua (meaning “new gold”) is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years.

Are you a hygiene operative looking for the challenge of taking a mission driven organisation to its next level of success?

Ornua is actively seeking a hygiene operative to join our technical department as we continue our growth trajectory.

As our Hygiene Operative you will play a key role in ensuring that all machines and food production areas meet strict standards of hygiene at all times which adhere to customer requirements and food safety requirements. You will work across production areas and will ensure that any incidents or environmental concerns are reported.

Why Ornua?

• Ornua operates as a commercial organisation from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities located in Europe, North America, the Middle East and Africa.
• The commercial organisation is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Ireland’s most successful food export: Kerrygold.
• It also manages the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products, the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufacturing and foodservice customers globally, and the implementation of de-risking and trading strategies to manage market volatility.
• Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values‑led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families.
• Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together.
• We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities.
• Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.

Why This Role Is Valuable:

As our Hygiene Operative you will be responsible of;

• To work in a safe manner and interact as part of a motivated team of Hygiene Operatives.
• To complete cleaning of the factory equipment and environment to high standards following standard operating procedures and cleaning instruction cards.
• Support the Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Quarterly Hygiene activities with the team.
• To demonstrate the Ornua values and follow company procedures and policies.
• Contribute to overall Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) improvements whilst promoting a Clean as You Go (CAYG) policy.
• To work with the hygiene team leader, QA, Engineers and shift managers when investigating problems and contributing ideas towards any improvements to the cleaning process and standards.
• There may be times when flexibility is required in the role to meet the demands of the business.

What You Bring To The Role:

• Previous Hygiene experience desirable, full training will be given - attitude and behaviours are much more important to us. We will provide training in all aspects of the role as well as the safe use and handling of chemicals, health and safety and level 2 in Food Safety
• You should possess a can‑do attitude, be willing to work and enjoy being part of a team. In return you can expect the opportunity to work with a market leading company.
• For this role, good levels of verbal and written English skills are essential.
• Having the capability to adhere to strict standards of quality and accuracy and to systems and procedures is a must, alongside working in a methodical, systematic, and precise manner.

Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes an onsite skills based interview as well as an opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working.

Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we’re building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward‑looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua.

Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company’s continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.

Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know — we’re here to support you.