Machine Shop Team Leader

Rubicon Recruitment; Poole; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Rubicon Recruitment is seeking a Machine Shop Team Leader in Poole. You will take full ownership of a shift, drive performance, quality and delivery, and lead a hands-on, technical team on a day-to-day basis.

This role offers genuine autonomy to shape team standards, implement lean improvements (5S, Kaizen) and solve machining challenges, with real decision-making authority. You will manage people performance, safety and reporting, coordinate daily/weekly/monthly targets, and work a rotating

Qualifications

• Proven leadership in CNC machining or manufacturing.
• Lean tools knowledge: 5S, Kaizen, SMED, TPM.
• Experience managing people and driving performance under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder communication and reporting skills.
• Solid health and safety awareness on the shop floor.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate shift teams to hit daily, weekly, and monthly production targets
• Drive lean manufacturing and continuous improvement across the machine shop
• Manage people performance, including appraisals, probation reviews, and capability
• Lead root cause analysis to resolve quality and performance issues
• Maintain health, safety, and wellbeing standards across the shift
• Support technical problem-solving on complex machining challenges

Skills

Leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Stakeholder communication

MS Office / production systems

Health and safety awareness

Tools

Production systems

MS Office

Job description

Machine Shop Team Leader | Poole | DOE

You'll take full ownership of a machine shop shift team, driving performance, quality, and delivery.

This is a role where your leadership sets the standard, not just supports it.

If you want a high-impact role where results are visible and yours to own, this is it.

As a Machine Shop Team Leader, you will benefit from:

• Genuine autonomy to run your shift and drive improvements
• Clear scope to shape team performance and standards
• A hands-on technical role backed by real decision-making authority

As a Machine Shop Team Leader, your responsibilities will include:

• Lead and coordinate shift teams to hit daily, weekly, and monthly production targets
• Drive lean manufacturing and continuous improvement across the machine shop
• Manage people performance, including appraisals, probation reviews, and capability
• Lead root cause analysis to resolve quality and performance issues
• Maintain health, safety, and wellbeing standards across the shift
• Support technical problem-solving on complex machining challenges

As a Machine Shop Team Leader, your experience will include:

• Proven leadership in a CNC machining or manufacturing environment
• Strong grounding in Lean tools (5S, Kaizen, SMED, TPM)
• Experience managing people and driving performance under pressure
• Solid stakeholder communication and reporting skills
• Confident with Microsoft Office and production systems
• Working knowledge of health and safety requirements

Working hours:

This role operates on a rotating shift pattern, two weeks earlies followed by two weeks lates:

• Early Shift: Mon to Thurs, 6am to 2:15pm, Fri 6am to 12pm
• Late Shift: Mon to Thurs, 2:15pm to 10:15pm, Fri 12pm to 7:30pm

This is a chance to lead a shift that runs the way you want it to, with real ownership over results.