Machine Shop Team Leader

Rubicon People Partnership; Poole; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Rubicon People Partnership is looking for a Machine Shop Team Leader in Poole to take full ownership of a shift team, driving performance, quality and on-time delivery. This hands-on leadership role requires practical CNC/manufacturing experience and a bias for action.

You will shape team standards, lead lean improvements, and manage people through appraisals and coaching while ensuring health and safety across the shift. A visible impact role with real accountability.

Qualifications

• Leader with proven CNC/manufacturing experience.
• Strong Lean toolkit knowledge (5S, Kaizen, SMED, TPM).
• Experience managing people and driving performance under pressure.
• Excellent stakeholder communication and reporting skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and production systems.
• Sound understanding of health and safety requirements.

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 tools

People management

Stakeholder comms

MS Office

Production systems

Health & safety

CNC machinery

Tools

CNC machines

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