Manufacturing Shift Lead

Finsbury Food Group; Pontypool; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Finsbury Food Group in Pontypool is seeking a Manufacturing Shift Lead to guide a production team in achieving safety, quality and efficiency targets. You will coach staff, manage onboarding and development, and drive continuous improvement using Lean tools.

You will communicate clearly via huddles and shift handovers, work with site leaders to maintain operational excellence, and uphold Health & Safety and Food Safety standards with authority to stop production when necessary.

Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience in coaching and developing teams to deliver targets.
• Experience of continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing.
• Strong problem-solving skills with root cause analysis.
• Good understanding of Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements.
• Willingness to achieve IOSH Managing Safely and Level 3 Food Safety.
• Willingness to complete the FDQ Level 3 Diploma for Proficiency in Food.
• Industry Technical Management qualification will be supported by the company.
• Knowledge of BRC requirements and customer codes of practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop your team to deliver Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People targets.
• Coach and motivate colleagues, oversee onboarding and development, manage performance.
• Develop and apply Lean methods and structured problem-solving.
• Communicate regularly through huddles, briefs and shift handovers.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety and Food Safety standards, stop production if needed.
• Deputise for Manufacturing Lead and share best practices across sites.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Lean manufacturing

Root cause analysis

Health & Safety

Food Safety

IOSH Managing Safely

Communication

Organisational skills

Education

IOSH Managing Safely

Level 3 Food Safety

FDQ Diploma

Industry Technical Management qualification

Job description

This is what you’ll actually do!

As a Manufacturing Shift Lead, you will lead and develop your team to deliver Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People targets. You’ll coach and motivate colleagues, oversee onboarding and development, manage performance and attendance, and support succession planning.

You’ll manage labour effectively, respond to changing production requirements and work with the team to deliver safe, efficient production. You’ll drive continuous improvement through Lean and structured problem-solving, lead performance meetings and ensure actions are followed through.

Communication is key in this role. You will keep your team informed and engaged through regular huddles, briefs and shift handovers, ensuring everyone is aligned and the production plan is delivered effectively. You will work closely with leaders across the site to resolve issues, drive performance and maintain operational excellence. You will also champion Health & Safety, Food Safety and Quality standards, taking ownership for compliance and having the authority to stop production whenever standards, safety or product quality are at risk.

You will also have the opportunity to deputise for the Manufacturing Lead, supporting your career development and progression, as well as sharing best practice with other Finsbury Foods bakeries.

Ideally this is you!

• Previous leadership experience within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience of leading, coaching and developing teams to deliver performance targets.
• Experience of continuous improvement and Lean manufacturing.
• Strong problem-solving skills and experience using root cause analysis methodologies.
• Good understanding of Health & Safety and Food Safety requirements.
• IOSH Managing Safely and Level 3 Food Safety, or willingness to achieve these qualifications.
• Willingness to complete the FDQ Level 3 Diploma for Proficiency in Food
• Industry Technical Management, which is a mandatory qualification for this role. The company will provide support to help you achieve this.
• Knowledge of BRC requirements and customer codes of practice.
• Experience working with targets, deadlines and operational KPIs.
• Confident using IT systems and Microsoft Office, with training provided on site-specific systems.
• Strong organisational and analytical skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships across a diverse workforce.
• A genuine interest in coaching, mentoring and developing people.
• A proactive approach to identifying opportunities to improve processes and ways of working.
• Able to work independently, use your own initiative and contribute effectively as part of a wider leadership team.