Production Lead

Brambles; Wigan; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekends off

Ongoing training

On-site leadership role

Job summary

H J Heinz Co. Ltd. in Wigan is seeking a Production Lead to join our on-site operation. You will lead a small team, drive continuous improvement, and help create a safe, productive working environment while delivering operational excellence at one of the UK's leading food manufacturing sites.

You will work closely with site leadership to develop people, uphold safety, quality, and productivity standards, and ensure smooth daily operations with a focus on continuous improvement and teamwork.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in production, manufacturing, warehouse, or logistics environments.
• Experience leading, motivating, or supervising teams.
• Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead by example in the operational area, coaching and supporting team members.
• Support day-to-day production activities to ensure continuity and performance.
• Ensure adherence to site policies and quality standards.
• Promote health and safety culture across the operation.
• Drive improvements in efficiency and productivity through data review.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Continuous Improvement

Health & Safety

Problem Solving

Communication

Microsoft Office

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

CHEP helps move more goods to more people, in more places than any other organization on earth via our 347 million pallets, crates and containers. We employ approximately 13,000 people and operate in 60 countries. Through our pioneering and sustainable share-and-reuse business model, the world’s biggest brands trust us to help them transport their goods more efficiently, safely and with less environmental impact.
What does that mean for you? You’ll join an international organization big enough to take you anywhere, and small enough to get you there sooner. You’ll help change how goods get to market and contribute to global sustainability. You’ll be empowered to bring your authentic self to work and be surrounded by diverse and driven professionals. And you can maximize your work-life balance and flexibility through our .

Job Description

Key Responsibilities May Include:

• Lead by example within the assigned functional area, offering guidance and support to peers, troubleshooting issues, and ensuring smooth production operations.
• Actively support production activities, stepping in during shifts or breaks to maintain workflow and operational continuity.
• Collaborate with plant administration to ensure adherence to established policies and procedures, promoting consistency and operational compliance.
• Assist Plant leadership in enforcing policies and procedures to maintain inventory accuracy and ensure operational efficiency.
• Act as the subject matter expert for specialized areas, such as forklift operations, pallet sorting, or repair lines, providing expertise and ensuring best practices are followed.
• Fulfill assigned production duties, ensuring quality and efficiency in line with plant performance goals.

Production Lead

Location: H J Heinz Co. Ltd, Kitt Green, Wigan, Manchester, WN5 0JL, United Kingdom
Shift Pattern: Rotating Weekly Shifts (06:00-14:00 / 14:00-22:00), Monday to Friday
Type: Full Time, Permanent

About the Role

We're looking for a Production Lead to join our on-site operation at H J Heinz Co. Ltd, Kitt Green, Wigan. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced production, manufacturing, warehouse, or logistics professional looking to take the next step into leadership while remaining actively involved in day-to-day operations.

You’ll lead a small team, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and help create a safe, productive, and high-performing working environment within one of the UK's leading food manufacturing sites. Working closely with site leadership, you'll play a key role in delivering operational excellence, developing people, and ensuring the highest standards of safety, quality, and productivity.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead by example within the operational area, providing guidance, coaching, and support to team members.
• Support day-to-day production activities, stepping in where required to ensure operational continuity and performance.
• Ensure adherence to site policies, procedures, and quality standards.
• Promote and maintain a strong health and safety culture across the operation.
• Monitor operational performance and help drive improvements in efficiency and productivity.
• Act as a key point of contact for operational issues, identifying solutions and escalating where appropriate.
• Lead daily shift handovers and communicate key updates and priorities to the team.
• Support workforce planning, including holiday management and absence control.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure smooth site operations.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives and support the implementation of best practices.
• Deputise for the Site Lead when required.

What You'll Do

• Supervise, coach, and develop employees to maximise performance and engagement.
• Lead daily shift briefs and communicate operational KPIs.
• Drive a zero-harm culture and support incident investigations and root cause analysis.
• Own safety, quality, and production controls within your area of responsibility.
• Build strong working relationships with operational stakeholders.
• Ensure production targets are achieved while maintaining quality standards.
• Support training and development activities across the team.
• Analyse operational data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Drive accountability and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Support site leadership in achieving key business objectives.

What We Need From You

• Minimum 3 years' experience within a production, manufacturing, warehouse, or logistics environment.
• Previous experience leading, motivating, or supervising teams.
• Experience within Lean Manufacturing or Continuous Improvement environments is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of health, safety, and quality standards.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Highly organised, proactive, and self-motivated.
• Ability to influence and engage colleagues at all levels.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong leadership, change management, and decision-making capabilities.
• Ability to operate effectively within a fast-paced environment.

Why Join Us?

• Opportunity to step into a leadership role within a world-class manufacturing environment.
• Monday to Friday rotating shift pattern, providing weekends off.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• Chance to make a real impact on site performance, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Join a collaborative and supportive team focused on operational excellence and employee development.

Ready to take the next step in your leadership career? We'd love to hear from you.

Remote Type

Not Remote

Skills to succeed in the role

Adaptability, Computer Literacy, Data Literacy, Empathy, Experimentation, Mathematic Literacy, Scheduling, Taking Ownership, Teamwork, Understand Customers, Written Communication

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we are committed to developing a diverse workforce in which everyone is treated fairly, with respect, and has the opportunity to contribute to business success while realizing his or her potential. This means harnessing the unique skills and experience that each individual brings and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.