Production Shift Manager

Alexander Steele; Brentwood; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A food manufacturing company in Brentwood is looking for a Production Shift Manager to lead a 15-person team. This hands-on role requires ensuring production targets are met while maintaining high food safety and quality standards. The ideal candidate will possess previous supervisory experience in food manufacturing and demonstrate strong people management skills. You will oversee daily production operations, promote health and safety standards, and improve processes as needed. A competitive salary of £40,000 - £45,000 is offered.

Benefits

33 days of holidays including Bank Holidays and Christmas off

Competitive salary

Qualifications

• Prior experience in food manufacturing supervision is essential.
• Strong leadership skills and hands-on approach are critical.
• Knowledge of food safety and quality standards is necessary.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 15 production operatives.
• Ensure production targets are met efficiently and safely.
• Maintain compliance with food safety and quality standards.
• Communicate effectively with the Production Manager.

Skills

Production supervisory experience

People management

Food safety knowledge

Operational issue management

Job description

Job Title: Production Shift Manager

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00am - 6:30pm

Holidays: 33 days (Bank Holidays included and Christmas off)

Reports To: Production Manager

Job Purpose

The Production Shift Manager is responsible for leading, supervising, and developing a 15-person production team within a food manufacturing environment. The role is highly hands‑on and shop‑floor based (70:30), ensuring that daily production targets are met safely, efficiently, and to the highest food safety and quality standards.

The Business is currently a manual production line and they are interested in moving towards a more automated production line. The production Manager is very keen to take on this project in the near future and would be looking for someone to assist him overseeing this project.

Key Responsibilities

Production & Operations

• Oversee day‑to‑day production activities during the shift to ensure output targets are met
• Ensure products are manufactured in line with company specifications, recipes, and quality standards
• Monitor workflow, labour allocation, and productivity across manual processes and new production lines
• Support the implementation and optimisation of production lines and improved processes
• Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for continuous improvement

Team Leadership & Supervision

• Provide visible, hands‑on leadership on the shop floor throughout the shift
• Supervise, motivate, and manage a team of approximately 15 production operatives
• Allocate tasks and ensure appropriate staffing levels across production areas
• Carry out daily briefings, on‑the‑job coaching, and performance feedback
• Address performance, conduct, and attendance issues in line with company procedures

Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and allergen controls
• Maintain standards in line with ERC, SALSA, HACCP, and internal food safety procedures
• Ensure correct documentation is completed accurately and on time
• Carry out regular quality and hygiene checks during the shift

Health & Safety

• Promote a strong health and safety culture on the shop floor
• Conduct risk assessments, toolbox talks, and incident reporting as required
• Ensure equipment and production areas are used safely and correctly

Communication & Reporting

• Communicate effectively with the Production Manager and wider operations team
• Provide clear handovers and shift updates
• Report on production performance, staffing, issues, and improvement ideas
• Work collaboratively with other departments including logistics, quality, and planning

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in a production supervisory or shift management role, ideally within food manufacturing
• Strong people management and team leadership skills
• Hands‑on approach with the ability to lead from the shop floor
• Good understanding of food safety, hygiene, and quality standards
• Ability to manage performance, attendance, and day‑to‑day operational issues

Desirable

• Experience supporting the introduction of production lines or process improvements
• Knowledge of SALSA, HACCP, or similar food safety standards
• Experience working with manual food production transitioning to semi‑automation
• Basic production planning or KPI reporting experience