Production Shift Manager

Huntsman; Cambourne; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4% annual bonus

Pension up to 12%

Private medical insurance

Birthday day off

Training opportunities

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Huntsman in Duxford is seeking a Production Shift Manager to lead a multi-skill shift on a three-shift pattern across five days. You will manage 12 direct reports plus up to 3 temporary staff, ensuring safe, high-quality production alignment with the plan and performance metrics.

You will drive continuous improvement, influence how we work, and collaborate across site functions to sustain high performance and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience managing or supervising a medium-to-large team in a manufacturing environment.
• Process or equivalent manufacturing environment experience; chemical-sector experience advantageous.
• Technical qualification in Chemistry, Engineering or equivalent.
• A-Level or HND qualifications preferred.
• Experience balancing safety, quality and production needs with strong leadership and decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach the Production Shift Team to deliver production performance with strong safety and quality focus.
• Drive a Zero Harm culture and ensure reporting/investigation of near misses and incidents.
• Meet production output per plan and monitor key KPIs (Schedule Adherence, OEE, FTPR).
• Coordinate day-to-day operations and delegate while maintaining a visible shop floor presence.
• Drive continuous improvement and balance priorities to minimize downtime and maximize efficiency.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, Warehouse and Quality to balance priorities.

Skills

Team leadership

Manufacturing process

Safety & quality

Data-driven decisions

SAP knowledge

LEAN methods

Strong communication

Process improvement

Education

Chemistry or Engineering or equivalent

A-Level/HND

Tools

SAP

Job description

Description

:

Role Overview:

Are you an experienced manufacturing leader who enjoys being close to the operation, developing people and making a real impact on safety, quality and performance?

We are looking for a Production Shift Manager to join our Advanced Materials manufacturing site in Duxford. This is a key operational leadership position where you will lead 12 direct reports, plus up to 3 temporary employees, and take ownership of the safe and effective performance of your shift.

You will be at the heart of day-to-day production, balancing safety, quality and output, while creating an environment where people can perform at their best. You will also have the opportunity to influence how we work, drive continuous improvement and collaborate with teams across the site.

We are looking for someone who brings strong manufacturing leadership experience, confidence in making decisions and, importantly, the ability to bring people with them when implementing change.

The position operates on a three-shift pattern across five days per week, with flexibility required.

Role Responsibilities:

As a Production Shift Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Leading and coaching the Production Shift Team to deliver production performance while maintaining a strong focus on safety and quality.
• Driving a Zero Harm culture, ensuring work is completed safely and that near misses, incidents and accidents are appropriately reported and investigated.
• Delivering required production output in line with the scheduled production plan and managing key performance measures including Schedule Adherence, Standard vs Actual, OEE and FTPR.
• Coordinating day-to-day operational requirements and delegating effectively while maintaining a strong supervisory presence on the shop floor.
• Driving continuous improvement to increase production efficiency and effectiveness, from improvements in working methods through to CAPEX projects.
• Working collaboratively with Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, Warehouse, Quality and other site functions to balance priorities and minimise operational downtime.
• Building strong relationships across departments and shifts, helping to improve teamwork and deliver consistency across the operation.
• Managing training and induction activities and developing a multi-skilled, flexible workforce able to respond to changing departmental demands.
• Coaching and managing team performance and supporting the ongoing development of shift employees.
• Leading by example in maintaining high standards of 5S and production organisation.
• Managing the site outside normal hours to ensure EHS and Quality requirements are met, including fulfilling the role of Site Incident Controller and leading the shift E-Team

Experience and Competencies:

What we are looking for:

• Strong experience managing or supervising a medium-to-large team within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience within a process or equivalent manufacturing environment. Chemical-sector experience would be advantageous but is not essential.
• A technical qualification in Chemistry, Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Ideally, A-Level/HND equivalent qualifications.
• Experience operating in an environment where safety, quality and production requirements need to be balanced effectively.
• Strong leadership and people-management skills with the ability to build relationships, motivate teams and positively influence others.
• Evidence of successfully implementing continuous improvement or operational change, not simply identifying opportunities.
• Confidence making decisions and setting priorities in challenging or changing operational situations.
• A strong focus on performance, data and operational metrics.
• Knowledge of process management systems such as SAP, together with strong general IT skills.
• LEAN tool experience, including VSM, SMED or Kaizen, would be beneficial.
• Strong teamwork, communication and relationship-building capabilities.

What We Offer:

We want our people to feel supported both professionally and personally. At our Duxford site, our benefits package includes:

• A competitive salary, and guaranteed annual payment of 4% paid annually in November (pro-rata for completed months worked in first year)
• Opportunity to participate in Corporate incentive bonus scheme after qualifying period (subject to business and personal performance)
• A pension contribution of up to 12%, where employee contributes 5% (other percentage options available)
• Private medical insurance and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, an additional birthday day off, and long-service leave.
• Enhanced family-friendly benefits, including maternity, adoption, and paternity support.
• Access to Cycle to Work and discounted gym membership schemes.
• Company-funded training and development opportunities to support your career growth.
• Access to over 10,000 online learning courses.
• Free onsite parking
• A collaborative and inclusive culture where safety, innovation, and continuous improvement are valued every day

About Us:

At Huntsman, we pride ourselves on being a people-oriented organization.

Our family-like atmosphere is cultivated by our diverse groups of team members around the world.

We welcome the talent, experience and fresh ideas that employees at all stages of their careers, from interns to seasoned professionals, bring to Huntsman.

In return, we offer you the opportunity to become an integral part of a dynamic, industry-leading company, where safety and ethics always come first.