Production Shift Manager

Dale Farm Ltd; Cullybackey; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Dale Farm Ltd is seeking a Production Shift Manager to join their team. This key role involves overseeing production activities, managing a team, and ensuring operational efficiency. Candidates should possess a relevant qualification and have substantial experience in a similar position, ideally within food or FMCG industries. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in fostering a high-performance culture and driving continuous improvement initiatives. Attractive salary and benefits package offered.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Contributory company pension

Life Assurance

Full wellbeing support through Employee Assistance Programme

Enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years' experience in a similar role within food manufacturing.
• Proven ability to lead and motivate teams.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing all production activity including Milk Processing.
• Driving a safety culture and managing team performance.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

3rd level qualification in a relevant field

Experience in FMCG or Pharmaceutical industry

Job description

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Dale Farm is a leading dairy company, which manufactures an extensive range of consumer and food ingredient products. With an annual turnover in excess of £700m the Group exports globally to over 40 countries, with a particularly strong presence in the UK retail market. It is our mission to ensure that we exude the highest standards through our processes, products, and people.

About The Job

As a Production Shift Manager, you will be a key member of the onsite Management Team, playing a pivotal role in overseeing all production activity on site, including Milk Processing and Services. This is a key management position at Dromona Creamery and the successful candidate must demonstrate a track record of success within a similar role.

This is a diverse role and will require a candidate with both technical aptitude and strong capabilities in leading a successful team.

Reporting to the Production Manager, within this exciting role your core responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Ensuring operational efficiency, quality, and safety throughout your shift.
• Set and deliver best in class standards and performance in all aspects of processing.
• Overseeing all Production activity on site, to include the Production team, Milk Intake, Milk Processing, and Effluent.
• Managing and mentoring your team, while fostering a good culture across the site.
• Optimising plant performance by ensuring all plant and equipment is properly operated, maintained, and cleaned to minimise downtime.
• Driving a safety culture – identifying issues and ensuring follow-through with appropriate improvements.
• Initiating and leading CI improvement projects
• Adhering to the production schedule to deliver & maximise efficient customer fulfilment.
• Minimising packaging usage & stock holding levels and driving down wastage.
• Implementing a zero-tolerance approach to having a tidy, safe, and clean working environment.
• Managing all aspects of people management for your team, to include developing and empowering your team of operatives to assume ownership of their responsibilities, proactively monitoring and addressing poor performance and attendance, and communicating effectively with your team.
• Identifying training needs within your team, and implementing development plans.
• Implementing work instructions for all jobs and build a trained and flexible workforce.
• Developing and maintaining the necessary systems, procedures, training and working practices to deliver best practice and meet requirements.
• Communicating with senior management on performance and improvement plans.
• Leading shift handovers to ensure smooth transitions between teams.
• Identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies in production, and implementing improvement initiatives and continuous improvement strategies (Lean, Six Sigma etc.).
• Resolving staffing, supply or equipment issues promptly.
• Implementing new strategies to improve yield, reduce waste and boost productivity.
• Ensuring adherence to the cleaning schedule

This role will work on a rota across 7 days, on a 4 on 4 off pattern.

About You

The Essential

• The successful candidate will hold a 3rd level qualification in a relevant field and at least 2 years’ experience in a similar role, or alternatively candidates should have at least 3 years’ experience within a similar role within a related industry, such as FMCG or Pharmaceutical.
• A proven track record of the ability to proactively lead, train and motivate a team ensuring high performance.
• Strong industry knowledge of a FMCG manufacturing business.
• A successful track record of developing a lean culture and delivering process improvements.
• A strong technical skill set and a track record of delivery against quality / food safety and health and safety compliance.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to effectively communicate to a range of internal and external stakeholders, and to coordinate between different departments and senior management.
• Problem solving, quick decision making and troubleshooting skills to handle production, equipment issues etc.
• A proven track record of driving performance and improvement through site KPIs.
• Strong leadership qualities and the motivation to inspire all the team.

The Desirable

• The ideal candidate will have worked within a similar role within a similar Food Manufacturing business, and will possess a strong awareness of the industry.

Why Dale Farm?

We have a lot to offer at Dale Farm, not only to our farmer members that we support but also to our employees, and we are committed to a learning and development journey for all. In addition to a competitive salary commensurate with the role and our standard benefits such as 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and contributary company pension, we also offer benefits such as Life Assurance, full wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme, and enhanced Maternity and Paternity leave.

We are proud to promote an open and supportive culture which is based on our core values:

Teamwork | Positivity | Resolve | Ambition | Curiosity | Accountability

You can find out more about life at Dale Farm on our LinkedIn and Facebook Career pages, and on our company website.

linkedin.com/company/dale-farm-ltd/

To apply for this position please hit the apply button below.

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Friday 27th June 2025.

No unsolicited CVs from Agencies please.

We are an Equal Opportunities employer

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Associate

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Production, Management, and Quality Assurance

• Industries

  Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Dairy Product Manufacturing

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