Production Shift Manager

Dale Farm Ltd; Mid-Ulster District Council; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Dale Farm Ltd in the UK is seeking a Shift Manager for Bulk Cheese & Whey, reporting to the Assistant Production Manager and driving operational excellence in the Bulk Cheese and Whey department. You will support day-to-day management of the team and optimise production performance.

The role requires 3+ years in FMCG manufacturing, a science or Food Tech degree, and strong leadership, problem solving and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ recent relevant experience in FMCG manufacturing/production.
• Food hygiene certification or proven quality/food safety delivery.
• Strong leadership and ability to inspire a team.
• Excellent problem solving and organisational skills, hands-on.
• Effective written and verbal communication with stakeholders.
• HS awareness and compliance experience.

Responsibilities

• Prepare daily/weekly production status updates for management.
• Develop and empower operatives to own responsibilities and monitor performance.
• Ensure cheese and whey products meet customer specs and quality standards.
• Maintain hygiene controls and audit readiness for food safety.
• Support lean manufacturing tools to identify preventive actions.
• Ensure accurate stock control and inventory management.
• Minimise wastage, overtime and downtime; improve yield and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Communication

Organisational skills

Hygiene & quality focus

Education

Degree in science or Food Technology

Tools

MS Office

Job description

As a Shift Manager for Bulk Cheese & Whey, you will report directly to the Assistant Production Manager and play a key role delivering operational excellence within the Bulk Cheese and Whey department. You will support the day-to-day operational management of the team tasked with optimising production.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare daily and weekly production status updates and reports for the Production Manager, highlighting key performance metrics and identifying performance gaps, trends, potential challenges and opportunities for improvement.
• Assist in 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, attendance, and communicating effectively with your team.
• Ensure all Cheese and Whey products meet customer specifications and quality standards.
• Maintain rigorous hygiene controls and manage the team to support food safety and audit readiness.
• Support the use of lean manufacturing techniques and initiatives, with particular emphasis on tools such as problem-solving, root cause analysis and standard work, to investigate issues and identify preventive and corrective actions.
• Ensure accurate stock control and inventory management.
• Take responsibility for minimising material wastage, overtime and downtime, and improving yield accuracy through effective monitoring and reporting.
• Take ownership of compliance, and health and safety regulations, contributing to and ensuring an adherence to site safety culture.

About the Person

• Minimum 3 years’ recent relevant experience in a similar role within a FMCG manufacturing/production environment
• Food Hygiene Certification or evidenced track record of delivering against quality/food safety requirements.
• Strong leadership qualities and the motivation to inspire the whole team
• Excellent problem solving and organisational skills with a hands-on approach
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to effectively communicate to a range of internal and external stakeholders
• Evidenced experience of H&S awareness and compliance
• Proficient in MS Office applications
• Ability to work in an environment with competing priorities and manage multiple tasks effectively in accordance with production and delivery targets.
• Educated to degree level, preferably in a science or Food Technology discipline
• Experience in lean manufacturing or process improvement techniques.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in Cheese and Whey processing