Production Shift Manager

JR United Kingdom; Middlesbrough; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in food manufacturing seeks a seasoned leader to oversee shifts in a fast-paced production environment. You will drive continuous improvement, enhance safety, and lead your team with accountability and integrity. If you thrive in dynamic settings and have significant experience in food or automated manufacturing, this is your chance for a fulfilling role.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in food or automated manufacturing leading teams.
• Ability to analyze and improve processes effectively.
• Experience in a fast-paced production environment.

Responsibilities

• Leading manufacturing teams and ensuring safety.
• Identifying and resolving quality issues effectively.
• Developing team talent and fostering a collaborative environment.

Skills

Leadership

Problem Solving

Continuous Improvement

Safety Management

Team Building

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent experience

Job description

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You won’t need a cape for this one. But you will need guts, grit, and a solid track record of leading manufacturing teams without hiding behind spreadsheets and corporate clichés.

This is a role for someone who doesn’t just talk about “continuous improvement” – you live it. You see a bottleneck and you’re already halfway to fixing it before most people finish the sentence. You're not afraid of the night shift, you don't flinch when things go sideways, and you know how to get people on board without sounding like a walking manual.

But here’s the bit that really matters: if you don’t have experience in food manufacturing or highly automated production environments, this isn’t the job for you.

The kit’s complex. The standards are high. The pace is relentless. If you’ve worked in a food factory, you’ll already know what that means. If you’ve worked with automation, you’ll know what can go wrong (and how to fix it without starting a fire drill).

The company? They're well-funded, well-structured, and actually listen to good ideas. They’re not looking for a robot who parrots KPIs – they want someone who can lead. Properly. On the shop floor, with credibility and backbone.

What you’ll actually be doing (no fluff):

• Getting your team to care about safety like it’s their own family on the line. Because it is.
• Hunting down the root cause of quality issues and building processes that stop them from ever happening again.
• Spotting talent on the shop floor, backing it, and helping it grow – instead of hoarding the spotlight.
• Hitting the targets. Not by barking orders, but by creating a team that wants to hit them.

You’ll be trusted to run your shift like it’s your own business unit. That means autonomy. And that means accountability. You’ll be making calls that have real consequences. That’s why they’re not looking for a junior. You’ll need either a relevant degree or 5+ years in a similar food or automated manufacturing role where you’ve had to lead from the front.

If you’re the sort of person who points the thumb instead of the finger when things go wrong – this could be a cracking move for you.

Apply below and we’ll reach out for a confidential conversation.