Production Team Leader

Response Personnel Ltd; Dunstable; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Response Personnel Ltd seeks a Production Team Leader for late shift in Dunstable to oversee safety, quality and delivery in a regulated manufacturing environment.

You will lead a team, manage daily performance against KPIs, ensure standard work, drive continuous improvement and coordinate with planning to meet customer commitments.

The role offers a salary around £58k with shift premium, Monday-Thursday evenings, and a focus on people development and 5S workplace organisation.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams in manufacturing, preferably aerospace or regulated industries.
• Strong understanding of standard work, process control and operational discipline.
• Proven ability to hold teams accountable for performance and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Take full accountability for the daily performance of the designated production area.
• Lead the team to achieve targets related to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Monitor production performance and take timely corrective action when targets are not met.
• Ensure production schedules and customer commitments are met through planning and resource allocation.
• Lead daily scrums and communicate expectations clearly to the team.
• Escalate risks and performance issues through the appropriate channels.
• Drive adherence to standard work and ensure documentation is accurate and audit-ready.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality and productivity.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Planning & prioritisation

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Continuous improvement

5S

Education

Post-Secondary degree

Tools

MS Office

Production planning systems

Job description

Team Leader - Late Shift

LOCATION: Dunstable

SALARY: £58,254 (inclusive of shift premium)

HOURS: Monday - Thursday, 3:45pm - 1:30am

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Production Team Leader is accountable for the safety, quality, delivery and performance of their designated production area. The role is responsible for ensuring that all manufacturing activities are carried out in accordance with approved standard work, engineering requirements, company procedures and regulatory requirements.

The Production Team Leader will lead, develop and support their team to achieve operational targets while maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality and process compliance. They will drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and operational excellence, ensuring that production plans are achieved and business KPIs are consistently met.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure all Health, Safety and Environmental policies, procedures and standards are strictly followed.
• Conduct regular HSE audits, inspections and behavioural observations within the production area.
• Ensure all team members comply with company policies, risk assessments, safe systems of work and PPE requirements.
• Promote a positive safety culture and take ownership for maintaining a safe working environment.

Production Leadership & Accountability

• Take full accountability for the daily performance of the designated production area.
• Lead the team to achieve targets relating to Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People performance.
• Monitor production performance throughout the shift and take timely corrective action when targets are not being achieved.
• Ensure production schedules and customer commitments are met through effective planning, prioritisation and resource allocation.
• Lead daily scrums and communicate expectations clearly to the team.
• Escalate risks, constraints and performance issues promptly through the appropriate channels.

Standard Work & Process Discipline

• Ensure all manufacturing activities are completed in accordance with approved routings, work instructions, standard operating procedures and engineering specifications.
• Drive adherence to standard work practices and challenge deviations from approved processes.
• Verify that operators are trained, competent and authorised to perform assigned tasks.
• Maintain process control and ensure all production records, labour bookings and documentation are completed accurately and on time.
• Support internal, customer and regulatory audits by ensuring the production area remains compliant and audit-ready at all times.
• Ensure configuration control requirements are maintained and only the latest approved documentation is used.

Quality & Continuous Improvement

• Take ownership of quality performance within the production area.
• Support and lead Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) activities to prevent repeat issues.
• Drive improvements to reduce defects, rework, scrap and Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ).
• Promote a culture of proactive problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Engage with and facilitate Continuous Improvement initiatives to improve safety, quality, productivity and delivery performance.
• Participate in regular Gemba activities and ensure actions are completed within agreed timescales.

Resource & Capacity Management

• Review and act upon work centre capacity requirements.
• Schedule and manage WIP flow to achieve planned completion dates.
• Ensure effective utilisation of labour and production resources.
• Maintain fixture and equipment calibration requirements within accountable areas.
• Develop succession plans, training plans and skills matrices to support operational requirements.

People Leadership

• Manage holiday scheduling, timesheets, return-to-work meetings and absence management.
• Support employee relations activities, including investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes where required.
• Set clear expectations and SMART objectives that promote ownership and accountability.
• Coach, develop and motivate team members to improve capability and performance.
• Support recruitment, onboarding and training activities as required.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, professionalism, accountability and continuous learning.

Workplace Organisation

• Drive and maintain 5S standards within accountable areas.
• Ensure housekeeping standards are sustained and continuously improved.
• Take ownership for workplace organisation and visual management standards.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

EDUCATION REQUIRED:

Post-Secondary degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience that will allow successful performance of job expectation.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience leading teams within a manufacturing environment, preferably aerospace or other regulated industries.
• Strong understanding of standard work, process control and operational discipline.
• Proven ability to hold teams accountable for performance, compliance and behavioural expectations.
• Experience driving performance against operational KPIs.
• Ability to identify, investigate and resolve production issues using structured problem-solving methodologies.
• Strong leadership, coaching and people management skills.
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and organisational abilities.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality standards.
• Competent user of Microsoft Office applications and production planning systems.

Desirable

• Lean Manufacturing experience.
• RCCA / Root Cause Analysis experience.
• Experience working within AS9100 or equivalent regulated manufacturing environments.
• Understanding of visual management, 5S and continuous improvement methodologies.

KEY METRICS FOR THIS ROLE:

The Team Leader is accountable for monitoring and improving:

• Safety performance
• On Time Delivery (OTD)
• Quality performance and COPQ
• Labour utilisation and labour booking compliance
• Production output and productivity
• Work centre arrears
• Cycle time reduction
• 5S performance
• Training and skills compliance

Production Team Leader / Aerospace Team Leader / Manufacturing team leader