Production Team Leader Am & Pm

Kpi Recruiting Ltd; West Stow; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

KPI Recruiting Ltd is seeking an experienced Production Team Leader to manage our client's food manufacturing operations in Newmarket. You will lead production teams, drive safety, quality and efficiency, and ensure targets are met while maintaining GMP and HACCP standards.

The role demands proactive leadership, strong planning, and the ability to coach staff across shifts, with a focus on continuous improvement, waste reduction and reliable line performance.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams within a food manufacturing environment.
• People management and performance management experience.
• GMP, HACCP, Food Safety and Hygiene Standards knowledge.
• Health & Safety legislation and compliance awareness.
• Allergen awareness knowledge.
• Strong leadership and motivational skills.
• Problem solving with a logical approach.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and manage unexpected situations.
• Strong planning and organisational capability.
• Excellent relationship-building and team development skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire production teams to achieve performance goals.
• Foster a positive culture built on respect, accountability and teamwork.
• Coordinate labour resources to meet operational requirements.
• Deliver coaching, development and training support to team members.
• Ensure the smooth running of production lines and processes.
• Drive KPI achievement relating to output, efficiency, waste and downtime.
• Maintain GMP/HACCP compliance and quality checks.
• Complete Defacto and Redzone reporting activities.
• Provide shift handovers and performance updates.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Communication skills

HACCP knowledge

GMP experience

Allergen awareness

Problem solving

Calm under pressure

Planning

Team development

Education

Level 2 Food Safety

Level 2 Health & Safety

Tools

Defacto

Job description

Location: Newmarket
Salary: Up to £32,406.40 per annum

Shift Patterns

AM Shift
Monday - Friday or Tuesday - Saturday (5:30am - 2:00pm)

• Working 2 Saturdays per month is required.

PM Shift
Monday - Friday (1:45pm - 10:00pm)

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Production Team Leader to lead our client's production operations at their food manufacturing facility. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring production targets are achieved while maintaining outstanding standards of safety, quality, legality and team engagement.

The role requires a proactive leader who can effectively manage production performance, drive continuous improvement and ensure operational excellence across manufacturing activities.

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and inspire production teams to achieve performance goals
• Foster a positive working culture built on respect, accountability and teamwork
• Manage staff performance and employee engagement across the shift
• Coordinate labour resources effectively to meet operational requirements
• Deliver coaching, development and training support to team members

Operational Excellence

• Ensure the smooth and effective running of production lines and processes
• Drive achievement of KPI targets relating to output, efficiency, waste and downtime
• Ensure packaging and raw materials are available to support production schedules
• Monitor line performance and implement corrective actions where necessary
• Escalate equipment and operational issues promptly to Engineering and Management teams

Quality & Food Safety

• Maintain compliance with product specifications, HACCP principles and GMP standards
• Ensure CCPs and quality checks are completed correctly and recorded accurately
• Promote product quality awareness throughout the team
• Reduce waste and improve yields through effective process control
• Ensure accurate completion of all production and quality documentation

Health, Safety & Compliance

• Promote and maintain a safe working environment
• Ensure company Health & Safety policies and legal obligations are adhered to
• Investigate and report hazards, incidents and non-conformances
• Support site-wide health, safety and continuous improvement programmes
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, hygiene and safety standards
• Support the implementation of process improvements and operational efficiencies
• Encourage team involvement in solving problems and reducing waste
• Use production data to identify trends and support improvement initiatives

Reporting & Systems

• Complete all required Defacto and Redzone reporting activities
• Ensure accurate recording of waste, downtime and yield information
• Provide clear shift handovers and performance updates
• Maintain compliance with all work order and process management requirements

Skills & Experience Required

• Experience leading teams within a food manufacturing environment
• Demonstrable people management and performance management experience
• Strong communication and organisational skills
• Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, Food Safety and Hygiene Standards
• Understanding of Health & Safety legislation and compliance
• Allergen awareness knowledge
• Strong leadership and motivational skills
• Effective problem solver with a logical approach
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and manage unexpected situations
• Strong planning and organisational capability
• Excellent relationship-building and team development skills

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience using Defacto
• Level 2 Food Safety
• Level 2 Health & Safety qualification, including Manual Handling