Shift Leader - Plastic Extrusion & Lean Manufacturing

Wavin UK, an Orbia business; Chippenham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Wavin, an Orbia business, seeks a hands-on Production Supervisor to lead daily extrusion operations at our Chippenham site. You will drive safety, quality and throughput while coaching supervisors and operators in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes planning, problem-solving and continuous improvement with strong Lean and OEE focus. Shift-based, on-site role requiring a degree and plastics extrusion experience.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Industrial or Plastics Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Proven production leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Strong plastics extrusion or continuous polymer processing background.
• Practical knowledge of extrusion equipment and downstream systems.
• Lean, SPC and continuous improvement knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage daily extrusion production operations to meet safety, quality and delivery targets.
• Plan schedules, line utilisation, changeovers and material flow to maximise throughput and minimise downtime.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Maintenance on preventive maintenance and breakdowns.
• Drive a safety-first culture and ensure EHS compliance.
• Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure products meet specifications and quality standards.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, SPC processes, first-off checks and corrective actions.
• Lead, coach and develop supervisors, team leaders and operators.
• Support capability development across setup, troubleshooting, quality and continuous improvement.
• Drive Lean initiatives including 5S, SMED, Kaizen and OEE improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Problem-solving

Analytical thinking

Data-driven

Continuous improvement

Lean Manufacturing

OEE

Coaching

Manufacturing management

Education

Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Industrial/Plastics Engineering

Manufacturing Management

Equivalent experience

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Office

PLC/HMI systems

Job description

Wavin, an Orbia business, seeks a hands-on Production Supervisor to lead daily extrusion operations at our Chippenham site. You will drive safety, quality and throughput while coaching supervisors and operators in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes planning, problem-solving and continuous improvement with strong Lean and OEE focus. Shift-based, on-site role requiring a degree and plastics extrusion experience.