Shift Manager

The Compleat Food Group; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary Sacrifice Schemes including EVs

33 days’ annual leave

Enhanced retail discounts

Free product handouts

EV charging points

GroceryAid access

Physical Wellbeing Hub

Free diet & nutrition advice

Online wellbeing support

LMS access

Mentoring scheme

Club Compleat rewards

Job summary

The Compleat Food Group is seeking an experienced Shift Manager for Riverside Park in Middlesbrough. You will lead the shift, manage front-line teams, deliver production plans, and ensure safety, quality and GMP standards are met.

You will work cross-functionally with Engineering, Technical, Planning and Hygiene, using performance data to drive improvements, reduce downtime and control costs, while developing your team on a hands-on factory floor.

Qualifications

• Previous management or supervisory experience within food manufacturing, FMCG or a similar fast-paced production environment.
• Experience leading and developing front-line manufacturing teams.
• A strong understanding of production performance, KPIs and labour management.
• Good knowledge of food safety, quality and GMP standards.
• The confidence to challenge poor performance and make decisions in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with continuous improvement tools such as Lean, 5S, 5 Whys or Redzone.
• Experience working within BRC or retailer‑audited environments would be advantageous.
• HACCP Level 2 and IOSH Managing Safely, or similar qualifications, would also be beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead the safe and efficient operation of the factory throughout your shift.
• Manage and develop front-line teams, including Area Managers and Team Leaders.
• Deliver production plans, volumes and customer service targets.
• Drive line efficiency, productivity and operational performance.
• Maintain excellent food safety, quality, GMP and hygiene standards.
• Monitor labour levels, overtime, agency usage and overall shift costs.
• Identify and reduce downtime, waste, rework and other operational losses.
• Work closely with Engineering to prioritise breakdowns and improve equipment reliability.
• Use performance data and tools to understand issues and drive improvements.
• Set clear expectations and hold teams accountable for performance and standards.
• Ensure effective communication and handovers between shifts.
• Lead from the factory floor and take ownership when challenges arise.

Skills

Team leadership

Operational excellence

Labour management

Problem solving

Communication

Decision making

Continuous improvement

Food manufacturing knowledge

Education

HACCP Level 2

IOSH Managing Safely

Tools

Redzone

SIC

Lean

5S

5 Whys

Job description

We’re looking for an experienced Shift Manager to join our team at Riverside Park in Middlesbrough.

This is a key operational leadership role with responsibility for the performance of the whole shift, making sure we deliver safely, efficiently and to the high food safety and quality standards expected across The Compleat Food Group.

You’ll be highly visible on the factory floor, leading your team, driving performance and making sure issues are identified and dealt with quickly. You’ll work closely with Engineering, Technical, Planning and Hygiene to keep production running effectively and deliver against the site plan.

What you’ll be doing

As Shift Manager, you’ll be responsible for:

• Leading the safe and efficient operation of the factory throughout your shift
• Managing and developing front-line teams, including Area Managers and Team Leaders
• Delivering production plans, volumes and customer service targets
• Driving line efficiency, productivity and operational performance
• Maintaining excellent food safety, quality, GMP and hygiene standards
• Monitoring labour levels, overtime, agency usage and overall shift costs
• Identifying and reducing downtime, waste, rework and other operational losses
• Working closely with Engineering to prioritise breakdowns and improve equipment reliability
• Using performance data and tools such as Redzone and SIC to understand issues and drive improvements
• Setting clear expectations and holding teams accountable for performance and standards
• Ensuring effective communication and handovers between shifts
• Leading from the factory floor and taking ownership when challenges arise

What we’re looking for

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• Previous management or supervisory experience within food manufacturing, FMCG or a similar fast-paced production environment
• Experience leading and developing front-line manufacturing teams
• A strong understanding of production performance, KPIs and labour management
• Good knowledge of food safety, quality and GMP standards
• The confidence to challenge poor performance and make decisions in a fast-moving environment
• Strong communication and problem-solving skills
• Experience with continuous improvement tools such as Lean, 5S, 5 Whys or Redzone
• Experience working within BRC or retailer‑audited environments would be advantageous
• HACCP Level 2 and IOSH Managing Safely, or similar qualifications, would also be beneficial

Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who is hands‑on, visible and comfortable leading from the factory floor. You’ll need to take ownership, deal with problems rather than pass them on and set the standards you expect from your team.

This role works a 4 on, 4 off rotating shift pattern, covering both days and nights:

• Day shift: 6am - 6pm
• Night shift: 6pm - 6am

Why Join Us?

At The Compleat Food Group, you'll be part of a business that's ambitious, innovative and committed to delivering high-quality food products to customers across the UK. You'll work with passionate colleagues, have the opportunity to influence technical standards across the Group, and play a key role in protecting and enhancing customer relationships.

AtThe Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing, and career growth:

• Salary Sacrifice Schemes- including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
• 33 days’ annual leave(including bank holidays) with the option to purchase extra
• Access toenhanced retail discountsonline and in-store
• Free product handoutsacross our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
• EV charging points- available at selected sites
• 24/7 access toGroceryAidfor free financial, emotional, and practical support
• Physical Wellbeing Hub- free on-demand exercise programmes, online classes and multiple gym discounts
• Free diet & nutrition advicewith access to thousands of meal plans and healthy recipes
• Online wellbeing support- from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
• Financial wellbeing tools- including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid
• Access to apersonalised online learning platform (LMS)
• Formal and informal trainingopportunities tailored to your role
• Performance Development Plansand regularCareer Conversations
• Industry leading company Mentoring Schemeto add depth and really support your career journey
• Recognition throughClub Compleatrewards portal

Community & Culture

• 2 paid volunteering daysper year to give back to causes that matter to you
• Charity initiativesand fundraising events
• Team socialsto connect and celebrate together
• Employee networks & support groups - including Women @ Compleat
• New baby giftfor new parents

What You Should Know About How We Recruit

At The Compleat Food Group, we believe great teams are built on difference. We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and are able to be themselves at work. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage of our recruitment process, just let us know, we’ll support you — confidentially and with care. We hire the best people for our roles, not the same people. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we focus on what you do and the impact you could make in our business. Our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and designed to give everyone an equal chance. You’ll also find benefits that support people at every life stage, plus active internal networks — including Women @ Compleat, LGBTQIA+, and Neurodiversity

Recruitment Agencies:

We have a small, active and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.