Shift Production Supervisor – Extrusion & Lean Leader

Wavin UK, an Orbia business; Chippenham; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Wavin, an Orbia business, is seeking a Production Supervisor to join our Chippenham site. You will lead daily extrusion production operations, drive safety and quality, and balance throughput with downtime reduction in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes problem-solving, team leadership, and continuous improvement, with collaboration across Engineering and Maintenance to optimise performance and deliver targets.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Management, or equivalent experience.
• Proven experience in a production leadership role within manufacturing.
• Strong experience in plastics extrusion or continuous polymer processing.
• Practical knowledge of extrusion equipment, dies, haul-offs, cutters, and downstream systems.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, OEE, SPC, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and team development skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a data-driven mindset.
• Experience using ERP/MRP systems and Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage daily extrusion production operations to achieve safety, quality, and delivery targets
• Plan schedules, line utilisation, changeovers, and material flow to maximise throughput and minimise downtime
• Coordinate closely with Engineering and Maintenance teams on preventative maintenance and breakdown response
• Drive and maintain a strong safety‑first culture, ensuring compliance with EHS standards and procedures
• Lead incident investigations and implement corrective actions where required
• Ensure products consistently meet specification and quality standards
• Implement 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 activities
• Drive Lean Manufacturing initiatives including 5S, SMED, Kaizen, and OEE improvement

Skills

People leadership

Lean manufacturing

OEE

Analytical thinking

ERP/MRP experience

Problem solving

Team development

Education

Degree in Mechanical, Industrial, or Plastics Engineering, Manufacturing Management, or equivalent experience

Tools

ERP/MRP systems

Microsoft Office

PLC/HMI knowledge

Job description

Wavin, an Orbia business, is seeking a Production Supervisor to join our Chippenham site. You will lead daily extrusion production operations, drive safety and quality, and balance throughput with downtime reduction in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

The role emphasizes problem-solving, team leadership, and continuous improvement, with collaboration across Engineering and Maintenance to optimise performance and deliver targets.