Team Leader

Sofina Foods Europe; Malton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Sofina Foods Europe is seeking a Team Leader to oversee a production team in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment, delivering safe, high-quality products while meeting daily production plans.

You will lead, coach, and develop staff, ensure safety and quality standards, manage workloads, and drive continuous improvement, with opportunities for progression within a growing international food business.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership and people-management skills.
• Strong understanding of health and safety, food safety, hygiene and quality requirements in manufacturing.
• Ability to motivate, develop and performance-manage a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate, and support employees to meet production goals.
• Coordinate workloads and allocate staff to production demands.
• Monitor productivity, quality, yield, waste and downtime.
• Ensure safety, hygiene and quality standards at all times.
• Coach and develop staff; provide daily support and feedback.
• Address performance and attendance concerns professionally.
• Support absence management and inductions for new starters.
• Identify training opportunities to build team capability.
• Promote a positive and inclusive working culture.
• Communicate updates through team briefings and engagement.

Skills

Team leadership

People management

Food safety awareness

Health & Safety compliance

Education

Level 2 Food Safety training

Team Leader qualification

Tools

Production systems

Job description

Lead, develop, and inspire a production team while helping deliver safe, high-quality products in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

Role Overview

As a Team Leader, you'll play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of the daily production plan while maintaining the highest standards of safety, food quality, hygiene, and operational performance. Acting as the link between the production team and management, you'll provide clear direction, support employee development, and create a positive working environment where people can perform at their best.

Key Duties

• Lead, motivate, and support employees to achieve departmental and site objectives.
• Coordinate workloads and allocate employees effectively to meet production demands.
• Monitor productivity, quality, yield, waste, and downtime performance across the department.
• Communicate clear expectations relating to performance, attendance, behaviour, and workplace standards.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and day-to-day support to help employees develop and succeed.
• Address performance, attendance, and conduct concerns fairly and professionally, escalating where required.
• Support absence management processes, including return-to-work meetings and employee discussions.
• Ensure new starters receive effective inductions and ongoing support during their training period.
• Identify training and development opportunities to build capability across the team.
• Promote a positive, respectful, and inclusive working culture.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety, food safety, hygiene, and quality standards at all times.
• Monitor adherence to Standard Operating Procedures, safe systems of work, and company policies.
• Communicate company and departmental updates through team briefings and regular engagement.
• Support continuous improvement activities focused on productivity, waste reduction, efficiency, and employee engagement.
• Lead by example, demonstrating Sofina Foods' values of Integrity, Respect, and Accountability in everything you do.

Ideal Candidate

• Previous experience within a food manufacturing, factory, or production environment.
• Team Leader, Chargehand, Supervisory, or people management experience would be advantageous.
• Ability to motivate, engage, and develop a team to achieve operational goals.
• Good understanding of Health & Safety, food safety, hygiene, and quality requirements within a manufacturing setting.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the confidence to provide clear direction and constructive feedback.
• Experience managing workloads and responding effectively to changing production demands.
• Ability to identify problems, make decisions, and maintain production performance under pressure.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience completing production, quality, or people-related documentation accurately.
• Basic IT skills and confidence using production or employee management systems.
• A proactive, positive approach with a commitment to high standards and continuous improvement.
• Level 2 Food Safety, Health & Safety training, Manual Handling training, or a recognised Team Leader qualification would be beneficial.

Why Join Us?

At Sofina Foods, we're committed to creating an environment where our people can thrive. You'll have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills, make a genuine impact on operational performance, and support the growth and development of your team. In return, you'll benefit from competitive pay, company pension, health and wellbeing support, access to our Online Benefits Hub, and opportunities for career progression within a successful and growing international food business.

About Sofina

Sofina Foods is more than just a food company. It is a place where you can grow your career, learn new skills, and make a positive impact.

With a wide range of meat and seafood products that delight consumers worldwide, Sofina Foods is always looking for talented and passionate people to join its team of over 13,000 employees across 40 sites in Canada and Europe.

At Sofina Foods, you will be part of a culture that values innovation, quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. You will work with diverse and delicious products that are sourced responsibly and sustainably from over 50 different protein sources from 5 continents.

Our vision is to be the most successful food company in the world. If you are looking for a rewarding and exciting career in the food sector, Sofina Foods is the place for you.

Equal Opportunities

Sofina Foods is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We're committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences - regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation