Team Leader - Finishing

Cook Trading Limited; Sittingbourne; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free cooked lunch for all employees

Free car park

Paid birthday/house move leave

Staff profit share

Wellbeing program

30% staff discount

CookJar discounts and free food perks

Team meals, events & away days

B-Corp certified business

Job summary

Cook Trading Limited in Sittingbourne, Kent, is seeking a Finishing Team Leader to oversee the finishing line, ensuring quality, safety, and presentation of meals during the 2pm–10pm shift. You will lead a small team, motivate staff to hit daily production targets, enforce food safety standards, and collaborate with prep, kitchen, dispatch and planning to keep production flowing smoothly.

This role offers benefits including lunch, free car park, paid leave on birthdays or moving house, staff

Qualifications

• Experience leading a team in a busy production environment.
• Strong communication skills within a small team setting.
• Experience maintaining high standards of food quality and safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate the finishing team to meet daily production targets while upholding food safety, hygiene and quality standards.
• Allocate shifts and duties to team members for smooth finishing operations.
• Ensure products meet presentation, portion and packaging standards.
• Follow Health & Safety and food safety procedures, promoting a right-first-time approach.
• Support new starters and provide day-to-day coaching to the department.
• Respond calmly to operational issues to maintain production flow.
• Collaborate with prep, kitchen, dispatch, planning and hygiene to ensure smooth processes.

Skills

Team leadership

Communication

Attention to detail

Food manufacturing

Hygiene standards

Job description

Finishing Team Leader

Location:Sittingbourne, Kent - COOK Kitchen

Hours: Monday - Friday 2pm – 10pm

Pay rate :£ 28,626 per year £14.68 per hour

Be the final quality check, the last touch of care, and the leader who brings it all together.

As our Finishing Team Leader you’ll lead the team that dishes up and adds the final flourish to our remarkable meals. You’ll make sure every meal meets the highest standards of quality, safety, and pride.

This is more than just a production role — it’s about making sure every meal we send is something we’d serve ourselves.

The Role

• Support and motivate the team to achieve daily production targets while maintaining food safety, hygiene, and quality standards.
• Assist with the smooth running of the finishing area, ensuring team members are allocated effectively throughout the shift.
• ensure all products meet required presentation, portion, and packaging standards.
• follow all Health & Safety and food safety procedures, encouraging a “right first time” approach across the team.
• provide guidance and day-to-day support to colleagues, helping new starters settle in and work confidently within the department.
• respond to operational issues in a calm and practical manner to help keep production running efficiently.
• work closely with other departments including prep, kitchen, dispatch, planning, and hygiene to ensure a smooth production flow.

Good to Have

• Ability to work effectively within a small team where strong communication is essential to success.
• experience in leading a team, with a focus on maintaining high standards and attention to detail.
• Prior experience in a busy preparation department within food manufacturing

If you tick most of these boxes but not all—don’t stress. We’re all about potential.

Excellent Benefits including

• free cooked from fresh lunch for all employees
• Free car park
• Paid leave on your birthdays, moving house, become grandparent or your child starts school for the first time
• staff profit share
• Wellbeing program
• 30% staff discount
• Access to CookieJar Smart Spending discounts and free food perks.
• Team meals , events & away days
• Be part of a B-Corp-certified business that values sustainability, people, and the community.

And many more.

What Cook is About

We’re a proudly independent, family-owned B Corp, which basically means we care. Alot. About our food. About our people. And about doing the right thing—even when it’s not the easy thing.

Our vision for COOK has always been that we are a place where EVERYONE is welcome. We want everyone to feel like they belong at COOK. We all have different roles, different abilities and different personalities. By collaborating we can do remarkable things. Whatever your story, if you would like to grow with COOK please apply.