Project Support jobs in United Kingdom

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Job Title: Shift Engineer (Distribution Centre)

Business Function: Supply Chain

Location: Port Sunlight Factories

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace.

The role of a Shift Engineer is to deliver customer service requirements by ensuring optimal sustained running of the Distribution Centre. This role will include:

• Delivering preventative maintenance standards to completion at ground level and working from height in the racking area
• Conduct reactive and planned maintenance in the form of fault investigations, maintenance, inspections, and component replacements on all automation assets at ground level and at height. This includes but is not limited to areas positioned on storage and retrieval cranes and within racking systems.
• Ensure safety at height by recovering defective or poorly positioned pallets and securing areas within crane aisles and racking structures.
• Managing tagging by encouraging all to raise them, with prioritisation and completion through the Engineering team
• Reducing short term losses through quick resolution of machinery breakdowns
• Driving a zero-loss mindset through Emergency Work Orders (EWO) initiation and completion
• Following all safety and quality standards
• Identification, appropriate escalation and resolution of faults, challenges and inefficiencies

The role of the Shift Engineer impacts: Safety (of oneself and others); Quality of products; Customer Service, and DC availability

• Ensure company safety policy, rules, and procedures are understood and followed at all times, encouraging everyone to behave safely and challenging unsafe behaviour.
• Role model and actively contribute to a safety culture and safe working environment by identifying and reporting safety hazards and dangerous situations involving Unilever personnel, site contractors, and visitors.
• Perform regular inspections/audits for good housekeeping and area safety, ensuring agreed actions are completed.
• Ensure tasks are completed in line with Risk assessments. Review existing and new Risk Assessments. Create new Risk Assessments where none exist, and support other team members as required.
• Identify and close gaps within current Risk Assessment procedures, performing dynamic Risk Assessments when the situation requires.
• Full knowledge of the workplace and hazards within it.
• Support with immediate and appropriate actions to rectify safety issues.
• Ensure contractor management processes are followed

• Ensure that all aspects of Quality within the area of responsibility are in accordance with local Quality procedures to protect and promote the brand and product.
• Setup equipment to manufacture products in accordance with quality procedures and standards to achieve the product quality targets at minimal waste levels.
• Take immediate technical actions to rectify issues that have a negative impact on quality.

The impact of the Shift Engineers’ decisions will be quickly felt; therefore, an immediate response is required to address any issues which may arise.

• Continually review DC performance, taking appropriate corrective actions to positively impact the plan for the week
• Anticipate and react quickly to problems in order to avoid impact to customer service and avoid missed deliveries and demurrage.
• Prioritise resolving technical challenges to ensure the area is running at the optimal speeds/throughput, escalating issues in a timely manner where needed

Lead improvements to reduce non-value-added activity, including reducing Cost, Waste and Energy.

As Shift Engineer, you will be the technical expert for the Distribution Centre on your allocated shift: This will include activities such as:

• Define, follow, maintain and improve 5S standards.
• Understand, participate and ensure the Run to Standard cell’s master plan is followed. Tasks include:
• Owning completion and compliance with the tagging and breakdown work streams, Engineering centrelines, and the PM plan on your shift
• Support the AM work stream.
• Ensure good quality information on breakdown reports and EWOs are raised as required within 1 week of breakdown with counter measures identified and planned.
• Monitor equipment condition to prevent breakdowns, monitoring loss patterns using FI tools.
• Embed a “Fix forever” mentality and apply appropriate countermeasures using UPS tools when understanding a fault and coach others on how to use them (5W2H before making change)
• Optimizing maintenance schedules and look to reduce frequency/time of PM schedules through improvements or loss reduction.
• Ensuring Engineering works are risk assessed, appropriately resourced, and can occur without conflicting requirement by utilising the maximum use of any down time.
• Create and review Risk Assessments, SMPs, SOPs, standards and OPLs.
• Restore work area to original condition after maintenance.
• Use tools such as Kaizens to suggest and complete improvement activities improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Be proactive on the cell/team meetings and bring relevant issues for discussion and provide suggestions for improvement

• Ensure all relevant skills are reviewed and recorded on the team’s skills matrix.
• Take ownership to close skills gaps identified by the skills matrix by arranging and completing training activities, taking an active role in closing the skills gaps of other team members on your allocated shift.
• Seek feedback from others to further develop own skills and behaviours.
• Be a role model for self and others, embracing training and development.
• As required, assist in the upskilling of team members coaching them to achieve their full potential where appropriate

Downtime and challenges within the Distribution Centre have the potential to stop PSL factories and customer deliveries. A proactive response to problem solving and decisive decision making is essential to avoid losses and ensure general smooth running within the Distribution Centre.

• Identify, diagnose and resolve challenges with Machinery faults, System and automation errors, MHE issues and miscellaneous problems.
• Use Run To Standard concepts to trouble shoot more complex problems, understand why the faults have occurred and identify solutions to prevent future reoccurrence.
• Collecting and escalating information on more complex faults for additional analysis

An in-depth knowledge of the principles and parameters of the machines/systems will be needed to effectively perform these problem‑solving tasks. You will need to be capable and confident of using and training others to use UMS and other problem solving and improvement tools.

In this role you will need a proactive and collaborative attitude to change. The ideal candidate will:

• Identify improvement opportunities, for example using the Kaizen Database to list ideas that benefit the business and reduce costs.
• Drive best practices in safety and quality assurance by implementing efficient processes and collaborating with colleagues.
• Participate in change initiatives, such as new installations and trials. Track successes and failures where needed to provide feedback on successes and challenges. Support team members to ensure a smooth ramp‑up and any procedural changes.
• Utilise project management tools and techniques to ensure the efficient use of resources.

• Time served Apprentice
• NVQ level 3 in Engineering
• Multi-skilled background (mechanical, electrical and software)
• A passion for automated systems and learning new things.
• Proactive approach to work and fault response. Takes initiative to prevent issues, responds quickly to faults, and actively contributes to improving equipment reliability and performance.
• Understanding of 5S, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement plans
• A high standard of written and verbal communication
• Ability to Work from Height (full site‑specific working and rescue at height training will be provided in this area)

• FMCG background
• Experience working in a Distribution Centre

The ideal candidate for this role displays the 4 Unilever behaviors in their work:

Focus on what counts: Prioritize tasks that directly impacts the safety and efficiency of the distribution process. This could mean concentrating on high‑priority shipments or resolving bottlenecks in the automated systems. Show diligence by meticulously managing these tasks and taking personal accountability for their successful completion. Inspire others by consistently focusing on what matters most, such as ensuring timely and accurate order fulfilment.

Deliver with excellence: Strive for high standards in every aspect of your work. This involves attention to detail and a commitment to quality in all operations, including monitoring automated systems for errors and ensuring timely dispatch. Demonstrate responsibility by owning the quality of your work and going above and beyond when the opportunity arises to exceed expectations, such as optimizing workflows to improve efficiency.

Stay 3 steps ahead: Anticipate potential issues before they arise, such as peak times for shipments or maintenance needs for automated equipment and organize your work accordingly. Be proactive in suggesting improvements to processes or workflows. Efficiently resolve challenges by staying vigilant and prepared for any disruptions, ensuring minimal downtime and smooth operations.

Care deeply: Show genuine concern for the well‑being of colleagues and the satisfaction of customers. This includes maintaining a safe working environment, supporting team members, developing yourself and others, and ensuring that customer orders are handled with care. Maintain high standards in safety and lead by example by showing consistent care and commitment, such as conducting regular safety checks and providing training on new equipment.

By integrating these qualities, you not only embody the desired behaviors but also contribute to a more efficient, responsible, and supportive work environment in the Distribution Centre.

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full‑time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family‑friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, including about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Unilever | Unilever.

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