Central Knife Station Operator

OCS; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 35,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Award-winning employer

Digital learning resources

Employee discounts via Wagestream/WagE

Job summary

OCS Wissington in Norfolk is seeking a committed full-time CKS Operator to support the optimisation of knife quality and ensure the lowest cost per tonne of target extraction.

You will operate knife cleaning, milling and sharpening machines, monitor quality, perform adjustments, and liaise with slicer operators to maintain safety and efficiency. The role requires reliable team player and adherence to health and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience operating knife cleaning, milling and sharpening machines.
• Monitor knife quality parameters and capture data.
• Demonstrate high health and safety standards and work well with others.

Responsibilities

• Operating knife cleaning, milling and sharpening machines during campaign operations (RSA/ASR /ASG/ARF)
• Monitor knife quality parameters and capture data in FTR
• Make machine adjustments to ensure continuous optimisation of knife quality
• Transport knives to and from tarehouse
• Demonstrate the highest personal health and safety standards at all times and work effectively with other team members to carry out the tasks safely and effectively
• Effective shift handover through Level 1 Comms Board. Complete shift logs
• Basic troubleshooting and practical fault finding on CKS machines
• Carry out planned inspections and routes for the plant
• Timely escalation of machine faults through CKS Co-ordinator/SPM route
• Monitor and swapping of consumable parts on CKS machines
• Delivery of QESH and operational performance targets agreed in business objectives
• Support delivery of CKS operational reliability and quality measures and targets as agreed
• Engagement with slicer operators and beet end technicians as required
• Demonstration of the correct level/standard of technician competency for safe operation of all CKS plant
• Supporting delivery of quality, environment and health & safety operational performance
• Cross site quality for the CKS operation delivering best practice for sharpened beet knives inline with SPEC-F-001 standard
• Operational activities during the day to day running of the CKS plant
• Some basic AVI routes around the pulp pressing station (as required)
• Delivers schedule of high quality sharpened knives across all sites
• Liaises with site teams and managers to ensure the work is completed on time. Addresses barriers to work completion.
• The CKS Operator ensures operational efficiency by making CKS technical decisions in reaction to medium term events whilst minimising cost
• Ability to use knowledge and experience to make a call on when to take an operational piece of plant offline and understand the urgency of its return to service
• Main reporting lines will be through the CKS Co-ordinator and shift SPM. Any escalation of breakdowns must also be communicated effectively to the Pulp Management Process Lead / APU Lead / Eng Lead as appropriate.
• Close working relationship with site slicer team

Skills

Machine operation

Knife maintenance

Tools

CKS machines

Job description

Night shifts, Day shifts, Weekends

OCS are looking for an enthusiastic and capable individual to form a key part of the team. This is a full-time permanent position, located in OCS Wissington Norfolk. We are looking for an experienced and reliable person to support the optimisation of slice quality to deliver the lowest cost per tonne of target extraction across the business.

About The Role

Working Pattern

Night shifts, Day shifts, Weekends

OCS are looking for an enthusiastic and capable individual to form a key part of the team. This is a full-time permanent position, located in OCS Wissington Norfolk. We are looking for an experienced and reliable person to support the optimisation of slice quality to deliver the lowest cost per tonne of target extraction across the business.

Key Responsibilities

• Operating knife cleaning, milling and sharpening machines during campaign operations (RSA/ASR /ASG/ARF)
• Monitor knife quality parameters and capture data in FTR
• Make machine adjustments to ensure continuous optimisation of knife quality
• Transport knives to and from tarehouse
• Demonstrate the highest personal health and safety standards at all times and work effectively with other team members to carry out the tasks safely and effectively
• Effective shift handover through Level 1 Comms Board. Complete shift logs
• Basic troubleshooting and practical fault finding on CKS machines
• Carry out planned inspections and routes for the plant
• Timely escalation of machine faults through CKS Co-ordinator/SPM route
• Monitor and swapping of consumable parts on CKS machines
• Delivery of QESH and operational performance targets agreed in business objectives
• Support delivery of CKS operational reliability and quality measures and targets as agreed
• Engagement with slicer operators and beet end technicians as required
• Demonstration of the correct level/standard of technician competency for safe operation of all CKS plant
• Supporting delivery of quality, environment and health & safety operational performance
• Cross site quality for the CKS operation delivering best practice for sharpened beet knives inline with SPEC-F-001 standard
• Operational activities during the day to day running of the CKS plant
• Some basic AVI routes around the pulp pressing station (as required)
• Delivers schedule of high quality sharpened knives across all sites
• Liaises with site teams and managers to ensure the work is completed on time. Addresses barriers to work completion.
• The CKS Operator ensures operational efficiency by making CKS technical decisions in reaction to medium term events whilst minimising cost
• Ability to use knowledge and experience to make a call on when to take an operational piece of plant offline and understand the urgency of its return to service
• Main reporting lines will be through the CKS Co-ordinator and shift SPM. Any escalation of breakdowns must also be communicated effectively to the Pulp Management Process Lead / APU Lead / Eng Lead as appropriate.
• Close working relationship with site slicer team

About The Company

OCS UK & Ireland is a leading facilities management company with 50,000+ colleagues and a turnover in excess of £2bn. We deliver innovative, award-winning services within facilities management, hard services, cleaning, security and catering.

Our mission is to make people and places the best they can be for our colleagues, customers and the communities we serve. Our commitment to doing business the right way is rooted in our TRUE values - Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment.

Why Work for OCS?

• Award-Winning Employer: Ranked 36th on Glassdoor’s Best Companies to Work For 2025 — we value and motivate our people.
• Digital Learning: The OCS Academy offers digital courses and resources to help you build skills and grow your career.
• Retail Perks With our Hapi app, you can gain access to exclusive discounts, rewards and wellbeing resources.
• Professional Growth: 600+ live learners across UK&I — Empowering colleagues with further development and qualifications!
• Flexible Pay: Access a portion of earned wages before payday with our Wagestream App! (Contract Specific)

We are an equal opportunities employer and rely on a diverse workforce with a broad range of knowledge, skills, and backgrounds to deliver our goals. We offer an inclusive and welcoming environment and actively encourage applications from all individuals regardless of race, gender, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or age.