JOB PURPOSE
To safely and efficiently operate guillotine cutting equipment to produce paper, board, or other packaging materials to the required customer specifications and quality standards. The Guillotine Operator is responsible for accurate cutting, product quality, traceability, housekeeping, and compliance with company procedures, food safety requirements, and BRCGS standards.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Set up and operate guillotine machinery safely and efficiently according to production schedules and job specifications.
- Read and understand job tickets, production instructions, drawings, and cutting specifications.
- Accurately measure and cut packaging materials to the required dimensions and tolerances.
- Complete all required start-up, in-process, and finished-product quality checks.
- Ensure materials are correctly identified and maintained with full traceability throughout the production process.
- Verify the correct raw materials, job specifications, quantities, and customer requirements before commencing production.
- Monitor the condition and performance of the guillotine, including blade condition, settings, and cutting accuracy.
- Report machinery faults, damaged equipment, defective materials, or quality issues promptly to the relevant supervisor.
- Segregate and correctly identify non-conforming or suspect materials to prevent unintended use.
- Minimise material waste while maintaining required quality and food safety standards.
- Complete production, quality, waste, and traceability records accurately and in a timely manner.
- Maintain a clean and orderly work area in accordance with company housekeeping and hygiene requirements.
- Follow all company procedures relating to food safety, product safety, quality, hygiene, allergen control, foreign-body prevention, and contamination prevention.
- Ensure packaging materials are protected from contamination during handling, storage, and production.
- Follow procedures for the control of glass, brittle plastic, metal, chemicals, and other potential contamination risks where applicable.
- Report any product safety, quality, hygiene, or foreign-body concerns immediately.
- Comply with company procedures for product identification, batch coding, traceability, and line clearance.
- Carry out effective line clearance between jobs to prevent product mix-ups or cross-contamination.
- Follow safe working practices and use machinery guards and safety devices correctly at all times.
- Carry out routine cleaning and basic operator maintenance in accordance with approved procedures.
- Only undertake blade changes, adjustments, or maintenance activities for which the operator is trained and authorised.
- Participate in internal audits, training, investigations, and continuous improvement activities as required.
- Work effectively with production, quality, warehouse, and management teams to meet production targets and customer requirements.
Food Safety & BRCGS Responsibilities
- Understand and comply with the company's BRCGS Packaging Materials requirements and relevant site procedures.
- Maintain high standards of personal hygiene and good manufacturing practices (GMP).
- Prevent contamination, damage, or deterioration of packaging materials.
- Follow documented procedures and work instructions at all times.
- Ensure accurate completion of records to support product traceability and verification.
- Immediately report any situation that could compromise product safety, legality, authenticity, quality, or customer requirements.
- Cooperate fully with quality and food safety personnel during inspections, audits, investigations, and corrective actions.
- Attend and complete all required food safety, hygiene, quality, health and safety, and equipment training.
Health & Safety Responsibilities
- Operate machinery only when trained and authorised.
- Follow all machinery safety procedures and never bypass guards or safety devices.
- Use appropriate PPE at all times.
- Report accidents, near misses, hazards, and unsafe conditions immediately.
- Follow manual handling procedures when moving paper, board, packaging materials, or finished products.
- Keep walkways, emergency exits, and working areas clear.
- Follow the company's emergency and incident procedures
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Essential
- Previous experience operating industrial cutting or guillotine equipment, preferably within a packaging or manufacturing environment.
- Good attention to detail and a strong focus on accuracy.
- Ability to read and understand measurements, specifications, and production documentation.
- Ability to follow written procedures and work instructions.
- Good understanding of quality and hygiene requirements.
- Ability to maintain accurate production and quality records.
· Reliable, safety-conscious, and able to work effectively as part of a production team
Desirable
- Experience within a BRCGS-certified food packaging or printing environment.
- Knowledge of GMP and food packaging hygiene requirements.
- Experience with automated/programmed guillotine machinery.
- Experience with production quality checks and traceability systems.
- Previous experience working to ISO, BRCGS, or other recognised quality-management standards.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
· Reliable
· Safety-conscious
· Accurate
· Observant
· Responsible
· Organised
· Practical
· Quality-focused
· Self-motivated
· Calm under pressure
· Honest and trustworthy
· Willing to learn
· A good communicator
· A positive team player
SALARY AND BENEFITS
25 days holiday excluding Bank Holidays
Hours: 37.5 a week
Monday to Friday
Weekly rotating shifts
Early - 06:00 to 13:30
Late - 13:30 to 21:00
On-site parking
Pay: £27,000.00-£31,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- London DA1 1JQ: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Guillotine Operator: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
