Role Description:
The Shift Manager leads Production and Packing performance during the night shift, ensuring targets are met safely, efficiently, and in line with food safety and quality requirements. The role requires early starts to support line start-up, readiness checks, and shift planning.
Supporting shop floor teams, the role ensures the shift runs smoothly, deploying labour effectively, and resolving issues quickly and professionally. The role will drive KPI performance, ensure compliance with procedure, and maintains strong communication with QA, Engineering, Warehouse, and Planning.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead Production and Packing to deliver production plans and customer requirements.
- Coordinate line start-ups, ensuring, materials, and equipment are in place before production begins.
- Manage staff rota in accordance with labour budgets (including agency staff).
- Manage holiday requests and absences in line with company policies, ensuring that everything is recorded accurately.
- Allocate resources effectively across lines to maximise output and minimise downtime.
- Ensure effective communication between departments to support smooth flow of product.
- Attend and contribute to production and shift meetings.
- Provide structured handovers to the next shift, ensuring continuity and clarity of priorities.
- Ensure all written documentation is completed correctly and in a timely manner.
- Drive performance across KPIs including output, efficiency, yield, waste, downtime, and labour.
- Monitor performance throughout the shift and implement corrective actions when necessary.
- Identify and escalate operational risks and constraints early to minimise impact to service level.
- Support continuous improvement by identifying recurring issues and implementing solutions.
- Manage the team fairly and consistently, with clear direction and accountability
- Support and guide Team Leaders to ensure strong performance across their areas.
- Promote a positive working environment and maintain discipline and professionalism on shift.
- Support training, development, and coaching of staff to improve capability and performance.
- Manage absence issues and ensure appropriate cover is arranged to maintain production output.
- Lead the team to meet food safety standards, internal processes, and GMP standards efficiently.
- Ensure product quality checks and documentation are completed correctly and on time.
- Investigate and address non-conformances, implementing any corrective actions.
- Ensure the shift always remains audit-ready in line with BRC and customer standards.
- Promote a strong food safety culture across the Production and Packing teams.
- Champion health & safety standards, and PPE compliance.
- Actively manage risks, reporting hazards and ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
- Lead initial incident response and support investigations when required.
- Work with Engineering to prioritise breakdown response and planned maintenance activities.
- Support the Technical team with audits, traceability exercises, and customer requirements.
- Communicate clearly with senior management on shift performance, issues, and actions taken.
The ideal candidate:
The ideal candidate must have:
- Proven experience in a similar role within food manufacturing or FMCG.
- Knowledge of food safety systems and compliance requirements (BRC, HACCP, GMP).
- Strong people leadership skills with experience coordinating teams and driving performance.
- Ability to manage priorities, make decisions quickly, and remain calm under pressure.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to hold meetings and difficult conversations.
- Flexibility to meet early start requirements and operational demands.
- Knowledge of monitoring and managing OEE.
- Strong computer skills in Microsoft excel and word.
- HACCP Level 3 (desirable).
- Food Safety Level 3 (desirable).
Personal Attributes:
- Hands-on proactive leader.
- Results-driven with strong attention to detail and high standards.
- Confident decision maker with a problem-solving mindset
- Strong sense of accountability and ownership of shift performance.
- Resilient and adaptable to changing production priorities.
- Self-motivated, driven & committed.
- Structured and well organised.
- Strong initiative – a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Working Hours:
- Monday to Friday 9:30pm – 6am
- Site based
- Shift cover expected
Benefits:
- Free parking, within proximity to all major travel networks.
- 31 days holiday, inclusive of bank holidays, increasing with service.
- An extra day off for your birthday.
- Health cash plan (Medicash), after 3 months.
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay.
- Employee Assistance Program.
- Company pension scheme – employer 4% and employee 5%.
- Company paid events throughout the year.
- Fruity Tuesday.
- FREE pack of cheese every week.
- Discounted staff cheese shop.
- Doughnut Fridays.
Please note we unfortunately do not offer sponsorship for work visas or immigration. Candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK to be considered for this role.
