Key Responsibilities:
Leadership, Oversight and Management
- Provide overall leadership and management of the Extrusion Department team
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Liaise with HR and the Production Manager on employee matters, including: attendance, absences, performance, development and grievance issues
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Maintain appropriate staffing levels, including the effective management of overtime to maximise production efficiency
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Ensure all team members operate safely, efficiently and cost-effectively, identifying and implementing training and development requirements where necessary
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Lead, motivate and support staff, fostering strong working relationships and a positive team culture
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Conduct regular performance reviews and one-to-one meetings, setting objectives, monitoring progress and supporting employee development
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Promote high standards of attendance, conduct and accountability across the Department
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Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational performance, efficiency and employee engagement
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Work effectively and maintain working relationships alongside operators, Team Leaders, Conversion and Print Managers, Company Directors, Engineers (external and internal) and planning teams
Health and Safety, Quality and Compliance
- Ensure individual and team compliance with all Health & Safety, Quality and Environmental policies, procedures and legislative requirements
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Work closely with HR and relevant stakeholders to ensure all safety training, certifications, risk assessments and safe working procedures remain current and fully compliant
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Promote a strong safety culture by encouraging best practices, hazard identification and continuous improvement in workplace safety
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Ensure compliance with all relevant industry standards and certifications, including BRC, ISO and operational specific regulations
Machine Performance and Maintenance
- Monitor machine performance, production output and scrap levels, ensuring targets for quality and waste reduction are achieved
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Conduct root cause analysis of equipment, process and quality issues, implementing corrective and preventative actions to minimise recurrence
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Plan, coordinate and oversee production activities to ensure customer orders, delivery schedules and quality standards are consistently met
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Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance output and overall equipment effectiveness, while reducing waste, downtime and operating costs
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Troubleshoot and resolve technical, mechanical and process-related issues across all blown film extrusion lines, ensuring minimal disruption to production
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Collaborate with Maintenance and Engineering teams (internal and external) to optimise machine reliability
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Analyse production data and performance metrics to identify opportunities for improvements
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Ensure machinery is operated and maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidelines, company procedures and regulatory requirements
Improvement and Development
- Support capital investment projects, including the introduction of new equipment, technologies to enhance operational performance
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Contribute to new product development initiatives
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Identify improvement opportunities to increase productivity and efficiency
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Evaluate operational and workforce effectiveness, implementing improvements
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Promote a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging employee involvement
The Ideal Candidate:
- Experience within a blown film extrusion manufacturing environment, with a strong technical understanding of the extrusion process, machinery and operations
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Strong knowledge of industry standards including BRC, ISO, Health & Safety and quality management systems
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Strong leadership and decision-making skills
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People management skills with the ability to motivate and build lasting, professional relationships
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A commercially aware mindset, focused on maximising efficiency, reducing waste, controlling costs and maintaining high-quality standards
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Comfortable working on the factory floor and engaging directly with production teams to drive performance and resolve issues
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Excellent problem-solving skills, with experience in root cause analysis and implement corrective and preventative actions
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The ability to collaborate with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, HR and Company Directors to achieve objectives
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A continuous improvement mindset, with a commitment to driving operational excellence
