Shift Manager
Location: Louth
Shift Pattern: 4 on, 4 off (2 x 12-hour day shifts followed by 2 x 12-hour night shifts)
Lead People. Drive Performance. Shape the Future.
We’re looking for an ambitious and engaging Shift Manager to join our manufacturing operation in Louth. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced production leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoys developing high-performing teams while driving operational excellence.
As Shift Manager, you’ll play a critical role in leading one of our production shifts, ensuring the safe, efficient and effective operation of the site. You’ll be responsible for delivering outstanding performance across safety, quality, productivity, customer service and people development, while creating a culture built on accountability, continuous improvement and collaboration.
Working closely with colleagues across Manufacturing, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality and the wider UK Packaging business, you’ll have the opportunity to influence site performance and contribute to the ongoing success of the operation.
What you’ll be doing
- Lead, motivate and develop your shift team to consistently deliver operational KPIs across Safety, Quality, Delivery, Cost and People.
- Champion a proactive safety culture by identifying and eliminating hazards, driving behavioural safety and ensuring full compliance with Health, Safety and Environmental standards.
- Lead daily shift start-up meetings, safety briefings and performance reviews, ensuring clear communication and engagement across the team.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement, encouraging innovation, problem solving and operational excellence to improve productivity and reduce waste.
- Work collaboratively with Supply Chain and Planning teams to maximise service levels and achieve industry-leading customer performance, including 100% OTIF.
- Build strong working relationships with internal departments and colleagues across the wider DS Smith network to share best practice and improve operational performance.
- Manage, coach and support Team Leaders and production colleagues, creating an engaged, high-performing workforce.
- Conduct performance reviews, Personal Development Reviews (PDRs) and succession planning to develop future talent and strengthen leadership capability.
- Recruit, onboard and develop new team members where required.
- Ensure exceptional housekeeping, GMP and quality standards are maintained, delivering an audit-ready manufacturing environment at all times.
- Monitor and report production performance, ensuring shift reports, OEE reporting and operational data are completed accurately and on time.
- Lead investigations into production issues, identifying root causes and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
- Ensure all manufacturing activities comply with company policies, quality standards and legislative requirements.
About You
You’ll be a confident and resilient manufacturing leader who enjoys getting the best from people while delivering outstanding operational performance. You’ll be passionate about continuous improvement and capable of making sound decisions in a fast-moving production environment.
We’re looking for someone who has:
- Proven experience in a manufacturing leadership role such as Shift Manager, Production Manager, Manufacturing Team Manager or similar.
- Strong people leadership skills with the ability to coach, motivate and develop high-performing teams.
- A continuous improvement mindset with experience driving operational performance and implementing change.
- A recognised qualification in Health & Safety, Quality Management or a related discipline (desirable).
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, using data to make informed operational decisions.
- Advanced IT skills and experience using manufacturing reporting systems and Microsoft Office.
- A collaborative approach with the ability to build strong cross-functional relationships.
- Confidence to challenge existing processes, question the status quo and drive positive change.
- A commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, customer service and employee engagement.
Why DS Smith?
This is more than a Shift Manager role—it’s an opportunity to become part of a global organisation where operational excellence, sustainability and people development are at the heart of everything we do.
You’ll join a business that values innovation, empowers its leaders to make decisions and provides genuine opportunities for career progression across one of the UK’s leading manufacturing organisations.
If you’re an inspirational leader who is passionate about developing people, improving performance and making a real impact, we’d love to hear from you.
- Competitive salary
- Qualifying Sick Pay scheme
- Pension scheme & Life insurance
- Share Save scheme
- Income Protection
- 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Virtual GP, Occupational Health & free Flu vaccine
Cycle to Work and shopping discounts
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We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.
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