Location: Stockton-on-Tees
Function: Manufacturing
Job Reference: 8745
Employment Type: Permanent / Full Time
Closing Date: 20/09/2026
Date: 21 Aug 2026
.buttontext1fc5fc43f764781e a{ border: 1px solid transparent; } .buttontext1fc5fc43f764781e a: focus{ border: 1px dashed #282522 !important; outline: none !important; }
.buttontexta5f245b76e32b451 a{ border: 1px solid transparent; } .buttontexta5f245b76e32b451 a: focus{ border: 1px dashed #282522 !important; outline: none !important; }
Title: Manufacturing Area Lead/Production Shift Manager
Function: Manufacturing
Contract: Full Time, Permanent 40.25 hours per week
Hours: 4 on 4 off days and nights rotating
Location: Stockton
Are you a Team Manager within a manufacturing or production environment on top of your game, looking for a new opportunity in an FMCG role? Look no further, our Stockton Bakery is currently on the lookout for an Manufacturing Area Lead to join their team!
Essential Ingredients
Experience with Lean, Six Sigma and CI improvements
Previous experience of monitoring equipment and ensuring it’s compliant, ensuring issues are identified and resolved quickly
Understanding of site level planning activity
A background of coaching and developing teams to achieve KPI’s and targets, as well as developing them to be our future stars
It’s simple really, we deliver fresh products on time, keeping quality, safety and customer service at the forefront of every decision.
As ‘the UK’s No. 1 Bakery Brand’ we have been baking bread since 1876. Today, we are proudly a sixth-generation family business, supplying over 18,000 retail customers from 11 bakeries and 16 depots, producing a range of over 70 products, including gluten and wheat free.
We are striving to be a net zero business by 2050 and believe that we must minimise our impact on the environment, whilst making a positive impact on the society we are a part of.
The Recipe
As an Area Lead at Warburtons, you will have a pivotal role in driving excellence, innovation, and efficiency within our manufacturing operations. You’ll lead a team of dedicated individuals, oversee daily production activities, and contribute to our commitment to excellence in quality and safety. With your hands on plant experience you will train operators and assist with fault finding and fixing any breakdowns.
Here’s just a few of the things you’ll be responsible for:
Leadership, Not Just Management: We don't want just a manager; we want a leader. Your primary responsibility is to inspire and guide your team towards achieving their full potential. Lead by example, motivate, and create an environment where your team is empowered to excel
Continuous Improvement Champion: Your role is to be the driving force behind continuous improvement initiatives. Embrace and promote Lean, Six Sigma, and Continuous Improvement methodologies to identify areas for process enhancement, waste reduction, and cost optimization. Implement these improvements, ensuring measurable and sustainable results
Operational Excellence: Take ownership of the performance within your area and ensure it not only meets but often surpasses Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets. Your area should be a shining example of operational excellence, and you are responsible for instilling a culture of accountability, efficiency, and quality.
About Us
Our Stockton bakery, based in the North East has recently seen an investment of over £18 million pounds in our manufacturing operations creating a new thin bagel line! So with state of the art machinery and a team of over 100 strong, we’re ensuring that our quality freshly baked products are the very best quality and ready for delivery across the UK!
Extra Dough
At last and by no means least, you will want to know what your breads worth:
A slice of the annual profits (discretionary profit share)
Family time is important to us and we know it will be to you so you have the opportunity to purchase up to an extra weeks annual leave.
Award winning pension scheme with company contributions of 7%
Life assurance
Products you will love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
Continued investment in your personal development
Fully stocked kitchens filled with our delicious products for you to enjoy with your daily brew!
Support for your health and wellbeing, including access to free physiotherapy, 24/7 access to a confidential helpline for practical advice and a comprehensive occupational health service
We respect and value difference. We look to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, or any other aspect which makes them unique, are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work, is the right thing to do.
