Production Team Leader

Milliken is a successful global business, recognised as an international leader in textile products and specialty chemicals. They have significant manufacturing facilities in the USA, UK, Europe and Asia. With three sites in the UK, Bury, Wigan and Middleton, Milliken Industrials Ltd has built itself into a significant business with products that reach into many markets.

The Wellington Plant, Bury is part of Milliken’s Performance Textiles Division and is a multi-award-winning textile manufacturer supplying fabric products into Airbag systems for automotive vehicles. Shipping to over forty locations in twenty countries, we contribute to saving three thousand lives per year and prevent over thirty thousand life changing injuries.

Purpose of Role

The purpose of the role is to ensure the smooth running of the production environment, and to lead the production teams to achieve Operational Excellence. They will provide leadership, guidance, coaching and discipline to ensure the manufacture of products that adhere to the high-quality standards expected at Milliken.

Principal Accountabilities

• Responsible for the safety, quality and legality of all products, people and processes within the remit of the role in the relevant department.
• Monitors stock levels, material supply and material utilisation using SAP if required.
• Ongoing monitoring of quality and efficiency standards, rectifying issues where possible and notifying manager of any issues that need escalating.
• Responsible for efficient utilisation of raw materials in their relevant department and highlighting any deviation from standard.
• Auditing line standards and ensuring follow up actions are completed.
• Advising the Production Manager of issues that may affect quality or safety within the manufacturing areas.
• Supporting customer complaint investigations and their root causes and completing action logs in a timely manner.
• Ensuring visual standards are always being adhered to across the factory and with all process equipment.
• Inspecting all areas of work daily, identifying any areas requiring specific attention and acting accordingly.
• Responsible for identifying, promoting and supporting the implementation of continuous improvements (MPS) in their relevant area relating to quality, health & safety and team development.
• Ensuring that all safe working practices, policies and work methods are adhered to at all times.
• Providing daily, weekly and monthly reporting on key parameters of the role e.g. WIP, PR etc.
• Responsible for ensuring standard operating processes are standardised, audited and updated.

Health and Safety

• Responsible for Health and Safety of Production Associates.
• Identifying and eliminating or minimising all related Health and Safety risks by conducting monthly safety audits.
• Completing Risk Assessments when required for manager sign off.
• Managing any safety issues and escalating unresolved issues.
• Defining and promoting safe working practices within all standard operating procedures.

Cost Control

• Ensuring effective control of resource to agreed guidelines.
• Allocating and monitoring overtime with Manager’s approval.
• Maintaining agreed labour costs through effective headcount allocation and reporting any deviation from standard.

People

• Ensuring Milliken competencies are being effectively demonstrated and embraced across the whole team.
• Ensuring the team is motivated, capable, well trained and efficient to ensure targets and high standards are achieved.
• Circulating management information through briefings with the team and progressing matters of concern with the Production Manager.
• Appraising employees, setting effective goals and discussing/agreeing performance parameters with Manager.
• Identifying and planning employees training requirements.
• Ensuring consistency with all employees in line with company policies and procedures.

Quality

• Ensuring the fundamental Quality standards are in place at all times.
• Working closely with the Quality team to ensure only the best quality products are manufactured.
• Ensuring that the production areas are maintained to a clean and hygienic standard.
• Compiling of Major Incident Reports (MIR) in relation to breakdowns and off quality (OQ) issues.

Person Specification

Essential

• Minimum ‘O’ level/GCSE standard or NVQ Level 3 qualification (or equivalent) in people management or team leading.
• Minimum 2 years team management experience in a production facility.

Desirable

• NVQ Level 4 or above or equivalent qualification in people management.
• Proven experience of carrying out all aspects of employee management and development.