Lead Forklift Operator

Location: Blyth Services S81 (near Worksop)

The woof‑tastic stuff

Join the paw‑s‑ome team at Rud's Kitchen, part of Butternut Box, where we cook up tails of success and wagging tails. We're looking for hard‑working dog lovers (and animals) like you to join our manufacturing team in Blyth, Doncaster. In return for your dedication, we offer a competitive wage of £13.78 per hour plus a shift premium of 20% (£16.54 per hour); base salary is £29,468, with 20% (£35,387).

Full‑time permanent contract

We provide a full‑time permanent contract with a rolling average of 41 hours per week on a shift rotation with a mixture of days, nights and some weekend working. The working shifts consist of:

• Days: 7am to 7pm
• Nights: 7pm to 7am

A bit about the role

As a Lead Forklift Operator you will report to the Warehouse Team Leader. You will work in and lead our Warehouse team, oversee and support 12 operational team members, and be accountable for the smooth running of warehouse operations including but not limited to:

• Goods in (in‑take)
• Moving raw materials to production
• Moving finished goods to fulfilment to be packed for customers' orders
• Loading trailers with packed customer orders
• Export to our European markets

In this role you can expect to:

• Plan and coordinate activities, including your direct reports' schedules and monitoring their productivity, working on your own initiative, and escalating issues to the Team Manager as required.
• Be a hands‑on member of the team, carrying out tasks when required and leading by example.
• Lead your team by example of the highest standards, demonstrating our values at all times.
• Work in a safe way following all appropriate safety procedures, work processes and wearing protective equipment at all times.
• Operate mechanical handling equipment safely and correctly including reach truck, counterbalance and ride‑on forklift (PPT), conducting quality checks to ensure the safety of all squad members.
• Complete stock counting and systems transactions, updating spreadsheets and data entry as part of the daily role.
• Serve as point of contact for the Team Manager for regular updates throughout the shift.
• Attend Short Interval Control meetings (SIC) and occasionally daily review meeting (DRM).

Previous leadership experience in a warehouse, logistics or manufacturing environment is essential, along with experience driving a reach truck. Computer confident to use all our online systems. Experience training a team is an advantage, and the patience and willingness to do this is a must. Passionate about keeping the squad safe at all times. Numerate (able to understand and work with numbers). Happy working a rotating shift schedule – a mixture of days, nights and some weekend working. Hard‑working and diligent with a hunger to learn. Comfortable working with raw materials such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, lamb. Comfortable working in a chilled and freezer environment. Flexible, pragmatic, resilient and humble. Committed to food quality and safety. Loves dogs (naturally).

Benefits

• Enjoy 257.5 hours of holiday per year, plus an extra 8 hours for each year of service (up to 40 hours).
• 39 hours of pre‑booked well‑being days to support good wellbeing and self‑care.
• Unlock a £500 annual budget for personal learning and development.
• Get discounted private medical insurance and dental cover.
• Discounted gym membership through MyGymDiscounts.
• Subsidised food from a variety of street‑food vans and pay‑day pizza.
• Butternut branded uniform provided (fleece, footwear, hi‑vis).
• Enrolment into the company pension scheme and sick pay.
• Enhanced parental leave.
• Private showers, changing facilities and dedicated locker space.
• Employee discount on Butternut Box for your furry friend.
• Comfy, bright and airy kitchen space with lunch making facilities and large screen TVs.
• Free tea, coffee and fruit.
• Opportunity to grow, develop and learn with internal training programmes.
• Be part of an energetic and high‑performing team.
• Refer a friend bonus of up to £500.
• Free parking and electric car charging.

Equality and diversity

We are passionate about building a diverse and inclusive team that cares for one another. We welcome candidates from under‑represented groups and expect all team members to live by our values. We look forward to receiving your application!