At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead chocolate production, ensuring quality and efficiency in a fun, chocolate-filled environment.
- Company: Join a passionate team dedicated to reinventing chocolate for happiness.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, discounts on products, and enhanced family leave.
- Other info: Work in a vibrant factory with great transport links and career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Be part of a creative process that brings joy through delicious chocolate.
- Qualifications: Experience in machine operation and a passion for continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 33423 - 33423 £ per year.
As we continue our mission to make people and nature happy through reinventing chocolate, we’re looking for a Senior Machine Operative to join our Chocolate Manufacturing Team on a permanent basis. Our Senior Machine Operatives are vital in ensuring compliance with the Production Plan in supporting delivery of our world‑class chocolate on time and in full across our customer network.
You will support in leading an effective team, taking ownership for the production line and change overs, driving the team in completion of required plan whilst taking into consideration cost, quality and efficiency. If working within an ambient chocolate‑filled environment sounds like somewhere you’d like to be, why not apply?
Shift Pattern: Monday to Friday on a weekly rotating shift pattern of 6am – 2pm and 2pm – 10pm.
Salary: £33,423.00 per annum
As well as a competitive salary and a range of company benefits including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and Company pension contributions, you’ll receive 50% discount on all products, and a 70% discount for you and your guests when you stay at our Rabot Estate hideaway on the paradise island of Saint Lucia.
The onsite location for this role is at our Factory ‘Hadley Park’, in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, right in the heart of where our chocolates are made and where weekly, we can produce between 4 to 6 million of the chocolates we all know and love. Hadley Park is just 5 minutes off the A141 and 1.3 miles from Huntingdon train station, with direct rail links to London King’s Cross.
What you’ll be doing…
- Proactive: Setting up machinery, including but not limited to, changing over change parts of on the lines. You will work with wolf/copper panners, CAD, auto‑demolding, shell depositor and cold press, CAP depositor, CAD depositor, Fuji, Fuji2, puddles depositor, enrobers. Working collaboratively with other departments to ensure that all required items are available and ready to support the smooth efficient running of the lines, i.e., machinery/ ingredients / packaging. Communicating any shortages and discrepancies to your line manager on time to support plan completion. Ensuring that plan delivered on time and to costed expectation or better with targeted quality loss of less than 1% and delivering ‘Right First-Time’ products.
- Ownership: Owning the start‑up of the production lines, ensuring that the correct staffing is in place to hit required targets or PMR’s in place on the production lines. Leading the team to successfully complete plan to required specifications, owning the clean down of the line between products and line start‑up inspections to ensure that the line is free from any cross‑contamination of the last run. Owning the sign‑off and completing the paperwork checks. Continuously driving a culture of asset specific standards and settings across all shifts. Ensure 100% compliance with product specification. Conducting GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) compliance in your work area. Ensure compliance with all Health and Safety systems and to be always responsible for your own Health and Safety and the Health and Safety of others around you. Food safety standard compliance and hygiene, and PPE policies adhered to. Production is right first time to set specifications and requirements of our customers. Ensure all Piranha requests are submitted to engineering for downtimes.
- Leading: Running the day‑to‑day management of the line. Ensuring that the team are adhering to set requirements for product and personal behaviour. Reporting breakdowns in a timely manner, making the right decision. Ensuring team training is up to date.
- Supporting: Training and mentoring new starters within the business on your asset/process. Leading the team in All PMR activity required on the line per product group. Being an ambassador of driving the culture of pride for the produce by setting and demanding high standards. Be able to talk an external auditor through your process/procedure around utilising your asset. Proactive care and targeted hygiene work with the Hygiene team to ensure work area and asset stays in the best standard. Identify opportunities, plan how process can be improved. PMR activity Yield / Material Variance / Packaging Waste / Inventory waste / Line Efficiency etc. Working project to show savings from improvements on the line/process. Demonstration of tools used for improvement. Involvement in 5S and other Kaizen instruments developed for site. Be able to challenge constructively and to be able to receive feedback openly. Have a collaborative working approach.
Who you are…
- Knowledge of KPIs.
- Strong verbal and written English to clearly discuss performance of your asset/process.
- Knowledge of Continuous Improvement skills, with the ability to deploy critical thinking.
- HACCP trained.
Senior Chocolate Production Lead in Huntingdon employer: Hotel Chocolat
Join our vibrant team at Hadley Park, where we blend passion for chocolate with a commitment to excellence. As a Senior Chocolate Production Lead, you'll thrive in a supportive work culture that prioritises employee growth and well-being, offering competitive salaries, generous product discounts, and unique perks like stays at our Rabot Estate in Saint Lucia. With a focus on collaboration and continuous improvement, this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic environment filled with the sweet aroma of chocolate.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Chocolate Production Lead in Huntingdon
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company! Research their values and mission, especially their focus on making people and nature happy through chocolate. This will help you tailor your conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Tip Number 2
Network like a pro! Connect with current employees on LinkedIn or attend industry events. This can give you insider info about the company culture and might even lead to a referral, which can boost your chances of landing that sweet role.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for the interview by practising common questions related to production and team leadership. Think about examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your skills in managing a production line and driving efficiency – they’ll want to see how you can contribute to their world-class chocolate production.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after your interview! A quick thank-you email reiterating your enthusiasm for the role can leave a lasting impression. And remember, if you’re keen on this position, apply through our website to make sure your application gets the attention it deserves!
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Chocolate Production Lead in Huntingdon
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Chocolate:When writing your application, let your love for chocolate shine through! Share why you’re excited about the opportunity to work in a chocolate-filled environment and how it aligns with our mission to make people and nature happy.
Highlight Relevant Experience:Make sure to showcase any previous experience you have in production or machine operation. We want to see how your skills can contribute to our team and help us deliver world-class chocolate on time and in full.
Be Clear and Concise:Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use clear language to describe your achievements and how they relate to the role. This will help us quickly understand your fit for the position.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Hotel Chocolat
✨Know Your Chocolate
Familiarise yourself with the company's mission and values, especially their focus on making people and nature happy through chocolate. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals and how you can contribute to their production plans.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a Senior Machine Operative, you'll be leading a team. Prepare examples of how you've successfully managed teams in the past, particularly in high-pressure environments. Highlight your ability to drive efficiency and maintain quality standards.
✨Understand the Machinery
Brush up on the specific machinery mentioned in the job description, like wolf/copper panners and enrobers. Being able to discuss your hands-on experience with these machines will show that you're not just a leader but also technically savvy.
✨Emphasise Compliance and Safety
Be prepared to talk about your knowledge of GMP, HACCP, and health and safety regulations. Share any experiences where you ensured compliance and maintained high hygiene standards, as this is crucial in a chocolate production environment.
