Manufacturing Team Leader in Eastbourne

At the heart of Paxton, we are innovators, looking for ways to harness new technology to provide better solutions for our customers. We pride ourselves on creating a vibrant environment, with a focus on excellent company culture. Our teams make Paxton a great place to work with brilliant benefits that come with any role at Paxton, emphasising career progression, training and development, and recognition of achievement for every employee.

So, what are the benefits?

• We run a great social calendar with wine tasting, cooking classes, onsite yoga, staff parties, monthly internal events and more.
• Private medical insurance (Opt in) and healthcare cash‑back plan with Health Shield.
• Join a Carbon Neutral company – Paxton is Carbon Neutral in the UK, France, Germany & South Africa!
• Modern offices, collaboration spaces, onsite mini‑gym, and a gourmet café with subsidised food.
• Discounted fitness memberships up to 75% off in your area with GymFlex.
• Collaborative internal group initiatives like the Green Team, EDI Team, or the Charity Team.
• Tech, bike, and travel or season ticket loans.
• 25‑days holiday plus bank holidays, and you can buy & sell up to 5 days a year.
• Recognised as one of the Best Companies to Work for in the UK, by Best Companies™.

About the role

Join our Manufacturing team in Brighton, where you'll lead an area within production and support your team to deliver excellent results across safety, quality, performance, and development through the Paxton Operating Model.

• Lead your production area through daily SQCDP (Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery and People) activities, ensuring the team understands priorities and actions.
• Support smooth daily operations by making informed decisions for your process area and keeping production on track.
• Encourage high standards by guiding your team, setting clear expectations, and helping them succeed.
• Coach and develop team members so they understand performance metrics and have the confidence to meet targets.
• Foster a positive problem‑solving culture, helping the team resolve issues at source and collaborating with wider support functions.
• Promote a safe and well‑organised workspace, following HSE policies and maintaining strong 5S practices.
• Ensure team members follow SOPs and manufacturing methods to maintain quality, traceability and compliance with ISO9001 and ISO14001.
• Support in‑process testing and quality checks to ensure products meet the right standards every time.
• Contribute to Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and encourage a “brand new forever” approach to equipment care.
• Achieve the daily production plan and work with other teams to meet wider business goals.
• Encourage skill development across the team, supporting progression and helping close performance gaps through coaching.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and carry out any other reasonable duties linked to your role.

What are we looking for?

• Experience leading operational teams in a manufacturing environment, with a track record of meeting SQCDP or similar performance targets.
• Confidence working with performance data, understanding trends, and communicating effectively with your team.
• Organised, resilient and comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment with changing priorities.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build trust and support a positive team culture.
• Experience working to standardised processes such as ISO9001 / ISO14001, LEAN, or other production systems is desirable.
• The right attitude is more important to us than your skills or experience. If you’re excited about a role but your existing experience doesn’t match up with every element of the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

We want to collaborate with you and hear your ideas; most of all, we want people to enjoy the journey with us.