Production Shift Manager

The Production Shift Manager is responsible for leading, supervising, and developing a 15‑person production team within a food manufacturing environment. The role is highly hands‑on and shop‑floor based (70:30), ensuring that daily production targets are met safely, efficiently, and to the highest food safety and quality standards. The Business is currently a manual production line and is interested in moving towards a more automated production line.

Key Responsibilities

• Production & Operations
  • Oversee day‑to‑day production activities during the shift to ensure output targets are met.
  • Ensure products are manufactured in line with company specifications, recipes, and quality standards.
  • Monitor workflow, labour allocation, and productivity across manual processes and new production lines.
  • Support the implementation and optimisation of production lines and improved processes.
  • Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Team Leadership & Supervision
  • Provide visible, hands‑on leadership on the shop floor throughout the shift.
  • Supervise, motivate, and manage a team of approximately 15 production operatives.
  • Allocate tasks and ensure appropriate staffing levels across production areas.
  • Carry out daily briefings, on‑the‑job coaching, and performance feedback.
  • Address performance, conduct, and attendance issues in line with company procedures.
  • Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members.
• Food Safety, Quality & Compliance
  • Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, and allergen controls.
  • Maintain standards in line with ERC, SALSA, HACCP, and internal food safety procedures.
  • Ensure correct documentation is completed accurately and on time.
  • Carry out regular quality and hygiene checks during the shift.
  • Act immediately on any food safety, quality, or hygiene issues.
• Health & Safety
  • Promote a strong health and safety culture on the shop floor.
  • Ensure safe working practices are followed at all times.
  • Conduct risk assessments, toolbox talks, and incident reporting as required.
  • Ensure equipment and production areas are used safely and correctly.
• Communication & Reporting
  • Communicate effectively with the Production Manager and wider operations team.
  • Provide clear handovers and shift updates.
  • Report on production performance, staffing, issues, and improvement ideas.
  • Work collaboratively with other departments including logistics, quality, and planning.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Previous experience in a production supervisory or shift management role, ideally within food manufacturing or FMCG.
• Strong people management and team leadership skills.
• Hands‑on approach with the ability to lead from the shop floor.
• Good understanding of food safety, hygiene, and quality standards.
• Ability to manage performance, attendance, and day‑to‑day operational issues.
• Strong organisational and communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience supporting the introduction of production lines or process improvements.
• Knowledge of SALSA, HACCP, or similar food safety standards.
• Experience working with manual food production transitioning to semi‑automation.
• Basic production planning or KPI reporting experience.

Personal Attributes

• Confident, calm, and approachable leadership style.
• Proactive problem‑solver with a continuous improvement mindset.
• Able to motivate teams in a fast‑paced environment.
• Detail‑focused with high standards for quality and safety.
• Reliable, consistent, and able to lead by example.