Manufacturing Area Lead in Leeds

At Warburtons, family is at the heart of our business. Five generations' worth of expertise that goes into making our bakery products allows us to continue a tradition of baking inherited over the past 150 years. Warburtons is the largest bakery brand in the UK, but that doesn't allow us to rest on our laurels. We are pioneers of the industry and ambitious market leaders, always seeking to challenge ourselves and convention. It is part of our philosophy to provide honest good sense on issues of health and well-being, helping the whole family to enjoy our products as part of a healthy, balanced diet, through a range of products to suit all meal occasions, lifestyles and tastes.

Function: Manufacturing

Contract: Full-time, Permanent (37.5 hours per week)

Shift Pattern: 4-on / 4-off rotation (4 days on, 4 days off, followed by 4 nights on, 4 days off)

Location: Tuscany

Are you an experienced Team Leader within a manufacturing or production environment who consistently delivers high performance? Are you ready to take the next step in your career within a fast-paced FMCG setting? If so, our Tuscany Bakery is looking for a Manufacturing Area Lead to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring the safe, efficient, and high-quality production of our products while developing and leading a high-performing team.

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience monitoring production equipment, ensuring compliance, and responding quickly and effectively to issues
• A strong understanding of site-level production planning activities
• Demonstrated ability to coach, develop, and motivate teams to achieve KPIs and operational targets, while identifying and nurturing future talent
• Experience with Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement methodologies is desirable, but not essential; full support and development will be provided

As the UK's No. 1 bakery brand, Warburtons has been proudly baking bread since 1876. Today, we remain a sixth-generation family business supplying over 18,000 retail customers from 11 bakeries and 16 distribution depots. Our portfolio includes more than 70 products, including gluten-free and wheat-free ranges. We are committed to becoming a net zero business by 2050, reducing our environmental impact while making a positive contribution to the communities we serve.

The Role

As a Manufacturing Area Lead, you will play a pivotal role in driving operational excellence within your area. You will lead, inspire, and support your team while overseeing day-to-day production activity, ensuring all operations meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership Beyond Management: Lead by example, creating a positive, inclusive, and high-performance culture. Inspire and empower your team to reach their full potential through strong communication, visibility, and engagement.
• Champion of Continuous Improvement: Drive Continuous Improvement initiatives within your area, promoting Lean, Six Sigma, and CI principles. Identify opportunities to enhance processes, reduce waste, and improve cost efficiency while delivering sustainable, measurable results.
• Operational Excellence: Take full ownership of performance within your area, ensuring KPIs are consistently met and exceeded. Embed a culture of accountability, efficiency, and quality, making your area a benchmark for best practice across the site.

We respect and value difference. We look to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, or any other aspect which makes them unique, are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work, is the right thing to do.