Shift Leader

Job Title:Shift Leader

Business Function: Supply Chain

Location: Crumlin, Wales

JOB PURPOSE

The Shift Leader is fully responsible and accountable for a shift in order to deliver site KPIs for Safety, Quality, OEE, Waste, Labour Cost and People Development across a short and medium term. They will be expected to own and close out short & mid term issues themselves and with the shift. They will drive these KPIs on a longer term by contributing as a member of the extending Leadership Team, designing and delivering improvements that moves the Sourcing Unit towards being World Class and cost competitive.

The Shift Leader is accountable for the shift and is expected to manage the processes, people and production in order to meet the site KPIs. They will coach Team Leaders in order to move to making the Right Decision Every Time as well as taking individual responsibility for accident investigations, maintaining standards of shift paperwork, and conducting disciplinaries. They will also be expected to organise and lead improvement work.  Diagnosing problems, then using their own teams or organising contractors to solve the issue. This includes issuing permits and using systems (i.e. Ariba) to order and GR services and goods.

They will be the line manager of all of the operators on shift (inc. Team Leaders) and have a dotted line management to the Shift Engineers in order to achieve this.

The Shift Leaders will work together, and with the extended Leadership Team, in order to deliver ensure projects and learnings are shared and practiced across all shifts.

The Impact

To drive the site forward the shift will be expected to own and resolve issues themselves facilitated by the shift leader. The Shift Leader provides a common standard of communication and engagement across the factory. They liaise closely with the core factory functions in order to deliver site KPIs for Safety, Quality and Output. They will lead the shift in taking ownership of near misses and non conformances and see these through to resolution. Using WCM methodology, they recognise and deliver improvement projects addressing Process and Performance Driven losses, as well as acting as a key supportive member in facilitation other projects. They maximise the impact of the manning on shift by embedding the Tech Op and Upskilling Programme and ensuring the correct mix of skills on shift.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Safety

• Be the Lead for Safety on the shift, including completing the NEBOSH course completing permits on site.

• Take ownership for the shift training and delivery of SBOs, DCAs and Near Miss submission in order to apply the site SHE policy across the site.

• Lead or assist in Near Miss and Accident Investigations and work with the SHE department to ensure tracking of all incidents.

• Take responsibility to resolve the actions from SHE processes (Near Misses, SBOs, DCAs).

• Manage the guarding audit process on shift and ensure actions generated are completed.
  

Quality

• Take ownership for the shift training and accurate completion of all Quality paperwork- including oPRP, CCP and Hygiene.

• Lead or assist in Non- Conformance Investigations, consumer complaints and foreign body reduction projects.

• Actively involve yourself, and the shift, in Food Safety meetings and ensure that Integrated Management Audits are conducted and following actions completed.

• Utilise opportunities within the shift in order to be proactively resolving actions from Non-conformances, Food Safety meetings and Integrated Management audits.

• Improve and Maintain the Food Safety standards and documentation following Hygiene and Changeovers.

Delivering and Improving Output

• Act as a key Decision Maker and Coach in order to improve the effectiveness and quality of production and waste management on shift.

• Using WCM methodology, deliver improvements for Process Driven Losses- such as Changeovers, Hygiene and Start Ups- for all shifts.

• Use the Management of Change process for appropriate tasks.

• Share Downtime and Waste learnings and participate in Focus Improvement projects.

• Ensure an effective handover to the Day based Teams and other shifts. Through Coaching and Training, drive an improvement in solving problems using technical solutions and Continuous Improvements.

• Utilise opportunities within the shift in order to facilitate rework with minimum impact on output and cost.

• Design and deploy ways of working and procedures

• Organise contractors, issue permits and use systems (i.e. Ariba) to order and GR services
  

People Management

• Take the responsibility as the leader for the shift.

• Be a member of the extended leadership and ensure a successful cascade of messages to the shift.

• Carry out investigations, disciplinaries and FAI on shift.

• Plan and manage labour requirements in conjunction with the Team leaders.

• Carry out the time and attendance administration within open options.

• Monitor and react to patterns in absence and lateness, including the break policy.

• Track and manage Holidays with Team leaders in order to ensure adequate skilled labour cover.

• Drive flexibility within the shift organisation in order to maximise the impact of individuals within the shift.

People Development

• Deliver site KPIs through others with an active coaching programme for Team Leaders.

• Embed the effective use of Tech Ops within the shift and support the continuing development of their skills.

• Upskill operators in order to maintain the correct level for skills flexibility within the shift and ensure the right person in the right place.

• Working with the trainers on shift, identify and address factory/shift wide knowledge gaps or process inefficiencies.

• Take responsibility for ensuring that all mandatory training is within compliance on shift.
  

ALL ABOUT YOU

• Relevant degree with strong technical capability.

• Excellent communication skills and proven ability to work effectively at all levels.

• Managerial experience in high‑volume manufacturing, ideally FMCG.

• Strong interpersonal skills and organisational awareness.

• Proficient in WCM/UMS problem‑solving tools with a solid understanding of R2S requirements.

• Confident operating cross‑functionally and across the supply chain.

• Proven track record in running highly efficient, safe, and quality‑driven production operations.

• Experience working within a strongly unionised environment.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through significant change in a factory setting.
  

NOTES

What We Offer

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, free gym, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all.

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities and growing together for better business performance. We embrace diversity in our workforce. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. We are also more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process to enable you to be present your best self. To find out more, click here: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

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