Location: Nicholas and Harris Ltd, Salisbury
Shift: Day Shift – 6am until 6pm, 4 on 4 off
Salary: Competitive with opportunity of growth
The Role
As a Front‑Line Manager, reporting to the Manufacturing Shift Lead, you will provide visible, hands‑on leadership to operational teams, ensuring the delivery of hourly and shift‑based KPIs across safety, quality, service, cost and people performance. You will have full ownership of your designated production line or area, taking accountability for operational standards, output and team effectiveness.
This is a highly operational, shop‑floor‑based role, where leading from the front is essential. You will be present throughout your shifts, responding quickly to issues, maintaining process discipline in a fast‑paced environment, and setting clear expectations through consistent leadership and communication.
You will lead, motivate and develop large, diverse operator teams, creating an inclusive and high‑performing culture while managing attendance, capability, conduct and engagement in line with company policies. This includes coaching individuals, addressing performance and behavioural issues, maintaining skills and training matrices, and identifying and developing future talent within your team.
Operationally, you will ensure conformance to production plans, deliver schedules to budgeted output rates, and control costs through effective management of labour, waste, yield and productivity. You will use Short Interval Control (SIC) and real‑time data to identify variances, drive corrective actions and support continuous improvement and OEE performance.
You will play a key role in maintaining excellent health & safety, food safety and quality standards, ensuring compliance with SOPs, HACCP, GMP, PPE and process controls, while actively participating in investigations, risk assessments and deviation management. Clear escalation of risk and close collaboration with Engineering, Technical, Planning and other support functions will be critical to success.
This role offers a strong entry point into leadership within food manufacturing, providing exposure to operational delivery, people management and continuous improvement, with clear progression opportunities into more senior leadership roles.
This is what you’ll actually do!
- Lead and manage direct operator teams to deliver hourly and shift KPIs, including safety, quality, output, waste, labour and attendance
- Take full area ownership, ensuring conformance to daily and weekly production plans
- Put safety first, maintaining excellent housekeeping, SOP compliance, accident and near‑miss investigation, and risk assessment involvement
- Ensure food safety and quality compliance, including HACCP, GMP, PPE, process controls and deviation management with QA support
- Deliver production schedules by running to budgeted output rates and changeover times
- Control costs through effective management of labour, waste, yield, giveaway, and productivity
- Use Short Interval Control (SIC) to identify and address variances in real time
- Ensure accurate and timely shift reporting and operational administration
- Communicate proactively through team briefs, huddles, notices and MARA meetings
- Escalate operational, safety, or quality risks to the Production Manager within agreed parameters
- Work closely with Engineering, Technical, Planning and other support functions to drive performance
- Contribute to continuous improvement and OEE effectiveness
Ideally this is you!
Essential
- Proven experience managing and leading teams in a manufacturing environment
- FMCG experience with a solid understanding of manufacturing processes
- Strong people leadership, communication and decision‑making skills
- Numeracy skills to understand costs and performance improvement
- Clear written communication and reporting skills
- Strong problem‑solving and analytical capability
- Confident using basic PC systems for reporting and communication
Desirable
- Experience in food manufacturing
- Familiarity with automation and plant/process engineering
- Experience using ERP systems such as M3 or SAP
- Leadership or management qualifications (e.g. ILM Level 2 or equivalent)
- Continuous Improvement certifications (e.g. coloured belts)
Qualifications (Advantageous)
- Food Safety Level 2 or above
- IOSH or equivalent Health & Safety qualification
- Experience managing safely in an operational environment
What’s in it for you?
- Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
- Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees
- Death in Service Benefit
- Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families)
- Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
- Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – T&C’s dependent)
- Employee Recognition Awards & Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in‑house development course!)
- An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation. Head over to our LinkedIn page to find out more!
If this sounds like you, please get in touch to learn more!
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