Production Team Leader

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and motivated Production Team Leader to lead a shift team in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for driving safe, efficient and high-quality production operations, while developing team capability and promoting a culture of continuous improvement. You’ll play a key role in delivering operational performance, supporting employee development, resolving production challenges and ensuring standards are consistently met across safety, quality and productivity.

This position operates on a Monday to Thursday shift pattern, 14:30 to 01:00.

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing production team, fostering engagement, teamwork, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Promote a strong safety culture by ensuring compliance with Health & Safety standards, conducting risk assessments and implementing corrective actions.
• Deliver safe, high-quality products while driving operational performance against key KPIs, including ATP, OEE, PPM and waste reduction targets.
• Execute production schedules effectively, ensuring materials are converted into WIP and finished goods in line with standard work and output targets.
• Develop, maintain and train employees on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ensuring consistent adherence to manufacturing standards.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing principles, 8-Step Practical Problem Solving and other improvement methodologies.
• Monitor production performance, quality, equipment effectiveness and process reliability, identifying and resolving issues to minimise downtime and maximise efficiency.
• Manage shift handovers, changeovers, staffing requirements and quality control activities to ensure safe, efficient and uninterrupted production operations.

At Kinisla, we understand that people have very different career trajectories and experiences. In order to be successful in this role we would be looking for the right competencies and aptitudes as well as your proven track record of success in a similar role and environment.

• Previous experience in a manufacturing environment, including experience leading or supervising a team.
• Strong written, verbal and numerical communication skills, with fluency in English.
• Ability to record, interpret and analyse production and process performance data.
• Sound understanding of manufacturing processes, machinery and operational best practices.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing principles and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
• Proven problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, including the use of structured problem-solving techniques (e.g. 8-Step Problem Solving).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and process standardisation activities.
• Strong leadership, coaching and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence others, adapt to change and deliver results to deadlines.

At Kinisla, we believe in giving talented, curious people the opportunity to make a difference. We work as a team, searching for the best ways to inspire food and nourish life. We are a community of innovators, working across disciplines to solve global food challenges with a fresh approach. We want you to achieve whatever you put your mind to.

• 17 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Matched pension scheme up to 10%
• Benefits platform offering discounts and cashback on major retailers.

Kinisla is a vertically integrated farm-to-fork business with a very substantial consumer foods presence and a leading nutritional and dairy ingredients division, delivering high-quality dairy solutions with a focus on sustainability and…