Shift Operations Manager

Cwmbran, GB

We are FBC UK, Fox's Burton's Companies! ……And we bake the UK's most incredible biscuits (we might be slightly biased, but we will leave that for you to judge).

FBC UK was a match made in heaven, with two of the top UK biscuits manufacturers (Burton's Biscuits and Fox's Biscuits) coming together to create one unique, integrated company.

We are home to famous iconic brands, including Maryland, Fox's, Jammie Dodger & Rocky, to name just a few. We are proud manufacturing partners to some of the biggest UK retailers and household names. We bake our incredible biscuits at eight bakeries across the UK, located at Isle of Arran, Livingston, Blackpool, Llantarnam, Edinburgh, Kirkham, Batley & Dorset and our HQ in St Pauls. Together, we employ circa 4,000 amazing colleagues across all our locations.

Whilst we know that we have delicious products we also know that that the key ingredient to our success is our people, and the passion we have for our brands. You could be the jammy to our dodger, party ring to our Fox’s or the choc-chip to our Maryland?! We knead people with innovative ideas, an entrepreneurial spirit, and the commitment to drive FBC UK to success.

We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that feels empowered to build a fulfilling and successful career. By embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) we create a supportive environment for people to thrive and strive to have more positive impact.

We understand that having formal and on-the-job learning opportunities is key to our colleagues’ professional and personal growth. We are committed to providing an environment where everyone can learn from each other and grow through a variety of learning experiences.

Our colleagues make our business special. With strong community values, we believe FBC UK is a more prosperous and fun place to work when people feel free to be themselves. We believe in the power of being authentic, entrepreneurial and supporting each other whilst meeting our business goals.

As Shift Operations Manager at our Llantarnam bakery, you will be responsible for the safe, efficient and consistent operation of their production line. You will provide visible leadership on the shop floor, ensuring that Safety, Quality, Food Safety, People, Cost and Performance standards are achieved throughout the shift.

You will be is expected to take ownership of your area, identify and escalate issues promptly, coordinate the team effectively and ensure standards and procedures are followed at all times.

Lead by example and ensure all Health & Safety procedures are followed.

Complete required safety checks and line inspections.

Identify, report and escalate hazards, unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviours immediately.

Ensure appropriate PPE is worn and safe systems of work are followed.

Support accident, near-miss and hazard investigations.

Stop production where there is an immediate safety risk.

Ensure all CCPs, quality checks and process controls are completed correctly and on time.

Maintain full compliance with GMP, hygiene and food-safety standards.

Ensure product specifications, weights, codes, packaging and quality standards are achieved.

Escalate quality or food-safety concerns immediately.

Support investigations into non-conformances and implementation of corrective actions.

Ensure effective allergen and changeover controls are followed.

Deliver the production plan safely and efficiently.

Monitor line performance throughout the shift, including OEE, output, downtime, waste and labour.

Ensure correct line set-up and effective start-ups, changeovers and shutdowns.

Respond quickly to performance losses and coordinate first-line problem solving.

Escalate engineering, quality, material or operational issues promptly.

Record downtime accurately and support Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for significant or recurring losses.

Ensure shift targets and KPIs are understood by the team.

Allocate people effectively according to production requirements and skills.

Conduct a clear start-of-shift brief covering safety, quality, plan, performance and priorities.

Maintain positive standards of behaviour, attendance and performance.

Provide coaching and feedback to team members.

Identify training and skills gaps and support development.

Ensure employees are appropriately trained and competent for the tasks they perform.

Escalate absence, conduct, grievance or performance concerns to the SOM/SOL as appropriate.

Promote teamwork, accountability and respectful communication.

Monitor waste throughout the shift and react when performance is outside target.

Ensure materials are used efficiently and unnecessary waste is prevented.

Control labour deployment against the production requirement.

Identify opportunities to improve productivity and reduce operational losses.

Ensure accurate recording of waste and reasons for losses.

Maintain high standards of housekeeping and workplace organisation.

Ensure clean-as-you-go standards are maintained throughout the shift.

Ensure equipment and work areas are left in the required condition.

Complete and maintain required GMP checks.

Take immediate action when standards fall below expectation.

Maintain effective communication with SOM/SOL, Engineering, Quality, Planning and other support functions.

Escalate significant safety, quality, people or performance issues immediately.

Provide a structured handover to the incoming Line Leader.

Clearly communicate outstanding issues, actions, downtime, production status and priorities.

Previous experience in a leadership or supervisory role within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

A strong commitment to Health & Safety, with the confidence to challenge unsafe behaviours and act quickly when risks arise.

Good knowledge of food safety, GMP, quality standards, production processes and compliance standards.

Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop teams to achieve operational targets.

A proactive problem solver who can identify issues, implement solutions and escalate concerns appropriately.

Experience monitoring and improving performance against KPIs.

Comfortable using production data and system records to monitor performance, identify trends and support root cause investigations.

FBC UK is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture in which all employees feel welcomed and appreciated and have the same opportunities. We believe all of our people are equally talented in their own way. In nurturing the curiosity and natural abilities of our employees, we provide them, generation after generation, the means to succeed personally and professionally, enabling them to craft their journey at FBC UK. The diversity of our talents is what makes our work environment multicultural, innovative and highly rewarding.