Production Team Leader Full Time

About Kerry

Kerry is the world’s leading taste and nutrition partner for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. Working behind the scenes, every day we partner with customers to solve the world’s most complex food challenges with our range of differentiated ingredients, technologies, and people. We are passionate about what we do and are constantly innovating to create a healthier, more enjoyable, and sustainable food future without compromise. We are driven to be our customers’ most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition and will reach over two billion consumers with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030.

Our Safety purpose “we work together in a caring culture where everybody goes home safe every day”. We are committed to providing a safe working environment and ensuring that all safety protocols are strictly followed. Join us in creating a workplace where safety is everyone’s responsibility.

About the role

Join our Hartlepool manufacturing site, a well‑established operation of around 100 colleagues supplying some of the UK’s leading food brands. As a Production Team Leader, reporting to the Department Manager, you will lead a production team in a busy onsite environment producing chilled, frozen and ambient products. The role focuses on day‑to‑day shop‑floor leadership, smooth production flow, accurate coordination between SAP and operations, and ensuring safety, food quality and compliance always remain top priorities.

This is a permanent and full‑time role. You will alternate between 2 shifts one week from 600 am to 200 pm, Monday to Friday, and the second week from 200 pm to midnight, Monday to Thursday, with occasional flexibility required to provide holiday cover.

Key responsibilities

• Work closely with other Production Team Leaders to ensure production activities run smoothly.
• Ensure information flows effectively between production and process support areas.
• Review data accuracy between the SAP transactional system and Production/Warehouse records.
• Introduce and maintain cross‑checking processes to ensure compliance with Food Safety CCPs and key quality parameters.
• Support the monitoring of raw material and in‑process material requirements.
• Act as the production representative to review and close production records.
• Act as an interface between Production teams and the Kerry Manufacturing Standards implementation team on site.
• Investigate data or procedural discrepancies and implement improvement actions.
• Support site SOPs and training requirements.

Qualifications and skills

• A confident people‑leader who enjoys working on the shop floor and motivating teams
• Strong organisation and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to make practical decisions
• A good understanding of production or manufacturing environments
• Awareness of continuous improvement ways of working (Lean, 5S, Kaizen)
• Previous exposure to food, drink or pharmaceutical manufacturing
• Ability to lead, support and develop team members
• Comfortable using IT tools, particularly Excel; SAP experience is an advantage.

Beware of scams online or from individuals claiming to represent us. A Kerry employee will not solicit candidates through a non-Kerry email address or phone number. In addition, Kerry does not currently utilise video chat rooms (e.g., Google Hangouts) to conduct interviews. Refuse any request that asks you to provide payment to participate in the hiring process (e.g., purchasing a “starter kit,” investing in training, or something similar). Kerry will not ask you to pay any money at any point in the hiring process with the exception of reimbursable travel expenses. In addition, any payments made by Kerry will be from official firm accounts bearing the Kerry name.

Recruiter

Posting Type LI

Please note We do not accept CVs or candidate profiles from recruitment agencies where terms of business have not been signed. Additionally, we will not consider or agree to payment of any recruiter fee under these circumstances. This also applies to CVs or candidate profiles sent directly to any Kerry Hiring Managers. In the event that speculative CVs or candidate profiles are submitted by recruitment agencies, we reserve the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current or future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency.