Assistant Production Supervisor at Shepley Spring Ltd, Flaxby

Shepley Spring are the UK's leading bottled water manufacturer with over 20 years' experience in production and are proud to remain a family run business to this day.

The company operates in three manufacturing facilities in Yorkshire and owns several high-speed production lines with the capabilities of producing both still and sparkling water servicing leading retailers such as Morrisons, Costco, Booker, Tesco and Iceland through private label and produces the brands Ice Valley® and White Rock® exclusively.

The Assistant Production Supervisor is a development role designed to support the Production Supervisor in the day-to-day running of production operations.

This role bridges the gap between Production Operative and Production Supervisor and provides hands-on leadership experience, operational accountability, and exposure to planning, quality, and performance management.

The Assistant Production Supervisor will lead by example on the shop floor, support team coordination, ensure production targets and quality standards are met, and act as a point of escalation in the Supervisor’s absence.

Working Hours: 42 hour average week (Rotation shift pattern - Days & Nights 6-6)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Production Support & Coordination:

• Support the Production Supervisor in overseeing daily production activities.
• Assistist in coordinating production staff to ensure targets, quality standards, and safety requirements are achieved.
• Monitor production lines for performance, downtime, and quality issues, escalating where required.
• Step into operational roles where required to maintain production flow.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to Production Operatives, assisting in delivering toolbox talks and safety briefings.
• Act as a role model for safe working practices, quality standards, and company behaviours.
• Support training of new starters and upskilling of team members.
• Support return-to-work discussions and attendance monitoring in line with company procedures (as directed).

Quality & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, HACCP, and health & safety standards, supporting quality checks, audits, and corrective actions.
• Promote adherence to SOPs and operational standards.
• Assist in investigating minor quality or production issues and implement corrective measures.

Performance & Continuous Improvement:

• Monitor production KPIs such as throughput, waste, downtime, and efficiency.
• Support implementation of TPM and Lean methodology initiatives.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste and improve line efficiency and escalate recurring operational issues with proposed solutions.

Inventory & Resource Support:

• Support material availability and ensure correct stock levels are maintained on lines.
• Assist in coordinating with warehouse and maintenance teams to avoid production disruption.
• Monitor consumables and escalate shortages in a timely manner.

Health & Safety Compliance:

• Ensure safe working practices are followed at all times, promoting a positive safety culture across the team.
• Support accident investigations and near-miss reporting.

COMPETENCIES:

• Proven experience as a Production Operative within a FMCG/ manufacturing environment, ideally in Food & Beverage Manufacturing.
• Demonstrable understanding of production line processes and machinery operation.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Emerging leadership capability with the ability to positively influence others.
• Basic understanding of production planning and KPIs.
• TPM and Lean methodology awareness.
• Awareness of CIP systems desirable.
• Strong problem-solving skills and proactive mindset.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Food safety and GMP awareness.
• FLT licence desirable.