Production Management Graduate

apetito; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK food manufacturer based in Trowbridge is looking for a Production Management Graduate. This 12-18 month program offers growth in manufacturing principles and leadership skills across various departments, including Sweets and Meals. Candidates should have a degree in Business, Engineering, or Science (2:2 or above) and be prepared to work various shift patterns. The role provides competitive salary and benefits, fostering a collaborative environment.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme with employer match

Life assurance scheme

Subsidised canteen

Free parking

Qualifications

• Educated to Degree level in a relevant discipline at 2:2 or above.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to lead and motivate a team.

Responsibilities

• Learn to lead a departmental team.
• Assist with NPD Trials and report findings.
• Complete manufacturing improvement projects.
• Understand and respond to production cost factors.

Skills

Leadership

Supervising

Planning

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

Degree in Business, Engineering or Science

Job description

Overview

The Production Management Graduate role is an important role which will help us achieve our ambitious profit and growth targets. apetito has seen year on year growth for over the past 15 years in sales value, volume and product ranges. Our manufacturing unit now operates 5 days a week from Sunday night to Friday night manufacturing 1.5m units of frozen meals a week across a variety of production lines with maintenance and deep cleaning taking place on the weekend as well as between shifts. It is a fast-paced environment with several product changeovers per shift.

The Production Management Graduate will gain experience of managing a manufacturing plant, process and people through a rotational development program. You will spend 12-18 months working across a variety of different departments in our Manufacturing and supply chain, for example you will work in areas such as Sweets, Meals, Procurement, Stores and NPD to gain an in-depth knowledge of our supply chain and apetito processes.

You will start your journey in either our Sweets department (where we produce a range of desserts and cakes approx. 300,000 units per week) or our Meals department (1.2 million units per week) to understand the core processes within our manufacturing operation.

From there, we will define a personal path to enable you to develop a thorough understanding of the intricacies of our apetito manufacturing operations (e.g. we have a 1,100 product portfolio, 150 suppliers, 700 different materials, etc).

The role will be challenging, stimulating and varied, with exposure to the whole manufacturing process and specific projects in each area. You need to be hands on; lead, influence and support a varied team both in experience and competency to generate the right first time quality products safely and efficiently.

You will be working on a variety of projects focused on adding value and increasing efficiencies, dependent on the operational context. You will need to understand complex manufacturing processes and develop innovative engineering, or process solutions, to improve the performance of our manufacturing facility.

You will be logical, results focused and able to present your ideas both verbally and through written reports. The ability to influence at all levels will be essential to your success whilst working with peers to support the entire manufacturing arm of the business focusing on Safety, Quality, Delivery, Costs, Innovation and People. Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate with colleagues, from the factory floor to the exec, will be key.

We will provide a high challenge, high support environment where we will coach and develop you as you work alongside both previous graduates and experienced managers in this role.

You will gain experience in manufacturing principles, process flows, facility design, production equipment and refrigeration systems. There will be opportunities to learn and put in practice techniques such as lean, six sigma and PRINCE2.

Responsibilities

• Learn to lead a departmental team the apetito way with responsibility for KPI’s (e.g. right first time products), Wastage and Giveaway, Plan Attainment, Line Efficiency, Short Interval control, SMED changeovers, 5S and hygiene standards, Health and safety, Leading and Motivating a team and Communication
• Develop your leadership skills and your ability to co-ordinate operational activities as your development grows and you progress through the development programme
• Assist with NPD Trials when conducted in your area/on your shift and report back to Shift manager how it went
• Completion of several manufacturing improvement projects during the rotation across departments demonstrating improved product quality, reduction in complaints and reduction of material wastage. Examples include SMED smart changeovers, stock accuracy and cooking capacity projects to improve overall production capacity, AI scanning and digital traceability to eliminate paperwork
• Reduce operational costs, raise quality standards and increase efficiency plus capacity using our current facility and low-cost investment items
• Aid the achievement of the production plan reducing labour variance, material variance and overheads through a growth mind-set
• Understand all the factors affecting production costs and act as a role model, advising on and encouraging Continuous Improvement within the business
• Investigate opportunities for continuous improvement and implement

About you

Essential:

• Educated to Degree level, or equivalent, in Business, Engineering or Science discipline at 2:2 or above

• Adhering to principles and values
• Upholds ethics and values
• Encourages organisational and individual responsibility towards the community and the environment

• Leading and Supervising
• Motivates and empowers others to be the best they can be
• Sets appropriate standards of behaviour
• Promotion of culture where all employees are engaged and able to raise their suggestions

• Planning and organising
• Identifies and organises resources needed to accomplish tasks
• Monitors performance against deadlines and milestones
• Self-motivated and able to own and manage workload with minimal supervision, a proven self-starter

• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Sets high standards for safety, quality and efficiency
• Focuses on customer needs and satisfaction through liaison with internal and external customers
• A completer finisher

• Creating and innovating
• Seeks opportunities for operational improvement

Desirable:

• Mechanical Engineering Degree (2:2 or above)
• Project Management experience
• Lean/6 sigma experience
• 12 months work experience or a placement year in industry

Deciding and initiating action

• Makes prompt, clear decisions which may involve tough choices or considered tasks
• Takes responsibility for actions, projects and people

You will work a mix of shift patterns (6am-2pm or 2-10pm and occasionally 10pm-6am) in order to understand the complexities of our environment e.g. staff, material flows and capacity constraints.

Company Benefits

• Competitive salary – accredited Living Wage employer
• 25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
• Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
• Discretionary annual bonus scheme
• Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
• Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
• Subsidised canteen
• Free parking
• Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of.

We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers.

We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people.

We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040.

Our ethical standards are recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future.

We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.