With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and we believe that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.

At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead, we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your future.

CATEGORY / FUNCTION INTRODUCTION

The Shift Manager is a leadership role in manufacturing that requires technical knowledge and mechanical skills. They manage semi-independent teams, oversee performance, allocate overtime, and resolve disputes. They lead improvement projects, identify process risks, and counter losses to eliminate waste. The Shift Manager possesses effective guidance and direction qualities, problem-solving, coaching, and innovation skills. They also serve as a standard of communication and engagement across the factory, liaising with other core functions.

JOB PURPOSE

Unilever is the place where you can bring your purpose to life with the work that you do – creating a better business and a better world. If you are to drive manufacturing operations to the agreed plan on volume, cost, safety, quality and other KPIs, then this role is just for you!

What Will Your Main Responsibilities Be

INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS IMPACT – ACHIEVEMENT AGAINST FLEXIBLE GOALS

• Efficiently managing the receipt of chemical and packaging materials.
• Planning and executing floor operations to meet flexible goals in volume, quality, output reliability, cost, and safety.
• Monitoring material consumption, minimizing waste levels, and reducing material variance through accurate record-keeping.

CONTRIBUTION TO TEAM SUCCESS

• Organizing and controlling labour, including operators, technicians, and contingent workers.
• Supervising weekly and monthly stock counts and overseeing general Fourth Shift transactions.
• Driving autonomous maintenance activities on the shop floor.
• Supporting the implementation of best practices such as WCM, HACCP, and audit recommendations.
• Ensuring workers wear appropriate personal protective clothing and comply with safety, health, and environmental rules.

PROGRESS ON PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Identifying skill gaps and organizing training for workers.
• Actively seeking opportunities for continuous improvement in operations.
• Contributing to the identification of areas for process development.

What You Need To Succeed

Experiences & Qualifications

Minimum/Essential

• BSc Chemical Engineering, BSc Mechanical Engineering or Sciences
• Supply Chain experience (planning and SAP)
• Minimum 3 years experience in FMCG and managing people.
• Knowledge of WCM and SAP.
• Candidates must have practical experience in applying preventative maintenance and autonomous maintenance strategies within a manufacturing environment.
• Candidates must be able to analyze factory and technical processes to identify opportunities for performance improvement.
• Ability to demonstrate Strong coaching skills is a pre-requisite, enquiring, supportive, and challenging.

Preferred / Desirable

• Experience of operating with semi-independent or autonomous teams.
• Maintenance Engineering Discipline with HND.

Skills

• Technical. Effective mechanical skills (see qualifications) supported by detailed knowledge of the end-to-end manufacturing processes relevant to their operation and endorsed Good Manufacturing Practice. Knowledge of:

• Chemical and electro-mechanical processes and principal factory controls (e.g., for Spray drying, soap making, Batch & Continuous Saponification).
  • Preventative maintenance schemes and condition monitoring (e.g., vibration analysis).
  • Hazardous Area Equipment and Hazards specific to operation.
  • Online/remote diagnostics to connect with category technical experts and OEMs.
  • Safety. Utilise appropriate safety and environmental procedures for people, processes, materials, products, and equipment to ensure a safe working environment for the whole team. Full knowledge of hazards in the workplace.
  • Environment. Reduce costs due to waste and minimise the impact on health, safety, and the environment by working to eliminate waste and through the correct management of waste and hazardous materials.
  • Management. Promote the development of a highly effective team through the establishment of a positive team climate supported by authentic leadership and clear communication.
  • Facilitation and Coaching. An ability to facilitate technical improvements using WCM improvement tools. Able to coach Technical Operators and semi-independent teams to build team performance. The Shift Managers will facilitate the standardisation of their line/process area.
  • Decision Making. Makes governance decisions for the semi-independent team and adjudicates on unresolved team issues. Sets the strategy for Continuous Improvement and Preventative Maintenance in her/his area guided by loss trends and direction provided by the Manufacturing Manager.
  • Continuous Improvement. Apply rigorous Cost Deployment and the zero-loss concept to eliminate losses. High skill level in Continuous Improvement that is aligned closely with World Class Manufacturing and LEAN methodologies.
  • Problem Solving. Has the ability to identify, prioritise and address problems using appropriate tools and techniques that eliminate recurrence.
  • Quality. Apply core knowledge of Quality skills; Quality Measurement, Prioritisation, Improvement, Assessment and Certification etc to sustain Quality standards in the factory operation.
  • Management. Able to coordinate business resources and apply risk management processes. Keen sense of prioritisation and ability to influence change. Resolve conflicts where identified.
  • Administration. Timely and accurate administration for a cluster of teams; shift rosters, pay, performance, training, and safety. Liaise with Sourcing Unit leads to ensure policy compliance.
  • Planning and organising. Prepare work plans within resource constraints and review implementation to drive improvement.
  • Business Awareness. Understand the business needs for change and innovation.

Leadership

• You are energized by delivering fantastic results. You are an example to others – both your results and your resilience. You are constantly on the lookout for better ways to do things, engaging and collaborating with others along the way.
• As an individual you are the one responsible for your wellbeing and delivering high standards of work. You must also focus on the Consumer and what they need. You are humble and have your head up, looking around to interpret evidence and data smartly, and spot issues and opportunities to make things better.

• Critical SOL (Standards of Leadership) Behaviors
  • PASSION FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE: Takes personal responsibility and accountability for execution and results. Has an owner’s mindset, using data and insight to make decisions.
  • PERSONAL MASTERY: Sets high standards for themselves. Actively builds own well-being and resilience.
  • CONSUMER LOVE: Whatever their role, they always look for better ways to serve consumers. Invests time inside and outside to understand the needs of consumers.
  • PURPOSE & SERVICE: Has humility, and understanding that leadership is service to others, inside and outside Unilever.
  • AGILITY: Explores the world around them, continually learning and developing their skills.

Unilever embraces diversity and encourages applicants from all walks of life! This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants and continuing the development of all employees regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.