We are looking for an enthusiastic Shift Manager to support the day-to-day operation of our factory

Changing the world of pet food for good

We’re tails.com, a dog food subscription company with a big difference. We create truly tailored food for each and every dog we serve. We start by asking people a few simple questions about their dog. Then we use that information to create their dog’s unique tails.com recipe – so their dog gets exactly the nutrition they need, in the taste they love, delivered to their door every month. It’s clever stuff.

We’ve got ambitious plans. Having created an entirely new category in pet food, we’re now scaling fast in the UK and Europe – backed by Purina, one of the world’s largest pet food companies. You’ll join a bunch of smart people working towards the same goals – and a bunch of smart-ish dogs, all working on their own thing.

Together, we’ll change the world of pet food for good.

Putting the fun in functional

We are looking for an experienced Shift Manager to join us at our factory in Heathrow so they can support us in strengthening our operations and taking full responsibility for the operation of the factory. .

The Shift manager will play an important role in driving the success of our operations. The night shift manager will be responsible for leading the team by making sure our team can achieve the business objectives in an efficient and safe operation whilst ensuring our team has the correct support with their training and development. The role requires you to work a permanent night shift 10pm-6am Sunday to Thursday.

We are a very diverse team and we are on the lookout for someone who can also be of a hands-on approach and with a focus around coaching and development of our teams.

Sound like a team you want to join? Here’s how you’ll make a difference:

The role

Reporting to the Production Manager, you will have full responsibility and accountability for all the operational aspects from your team, including the Health and Safety, Quality, Service and cost as well as all other aspects during our manufacturing process by coaching and developing our team.

The things you’ll do:

Responsible for the welfare and safety of our employees by adhering to our safety policies and regulations
Ensuring the quality of our products are met and meets customer expectations
Responsible for achieving and delivering the factory plan according to our forecasted cost
Lead the production team to ensure they are engaged with a focus on problem solving and teamwork
Ability to identify and implement process and systems improvements, including waste management
Managing team’s performance and delivering development plans for our team members in alignment with the business objectives
Ensure compliance with all the relevant company policies and legislation
Set a positive example of conduct, attitude, behaviour and adherence to all our company standards and the manner in which you deal with other team members
Complete daily briefings and deliver presentations to your team
Assist in daily operational duties of the warehouse loading and unloading as well as supporting internal FLT training

The skills you’ll bring

Proven experience as a Shift Manager or relevant role in a manufacturing environment
Leadership and management skills
Confident and approachable
Strong time management skills and able to prioritise their workload effectively
Problem solving abilities
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Sound analytical and administrative skills
Computer literate
Experience in working within diverse teams and with an adaptable approach
Health and Safety awareness
Food safety, GMP, Hygiene, lean principles
Someone highly vigilant as you will have the whole responsibility for leading the factory

What next?

If this sounds like it matches your experience and what you’d love to do, we can’t wait to hear from you! If you’re unsure whether you fit our criteria exactly, please get in touch anyway. And because we believe that diverse teams perform better, we’d especially love to hear from you if you’re from an under-represented demographic.

Here’s a taster of how our recruitment process works:

Application screening with our Talent Acquisition Manager
Interview and assessment with our Production Manager
Final Interview with the Factory Manager and General Manager

Our Commitment

We’re proud to be an active equal opportunity employer. We want to give everyone a fair chance to join us in changing the world of pet food for good. We do this by conducting a structured recruitment process for all candidates, as well as actively promoting our roles to communities that are under-represented at tails.com.

During your interview process you’ll meet some of our team with varying levels of responsibility and experience. We want to give every candidate a fair interview process and if you need any reasonable adjustments made, please let us know.

What's in it for you?

Competitive salary, reviewed annually.
Annual bonus, based on company performance.
Flexible core hours, giving you true work life balance.
Hybrid role to ensure this role works for you.
25 days of holiday (excluding bank holidays) which increases over time to a max of 27 days.
Optional 5 days unpaid leave and 1 paid volunteer day each year.
When you need a change of scenery, you can work from abroad 2 weeks every 6 months.
Health insurance for you, paid by tails.com (starting mid 2023) & discounted gym membership.
Extended maternity, shared parental and adoption pay. Up to 6 months at 70% pay, linked to statutory parental pay.
Flexible paid care leave to support immediate dependants, people close to you and pets.
An external financial coach to support a range of topics - debt management, savings and investments.
Vet service - to support with all pet related questions.
In house L&D team, with access to year round courses to help drive your development.
50% discount on all tails.com and 40% on Republic of Cats products.

Shift Manager - Nights