Production Lead Operator

Filtronic is an award-winning technology company designing and manufacturing advanced RF and mmWave solutions for the Space, Aerospace, Defence and Telecommunications markets. With a strong track record of innovation and a growing global customer base, we are continuing to expand our operations and invest in our people, products and facilities.

As our business continues to grow, we are looking for a motivated and proactive Lead Operator to support our production team at NETPark, Sedgefield, TS21 3FR.

Reporting to a Production Supervisor, the Lead Operator will help ensure that production targets, quality standards and health and safety requirements are consistently achieved.

This is a hands-on role, with approximately 70% of your time spent undertaking production activities and 30% supporting the supervision and coordination of the team. You will help allocate work, monitor progress, maintain high standards and motivate colleagues to deliver against production plans.

You will also deputise for the Production Supervisor when they are not on shift, helping to maintain continuity and ensuring that any issues are escalated appropriately.

Key Responsibilities

• Allocate work and communicate priorities to operators in line with production requirements
• Monitor production output, work in progress (WIP) and resources to help achieve daily, weekly and monthly targets
• Identify production issues and escalate them to the Production Supervisor or Production Manager as appropriate
• Lead, motivate and support team members, providing clear direction and constructive feedback
• Promote a positive, high-performance culture where teamwork and continuous improvement are encouraged
• Ensure production activities are carried out in accordance with standard operating procedures, quality standards and specifications
• Maintain high standards of housekeeping, cleanliness and 5S across the production area
• Ensure health and safety requirements, cleanroom protocols, working time regulations and break arrangements are followed
• Support resource planning, including managing absence in line with departmental guidelines
• Assist with the introduction of new products (NPI), helping to ensure a smooth transition into production
• Deputise for the Production Supervisor when required, taking responsibility for the team and escalating issues when necessary
• Lead by example, remaining hands-on with production activities while supporting the wider team to achieve its objectives

Requirements

You will be an experienced production operator who enjoys taking responsibility, supporting colleagues and helping a team achieve its goals. You will be comfortable working in a quality-focused manufacturing environment and confident in providing day-to-day direction to others.

We are looking for someone who has

• Experience working in a manufacturing or production environment, ideally within a quality-controlled or ISO-certified setting
• A good understanding of health and safety requirements and the importance of following established procedures
• The ability to work accurately to quality standards and specifications
• Experience supporting, leading or motivating a team, with the confidence to provide direction and constructive feedback
• Good organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work to meet production targets
• The ability to monitor work in progress and identify potential issues affecting output
• Good computer skills
• A positive, can-do attitude, with a flexible and self-motivated approach
• The ability to work proactively and with minimal direct supervision

This is an opportunity to join a growing, innovative technology business where quality, teamwork and continuous improvement are important to our success. You will play a key role in supporting production performance, developing colleagues and helping us deliver high-quality products to our customers.

If you are a hands-on production professional who is ready to take the next step in your career and make a real difference to a team, we would like to hear from you.

Benefits

• Competitive salary plus shift allowance
• 25 days' holiday plus public holidays, with the option to buy up to 5 additional days
• Contributory pension scheme with up to 8% company contribution
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection Insurance
• Save As You Earn (SAYE) share scheme
• Electric Vehicle (EV) scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Volunteering day
• Learning and development opportunities
• Hybrid working available

Want to Know More?

This advert provides an overview of the role and its key responsibilities. If you would like details of the salary and benefits package on offer - please note that some benefits become available following successful completion of your probationary period - before investing your time in applying, or would simply like to have an informal conversation about the opportunity, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact our Talent Team on 01740 618828.

We are always happy to answer any questions you may have about the role, what we do, our culture or what it is like to work at Filtronic.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Filtronic, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. We're committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is treated with respect and has the opportunity to succeed. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know. We'll be happy to support you throughout your application journey.