About the Role
Here at DS Smith Birmingham, we have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Shift Manager to join our manufacturing team and play a key role in the continued development of our Smethwick packaging site.
Reporting to the General Manager, you will work closely with site leadership to ensure productivity plans are delivered, departmental targets are achieved, and continuous improvement remains a core focus. This is a visible leadership role where strong communication, people management, and operational skills are essential.
Leading from the front in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, you will drive productivity while maintaining high standards of health & safety, quality, engagement, and cost efficiency. You will actively deliver improvements such as waste reduction and process optimisation to support site performance.
With a hands-on leadership style, you will motivate your team to achieve KPIs, foster a positive, high-performance culture, and work collaboratively with fellow leaders to implement improvements and deliver a first-class service to our customers.
Key Responsibilities: (included but not limited)
Ensuring a safe working environment is maintained at all times and team compliance with all company safety procedure and legislation
Review & Update Risk Assessments & Safe Systems of Work
Analyse contractor Risk Assessment Method Statement (RAMS) & review contractor insurance’s, skills, competence & documentation.
Collaborating with key stakeholders to promote continuous improvement and drive the overall success of the site
Working with maintenance teams to ensure all preventative maintenance schedules are effectively planned and actioned to monitor effectiveness and reduce downtime
Building strong relationships with key stakeholders on site and throughout the business
Drive performance, productivity and cost saving initiatives.
About You
We’re looking for a proactive, resilient leader with proven experience managing teams in a manufacturing environment — packaging, print, or FMCG experience is a plus. You’ll be a visible, hands-on leader who builds trust, drives engagement, and holds people accountable. Strong communication, coaching, and problem-solving skills are essential, along with a solid understanding of health & safety, quality standards, and continuous improvement practices. You’ll be confident making decisions under pressure, adaptable to change, and able to use data to inform strategies and optimize performance.
Minimum Requirements:
Previous experience of leading a team
Manufacturing/Engineering background would be advantageous
Excellent communication and influencing skills
The ability to set targets and manage performance to achieve these results
A sense of accountability, delivering what you say you will
A professional attitude based around development and improvement
Strong administration skills and IT literate
Benefits
Additional benefits include:
Location: On site - Birmingham - Smethwick
Working Pattern: The working hours for this role rotate weekly and are as follows:
Week 1
Monday to Thursday: 06:00 – 14:00
Friday: 06:00 – 13:00
Week 2
Monday to Thursday: 14:00 – 22:00
Friday: 13:00 – 20:00
About us
We’re DS Smith, the company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e-commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market-leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we’re building the team to drive change across Europe and North America
To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.
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