About Kerry

Our Kerry Dairy Ireland business includes Dairy Ingredients & Nutritional Ingredients, Agribusiness and dairy related Consumer Foods business. With a revenue in excess of €1bn per year and 1500 employees, it is one of the world’s leading dairy businesses. With our strong dairy heritage and deep-rooted connection to our 3,000 milk suppliers, right through to our portfolio of innovative and high-quality brands, the dairy business has a unique and compelling proposition for both consumers and our customers.

Our Dairy Ingredients and Nutritional Ingredients activities takes place across 3 Manufacturing Sites and involves processing 1.3b litres/year of milk from our farmers into products such as Rennet and Acid Casein, cream and butter, cheddar cheese and various protein powders. Under our Nutritional Ingredients portfolio, we manufacture Infant Milk Formula and ingredients for the IMF industry as well as ingredients for the confectionery industry and also milk protein powders used in nutritional bars and beverages.

We have an unrivalled dairy consumer brands portfolio coupled with a track record in innovation underpinned by technology and science. We manufacture and market our own leading butter, dairy and plant spreads brands: Dairygold, Low Low, Pure and Golden Cow. We are the largest supplier of Private Label dairy spreads, supplying all major retailers in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe. Our cheese brands compete in children’s cheese snacks (Attack-a-Snak), natural cheese (block, slices and grated), and in processed cheese segments and our leading cheese brands include, Cheesestrings, Strings & Things, Coleraine and Charleville Cheese. Through our multi-geographical presence (UK, Ireland and Western Europe) we have a deep consumer insight which is a key component of the business.

Kerry has over 15,000 employees supporting our Integrated Operations functions, namely Procurement, Supply Chain & Customer Care, Manufacturing, FSQ/HSE and Engineering. Our end-to-end supply chain organisation serves as a platform for growth, connecting operations across more than 160 sites globally, making it easier and more valuable for our customers to do business with us.

About the role

Due to growth and customer demand, we are recruiting for a Production Stream Group Lead to come and lead an exciting new site and team here at Kerry Dairy Consumer Foods Charleville.

Charleville is known for being the ‘Strings and things’ site and is currently experiencing a substantial amount of growth, this is where the Production Stream Group Lead will come in to support in building a team through effective leadership and work with the Production Steam Manager to ensure the site runs smoothly and teams adhere to standards and procedures set.

This is a dynamic and fast paced role where the successful candidate will gain exposure to current work practices before looking at where they can implement what works well and also bring any improvements to processes. You will be working on a varied shift-pattern so some flexibility will be required.

What will I be doing?

• Recruit and induct new members into the team.
• Build team skills through skills assessment, training, feedback and support and manage on-going performance of direct reports.
• Identify those who have the interest and ability to progress into bigger or different roles and facilitate this through agreed procedures.
• Manage grievance and disciplinary issues as required with the support of HR as necessary.
• Review relevant site policies & procedures and ensure the requirements they specify are documented in standard work and trained out to Team Leaders & Members.
• Continuously improve standards set by facilitating and executing 8 Step Practical Problem Solving and other appropriate KPS methodologies within the Production Stream and perform GAP analysis on manufacturing data to understand where to focus/prioritise problem solving efforts.
• Manage the availability of labour against the plan and work with Production Stream Manager and other site-based Production Streams to optimise labour across the site.
• Cover essential elements of Production Stream Manager and Team Leader Role in the event of unplanned absence.
• Monitor & Improve OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness).
• Identification of bottlenecks within the process, report and conduct problem solving with relevant Production Stream team members.

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• Through analysis of Key Performance Data, identify performance gaps, trends and improvement opportunities and communicate internally using visual management standards in the Production Stream
• Maintain product quality and adherence to GMP through management of the team and process to deliver agreed product specifications as defined in quality standards and policies.
• As part of a wider project team assist and manage the delivery of key projects that have an impact on the Production Stream (e.g. Jishuken, Capital, NPD).
• Protect the health and safety of all Production Stream employees through instituting and adherence to site safety culture.
• Conduct risk assessment on all processes and tasks in the Production Stream, implement countermeasures and mitigation plans to address identified risks.
• Monitor and calculate team member performance and adherence to safety SOP’s.
• Coordinate shift maintenance activities in conjunction with engineering team members to deliver planned, reactive and autonomous maintenance.

What's in it for me?

At Kerry, we believe in giving talented, curious people the opportunity to make a difference.

We work as a team, searching for the best ways to inspire food and nourish life.

We’re a community of innovators, working across disciplines to solve global food challenges with a fresh approach. We want you to achieve whatever you put your mind to.

In addition, we offer 25 days annual leave (excluding bank holidays), health care cover, matched pension scheme, benefits platform offering discounts and cashback on major retailers and access to employee assistance program

What do I need to be successful?

In Kerry we understand that people have very different career trajectories and experiences. In order to be successful in this role we would be looking for the right competencies and aptitudes as well as your proven track record of success in a Production or Manufacturing role.

These include:

• Diploma in a management related discipline is highly desirable
• Proficient written, numerical and verbal skills
• Fluency of English language, Numerical ability to record, interpret and analyse key process data.
• Experience of managing a team in a process environment/lean manufacturing
• Understanding and ability to apply in live situations the principles and tools of lean manufacturing
• Knowledge & understanding of manufacturing processes.
• Effective communicator who facilitates bottom up and top down communication channels

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In Kerry we benefit from the knowledge of our colleagues who bring a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles and experiences.

One team fostering an inclusive culture that, above all, inspires food and nourishes life.

One culture where everyone brings their unique perspectives and experiences to help make us better, together.

We are committed to nurturing an environment of positivity and inclusiveness, where everyone can be at their best, both personally and professionally.

Our recruitment, selection and assessment process are based on the skills and competencies of the specific roles and based entirely on merit. We are committed to and value Diversity and Inclusion in all recruitment processes within Kerry and do not discriminate based on gender, race, class, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, age, political beliefs, veteran status, marital status or any other protected characteristic.

Get in touch today- we look forward to meeting you!