Prep Cell Leader - Food Safety & Quality Champion

Prep Cell Leader

Location: Redditch
Pay rate: £14.11 per hour + £6.50 per shift allowance
Hours: 1:30pm - 11:00pm Monday to Friday

Are you an experienced or aspiring production leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-care environment? We're recruiting a Prep Cell Leader to run a Cook Prep / High Risk Prep area, supporting a team of Production Chefs, Food Safety Operatives and Production Team Members. This is a hands-on leadership role with real accountability for food safety, product quality, GMP, health & safety, and brand integrity.

You'll be the go-to person on shift for daily standards, performance, and problem solving, keeping the prep area audit-ready and ensuring product remains within spec at all times.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the cell day-to-day: assign tasks, give clear instructions, and support the team to meet targets
• Maintain high standards across GMP, hygiene, housekeeping, food safety, brand integrity and people safety
• Complete quality checks while you work, including checks for veins, shell, freezer burn, foreign body, seal integrity and pack coding
• Ensure full paperwork compliance: traceability records, CCP documentation and all relevant production paperwork is completed accurately
• Escalate issues quickly: report food safety, product quality, H&S concerns to your manager or QA team as required
• Audit and improve: complete weekly food safety audits and promote continuous improvement ideas in the area
• Problem solve independently: perform root cause analysis for issues such as machine breakdowns and decide when to involve Engineering
• Drive communication with wider teams regarding delays, ingredient shortages or equipment issues
• Promote safe working: report accidents, near misses and "don't walk by's" through the correct process and keep fire exits clear at all times

Requirements:

• Experience in a food manufacturing / FMCG production environment (high-risk or high-care prep experience is highly beneficial)
• Strong knowledge of GMP, hygiene, food safety and quality standards
• Confidence completing and checking CCP paperwork and traceability documentation
• The ability to lead by example, motivate others, and keep standards consistent
• A proactive, practical approach to problem-solving and root cause analysis
• Fluent English (speaking, reading, writing) to communicate clearly, complete legal paperwork and follow policies/procedures
• Values-driven behaviours aligned to Teamwork, Quality, Honesty and Passion