Team Leader Production Resource

If you’d like to be considered for this opportunity we encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment as if applications are high the role will close before the closing date given.

Team Leader Production Operations Resource

Location: Burghfield located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.

Package: £37,670- £43,000 (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience)

Working pattern:

This role operates on a rotating shift pattern as follows:

• Two weeks of early shifts, followed by
• Two weeks of late shifts

Shift times:

• Early: 06:00 – 14:45
• Late: 14:15 – 23:00

This is a site-based role, with the successful candidate expected to work on site as part of the Operations team.

Let us introduce the role

AWE is currently recruiting for a Team Leader Production Operations for the Operations Group

 This role is ideally suited to a strong people leader with extensive line management experience, responsible for the direct management of a team of up to 26 production personnel within a high-hazard environment. The successful candidate will drive performance, manage capability, and work closely with the Production Task Manager to align resource to programme demand.

Who are we looking for?

We do need you to have the following:

• Proven line management experience 
• Demonstrable ability to lead, motivate, and manage diverse production teams in a safety critical environment.
• Strong performance management capability, including:
  • -Setting clear expectations and standards
  • -Managing underperformance, absence, and conduct
  • -Driving accountability and continuous improvement
• Excellent leadership and communication skills

Whilst not to be considered a tick list, we’d like you to have experience in some of the following:

• Experience within a high-hazard, manufacturing, defence, nuclear, or regulated environment
• Formal leadership or management qualification (e.g. ILM, NVQ Level 3/5, or equivalent)
• Experience of lean manufacturing / continuous improvement tools (e.g. 6S, visual management, waste reduction)
• Demonstrable experience in workforce planning and skills matrix management
• Experience supporting training plans, accreditation, and competence frameworks
• Knowledge of unionised environments and experience managing employee relations professionally
• Experience of incident investigation and root cause analysis
• Ability to interpret and act on operational data, using it to inform decision making
• Experience in recruitment, onboarding, and developing new staff into operational roles

You’ll need to have the ability to work calmly and constructively in a priority changing environment and be able to manage your own workload. You will also have initiative, enthusiasm, a flexible approach, and ability to work to tight deadlines.

Key Accountabilities:

• Leadership of a team at a local level to deliver team and personal objectives safely and securely to meet our operational plans.
• Full line management accountability for a team of up to 26 production personnel, ensuring appropriate standards of behaviour, attendance, conduct, and performance are consistently maintained
• Ownership of team performance, ensuring clear expectations are set and performance is actively managed against safety, quality, delivery, and cost objectives
• Drive a high-performance culture, where individuals are held accountable, recognised for good performance, and supported or challenged where standards are not met
• Proactively manage underperformance and capability gaps, implementing structured improvement plans and taking appropriate action where required

Key Responsibilities:

• Set clear expectations and standards, ensuring team members understand their roles, responsibilities, and performance requirements
• Actively manage individual and team performance, providing regular feedback and addressing underperformance or behavioural concerns promptly
• Work closely with the Production Task Manager to plan, prioritise, and deploy resource in line with programme demand
• Allocate workload effectively, ensuring the right skills are matched to tasks and operational priorities
• Monitor and drive KPIs across safety, quality, delivery, and efficiency, taking action where standards are not met  
• Develop team capability, through coaching, mentoring, and supporting training and accreditation plans
• Lead and facilitate daily / weekly performance routines, including visual management (e.g. accountability boards)
• Identify and escalate risks to delivery, particularly around resource, capability, or performance issues
• Support recruitment, onboarding, and integration of new personnel into the team
• Drive continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, and team performance

• Build effective working relationships with Task Managers, support functions, and wider operations teams

• Actively engage and support the corporate Production Operative PDG process.
• Give advice and guidance on career development including coaching, provision of feedback and providing appropriate support.
• Provide a diverse and inclusive working environment that allows individuals to flourish and realise their potential..
• Adopt a ‘See It, Own It, Solve It’ mind-set, by identifying obstacles to success and taking ownership to find solutions to those problems.
• Responsible for undertaking other duties as reasonably required from time to time by line and task management, including work at other places within the UK or overseas; this will be done in consultation with you, and in accordance with any requirements contained in your Contract of Employment.
• The Company may require you to fulfil any other reasonable duties as aligned to your position from time to time in line with business needs; this may include additional roles as set out below (these are subject to your area of work, and where formally agreed by the individual):
• e.g. First Aider; Ballistic First Aider; RA First Aider; Assistant Zone Control Officer; Zone Control Officer

Some reasons we think you’ll love it here:

AWE has wide range of benefits to suit you. These include:

• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
• Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
• Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
• Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
• Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
• Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
• Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.

The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'.

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Next steps:

Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.

Important things you need to know:

• We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
• You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. 
• We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
• Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.

Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.

Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.