Job Description

Chemical Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeship (Level 3) - Safapac

Department: Science Apprenticeship - Process Industries Manufacturing Technician (Chemical) L3

Employment Type: Apprentice

Location: Cambridgeshire

Compensation: £28,050 / year

Description

Location: 4 Stapledon Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6TB

Start Date: March 2026

Working for Safapac

Safapac is a leading, family-owned, contract manufacturer and packer of chemicals, operating from a purpose-built facility in Peterborough, UK. This site is fully equipped to provide a range of services, including liquid blending, bead milling, filtration, heating, handling of toxic & flammable materials.

In addition to its vast range of technology and specialist manufacturing capabilities, Safapac also offer a wide variety of packing services. These include liquid packing, repacking, labelling, batch coding, nitrogen purging, induction sealing and packing to meet a retail scale. Established in 1996 and highly qualified, Safapac prides itself on the quality, integrity and traceability of all its products, formulating and packing them to the highest standards and continuously striving to gain new industry approvals.

🔗 About Safapac

The Package

• Starting salary of £28,080/year
• 33 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Workings hours are 37.5 hours per week
• Company pension scheme (5% employee / 4% employer)
• Overtime available
• 3x Life cover/Death in service
• Regular training and CPD opportunities

Key Responsibilities

Within this role, you will work as part of the manufacturing team to support safe, efficient and high-quality production operations. This hands-on role provides structured training and development in manufacturing processes, quality control, health and safety, and teamwork, while contributing to day-to-day operations on the manufacturing floor. The apprentice will develop technical competence, professional behaviours and an understanding of continuous improvement within a regulated manufacturing environment.

• Carry out manufacturing activities including adding materials to vessels, transferring product, monitoring mills, disposing of packaging, and cleaning plant and equipment.
• Support the set-up and operation of manufacturing equipment under supervision.
• Complete effective shift handovers, clearly communicating progress, issues and priorities.
• Perform in-process quality checks and record results using barcode scanners, PLC tablets or other systems.
• Ensure formulations and finished products meet specification and GMP standards.
• Accurately record materials information, including arrival weights, usage and returns.
• Monitor equipment performance and escalate issues to Manufacturing or Engineering teams as required.
• Follow all site health, safety and environmental procedures, including Safapac Golden Rules, COSHH, COMAH and manual handling requirements.
• Use PPE correctly and report hazards, near misses or incidents promptly and accurately.
• Maintain high housekeeping standards to ensure safe, clean and organised production areas.
• Work collaboratively with Manufacturing Chemists, laboratory staff and packing teams.
• Support task rotations, workflow efficiency and cover breaks as required.
• Enter confined spaces where required, following training and medical clearance.
• Complete all required apprenticeship, safety and role-specific training.
• Demonstrate flexibility by working across different lines, products, shifts and customer requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement activities and use downtime productively.

About You

You’re someone who enjoys being part of a fast-moving, hands-on environment where things are being made, processed, and produced at scale. Industrial settings don’t put you off - you’re comfortable around machinery, systems, and structured processes, and you like the idea of playing a key role in keeping operations running smoothly.

You’re reliable, consistent, and take pride in doing things properly. Following strict procedures and safety rules feels natural to you, and you understand the importance of staying focused - especially during repetitive tasks or long production cycles. You’re calm under pressure, able to respond methodically when things change, and confident monitoring processes, recording data, and carrying out checks to maintain quality.

You learn best by doing and are keen to build your skills through hands-on experience. You’re comfortable working shifts and adapting to a routine-based role, where consistency and attention to detail really matter. Whether working independently or alongside production, engineering, and maintenance teams, you communicate clearly and take responsibility for your part in the process.

You’re motivated by being part of an essential industry - understanding how raw materials become finished products - and you’re excited to build a long-term career in manufacturing, developing your expertise and progressing over time.

Please note - This is a very physical role involving heavy lifting and other forms of manual labour. Due to Health & Safety regulations, you must also be 18+.

Apprenticeship Eligibility

To apply for this apprenticeship, you must:

✔️ Be 18 or over

✔️ Not be in full-time education

✔️ Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years

✔️ Have the right to work in the UK

Apprenticeships are designed to provide new knowledge, skills and behaviours, so applicants should not already hold a Level 3, degree or higher qualification in a closely related subject, or have significant experience in the same field.

If you’re unsure whether you meet the criteria, we’d still love to hear from you - get in touch and we can advise you further.

So how does the apprenticeship work?

Start your career as a chemical manufacturing technician and gain hands-on experience supporting production in a highly controlled industrial environment.

As part of this Level 3 Process Industries Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship, you’ll learn how to operate and maintain large-scale chemical processes, monitor production, and ensure products meet strict quality and safety standards.

👉 Learn more about the programme here.

Over 22 months, you’ll combine day-to-day experience in your role with structured training delivered by expert tutors at Tiro. Our blended learning approach includes a mix of online sessions, in-person training, and hands-on support, alongside guidance from a dedicated mentor in the workplace.

You’ll spend at least 6 hours per week on off-the-job training, including virtual learning, practical activities, and applied assignments.

What your training will look like:You’ll follow a structured programme combining live sessions, online learning, and hands-on workplace training to build your skills step by step.

What could your future look like?

This apprenticeship will help you build the skills and experience needed to start your career as a chemical manufacturing technician and progress within the process manufacturing industry.

Through hands-on training, you’ll develop the competence and confidence to operate complex production systems, monitor performance, and respond to changes in real time. You’ll work in high-tech, safety-critical environments, following strict regulatory and quality standards to ensure efficient and reliable operations. This programme can also lead to professional recognition, such as becoming a Registered Science Technician (RSciTech).

You’ll gain experience that’s highly valued across a wide range of manufacturing and process industries, opening up opportunities to grow and specialise within chemical production and related technical roles.