Job Description

Operator

Based - Ashford, Kent

Salary and Shifts available

Rotating Mon - Friday (6am to 2pm & 2pm to 10pm) - £32,300 per annum

Night Shift Mon - Friday (10pm to 6am) - £34,720 per annum

Join the Team Behind Some of the Nation's Favourite Foods!

Do you enjoy working as part of a team, learning new skills, and making a real difference every day? We're looking for enthusiastic, agile, and safety-focused Food Operators to join our manufacturing team at Ashford.

As an Operator, you'll play a key role in producing trusted food brands enjoyed by millions of consumers across the UK, helping to ensure our products are made safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards.This is a highly varied role where you'll have the opportunity to work across different production areas, develop new skills, and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. Whether you're already experienced in food manufacturing or looking to build on your production skills, we'll provide a supportive environment where you can grow and succeed.

What You'll Be Doing

• Operating production machinery and processing equipment safely and efficiently
• Supporting line start-ups, changeovers, and shutdowns
• Completing food safety, quality, and hygiene checks
• Maintaining machine settings and monitoring performance to maximise efficiency
• Supporting material supply, line servicing, and production activities
• Working flexibly across production areas to meet business needs
• Completing production records and ensuring compliance with GMP standards
• Contributing to a culture of teamwork, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.

What We're Looking For

• Experience in a food manufacturing environment ideally.
• Machine or mixer operating experience within processing or packaging operations
• A strong understanding of food safety, hygiene, and GMP standards.
• A positive attitude and willingness to support colleagues across the site.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Good communication skills and a safety-first mindset.
• Flexibility to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Continuous Improvement tools such as 5S, SMED, or Kaizen
• Experience as a Lead Operator or supporting team performance
• Experience working with SIC or UDM programmes.

Salary and Shifts available

Rotating Mon - Friday (6am to 2pm & 2pm to 10pm) - £32,300 per annum

Night Shift Mon - Friday (10pm to 6am) - £34,720 per annum

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a team producing food brands loved by millions.
• Develop your skills across a variety of manufacturing processes and equipment.
• Work in a supportive environment that encourages learning, development, and career progression.
• Contribute to delivering high-quality products that consumers trust and enjoy every day
• Early Friday Finishes for 4 months in the summer
• Subsidised canteen with hot meals
• Recognition days for free ice-cream, food vans, Summer BBQ, Christmas events
• Pension Scheme
• Share Save Scheme
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme for cycle to work / EV

At Premier foods we believe in inclusion, authenticity and individuality. We aim to ensure all existing and future colleagues are given equitable opportunities and are respected, valued and encouraged to bring their true authentic selves to work no matter who they are, what they look like, who they love or what they believe in. Our culture is one where everyone is welcome.

We're proud to be a Disability Smart employer and are committed to supporting disability inclusion throughout our recruitment process. If you experience any access issues or require reasonable adjustments at any stage, please let us know so we can ensure you have the support you need.