The Company:

IPN is an innovative, well-established, and award-winning pet food manufacturer, employing over 800 people across our 3 UK sites. Our family of brands include Harringtons, Wagg, Barking Heads & Meowing Heads, AATU, Blink, Butchers, Classic Cat and a selection of partner brands that trust us to produce food on their behalf. Our kitchens in Thirsk, Kinmel and Crick produce dry, wet, and baked foods which are enjoyed by dogs and cats all over the world.

The Role:

Responsible for the extrusion of a variety of animal food, including dog, cat, and small animal dry kibble.

The extrusion process is where the magic happens - we take all of the dry ingredients that are delivered into the factory and follow a nutritionally formulated recipe to produce the quality kibble that IPN is renowned for.

The extrusion department is responsible for the blending, mixing, and cooking of the raw material, and as a Production Operator it will be your responsibility to ensure that the kibble is made to the correct specification - making sure that the size, shape and the weight of the finished product all fall within the specification guidelines.

Now we appreciate that this sounds very complex, but don't worry, training in all aspects of these processes will be provided from simple tasks such as knowing what colour brushes to use to having the skills and knowledge to "run" the line independently.

At IPN we believe that our colleagues are the heart of our business and as such invest in their continuous development to make sure that they are fully equipped with the knowledge that will give them the confidence to take the next step, to Team Leader or Area Shift Leader.

On Offer:

• £14.09 per hour (including shift allowance) - £30,772 annual salary (plus overtime)
• 42 hours per week (24/7 days - 06:00 - 18:00 or nights 18:00 - 06:00
• Hourly pay, paid monthly last Friday of every month.

Our shift model explained:

The Dupont schedule follows a four-week cycle. Colleagues switch between day and night shifts, often within the same week, (6am to 6pm / 6pm to 6am) and will work for three or four consecutive days at a time. Colleague workdays are interspersed with one to three consecutive days off. Additionally, colleagues receives one block of seven days off during the four-week period.

*Please note there is not public transport routes to our factory, therefore you will need your own transport! To be considered for this position it is a requirement you live in a 30 mile radius of our location which is YO7 3HE and have your own transport*

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensuring that the highest level of quality is maintained throughout the production process, through compliance with relevant Food Safety legislation, standards and requirements
• Carrying out pre-start checks on your area of responsibility to verify our safe ways of working are being adhered to
• Ensuring that hourly production checks are carried out, and when any issues arise, that they are reported immediately to the Team Leader.
• Monitors the effectiveness of machinery and equipment, and where there is an issue escalate through the Team Leader.
• Minimising waste of raw materials, products, packaging, chemicals and water whilst undertaking duties within the department.
• Following the 'Clean As You Go' policy at all times, to ensure that the department is operating to the highest standards of hygiene.
• Promote a people safe culture within the department, complying with policies and procedures, reporting any safety issues and plant damage through the appropriate procedures.
• Identifying opportunities for improvement and keeping waste to a minimum.
• Undertake training and assist with the training of other colleagues when required. Act as a buddy for new colleagues and provide guidance where necessary.

Skills, Experience and Qualifications:

• Experience in a same / similar role within Manufacturing
• To be considered for this position it is a requirement you live in a 30 mile radius of our location which is YO7 3HE and have your own transport.
• A good standard of education; demonstrates good literacy and numerical skills, able to understand, communicate and report clearly in English
• Be capable of manual handling tasks in a warm and loud environment - you must be able to lift up to 25kg.
• Food Hygiene Accreditation - desirable.