WORK FOR US

Batch & Furnace Manager

Position Available – No Agencies please

About us

Glass Futures Ltd is a not-for-profit research and technology organisation, supported by multi-national brands and global companies in conducting collaborative cutting-edge research in glass manufacturing, sustainability, and environmentally friendly projects, made possible by a significant private and public sector investment of over £50m+ over the coming years.
Our Centre of Excellence in St Helen’s will provide global support and expertise to organisations in their sustainability journey, demonstrate disruptive technologies and generate new ideas that will have an impact all the way through the glass supply chain to the consumer.

Our Vision

To accelerate collaboration across the global glass supply chain to deliver a sustainable world.

About our Opportunity
We have a fantastic opportunity for a high calibre candidate who is self-motivated, reliable, proactive, enthusiastic, and very well organised, who can work excellently within a team and who is driven to succeed and grow in a fast-paced environment.
The successful candidate will be an essential part of the team focused on the growth and success of this high-profile not-for-profit organisation. This role will be instrumental in assisting the team to prepare for the opening of our Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens in mid-2023 and integral in the planning of the diverse project work which will follow. Working closely with and reporting to the Operations & Engineering Manager, this role will have a variety of internal stakeholders and will be responsible for ensuring an excellent delivery of service to the GFL team.

The successful candidate has the unrivalled opportunity to collaborate with leading experts from the glass and digital technologies sectors. Due to the nature of the business and St Helens project, a strong background in industry is highly advantageous for this role, however we are also open to hearing from exceptional experienced candidates with a wide scope of experience, demonstrable transferable skills, and core values to become an essential part of our team.

Core Responsibilities

  • Manages, coordinates, and oversees changes to batch formulas
  • Manage furnace environmental controls and systems
  • Ensures effective operation and improvements to the furnace and batch areas
  • Ensure glass quality meets specification
  • In conjunction with the Engineering team, ensure furnaces are maintained to achieve maximum furnace life
  • Assist in managing incoming raw materials
  • Develops and approves recommendations to change systems, policies & procedures
  • Develop, coach and mentor staff
  • Promote a strong safety culture within the St. Helens site and be a lead in standard setting
  • Knowledge of continuous improvement activities i.e., 5S, VSM, SMED, Kaizen, Process Flow & all other Lean activities
  • Support Site Operations Manager to ensure adherence, monitoring and audit process
  • Competent in completing risk assessments and compilation of method statements/safe systems of work/SOP’s
  • Competent working to Standard Operating Procedures & Work Instructions
  • Investigate production related issues, identify root cause, and respond to the situation appropriately and safely
  • Adaptable individual and able to react to fluid situations
  • 24/7 facility – provide support to staff out of core working hours

Person Specification

  • Minimum of 8 years working in a large batch Manufacturing environment
  • Bachelor’s degree in chemical or mechanical engineering
  • Furnace operating experience
  • Excellent I.T Skills including Microsoft Office applications including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
  • Effective Communicator
  • Excellent at working within a Team who always respects others
  • Good problem solving and analytical skills

Desirable Skills/Qualifications

  • Previous management/supervisory experience, ideally within the glass industry
  • Fuelled glass container furnace operations experience
  • IOSH Working Safely certification
  • Knowledge of LOTO & permits to work
  • In-depth understanding of Health, Safety and Environmental Compliance and be flexible in your attitude to work
  • Basic first aid qualifications (desirable)
  • Fire Marshall (desirable)
  • Comfortable with working on a shift basis
  • Manufacturing and machine operation experience

Salary
Due to the technical nature/requirements of this role, salary will be discussed that the interview stage with shortlisted candidates.

Working Hours
37.5hour work week

We are flexible and can work around existing commitments

Location
Hybrid initially with a permanent base at our Global Centre of Excellence in St Helen’s when the facility becomes available to us in 2023.

Holidays
25 days holiday plus bank holidays (FTE), pro rata may apply. Plus, additional service days

Additional benefits include

Pension, Private Healthcare, Development Support, Bonus scheme, Cycle to work scheme.

Next Steps
Please get in touch to express your interest and apply for this exciting role and for the unique opportunity to play a part in future innovation and change. 

At Glass Futures we are all about people, we care about the wellbeing of our people, and we value diversity and inclusion, seeking to create a supportive, dynamic environment where talented and dedicated people can develop their career.

Inclusion and diversity are paramount to us here at Glass Futures – we firmly believe that this culture nurtures stronger performances across the wider business. All of our applicants and employees are treated fairly and respectfully, regardless of any protected characteristic/s. If you require assistance with regards to reasonable adjustments during your application process with us, then please do not hesitate to contact us – we are committed to providing the best possible candidate experience and will always be happy to help.