Laboratory Team Leader (0000035666)
Overview
Reference 0000035666
Salary £30,000 - £33,000/annum
Job Location - United Kingdom -- England -- East Midlands -- Northamptonshire -- Northampton
Job Type Permanent
Posted 12 February 2026
Team Leader – Production / Despatch / Sampling
We’re looking for a proactive, people-focused Team Leader to support the safe, efficient and high‑quality operation of our Production (including Despatch) or Sampling teams. This is a hands‑on leadership role with full responsibility for safety, team performance, communication, development, lead-time, service and quality.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & People
- Ensure safe working practices are consistently followed (PPE, manual handling, COSHH, COMAH/DSEAR, FLT use, incident reporting, first aid cover).
- Maintain process discipline through training, coaching and performance conversations.
- Support attendance management through return-to-work discussions and HR processes.
- Deliver clear, fair and consistent communication with all team members, including daily progress updates and use of visual performance indicators.
- Conduct regular development discussions and deliver constructive feedback.
- Act as the senior representative on site whenever a manager is not present, escalating issues promptly and appropriately.
Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Complete NCR investigations within 24 hours and ensure corrective actions are closed out within 5 days.
- Identify opportunities to improve processes, performance and safety.
- Contribute to audits and operational improvement activities across the wider operations team.
Production & Despatch Responsibilities
- Allocate team resources dynamically based on order priorities and freight requirements.
- Maintain strong cross-training within the team to prevent capability gaps.
- Review and update daily production reporting by 10am, with follow-up updates as needed.
- Work closely with QSHE, QC, Planning, Shipping and Purchasing to minimise delays and manage unexpected issues.
- Ensure stock accuracy remains above 99%, reporting any shortages or write‑downs promptly.
Sampling Responsibilities
- Allocate daily tasks in line with BMS priorities and operational needs.
- Ensure the whole team can work autonomously across different processes (where possible).
- Lead continuous improvement focused on reducing unnecessary movement and handling.
- Maintain strict compliance with process safety (e.g., compound heating).
- Communicate consistently with internal stakeholders through email.
- Escalate issues affecting customers (e.g., new RM/GY) and ensure all shipments leave on time.
- Work closely with planning and stock management to reduce waste and lead-times.
Teamwork & Reporting
- Support wider Operations tasks, including audits and cross-team activities.
- Maintain transparency in workload and performance to drive improvement.
- Comply with all company policies and procedures.
- Ensure all required reports are completed accurately and on time.
Skills & Attributes
- Full UK driving licence.
- FLT licence (desirable for Production/Despatch).
- Strong decision-maker with the ability to use data and people insights.
- Calm, respectful and professional under pressure.
- Excellent communicator who listens and leads by example.
- Confident using MS Office, D365/MRP and other digital systems.
- Consistent in meeting deadlines and achieving objectives.
- Positive, collaborative and aligned with company values.
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