Role: Group Shift Leader
Location: Isabella Road, Workington
Shifts: Monday to Thursday 7am – 7pm, 4 day working week
Salary: £15.30 p/h plus shift allowance
The Role:
Are you an experienced team leader who enjoys being at the heart of a busy operation, getting the best from people and making sure the shift delivers?
We’re looking for a Group Shift Leader to take ownership of the day-to-day running of one of our warehouse shifts at our Workington battery recycling operation.
This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll be responsible for leading your team, organising resources and driving performance, while making sure safety, quality and compliance remain at the forefront of everything we do.
You’ll set the pace for the shift – allocating workloads, monitoring productivity, coaching your team and tackling operational issues as they arise. You’ll work closely with the wider site management team to keep the operation running smoothly and identify opportunities to make the way we work safer, smarter and more efficient.
If you’re someone who enjoys taking responsibility, leading from the front and seeing the results your team delivers, this is an opportunity to play an important role in the continued development of our Workington operation.
The Business:
Recycling Lives Services is not a typical recycling company. Since 2008, the business has been structurally built around social value, employing people from disadvantaged backgrounds, partnering with the justice system to reduce reoffending, and delivering environmental excellence at scale. The social mission is not a layer added on top of commercial activity. It is the reason the business operates in the way it does.
As a certified B Corp (scoring 103.5 against a business median of 50.9), Recycling Lives Services generated £42.9m in social value in 2024, achieved a 61% reduction in CO2 emissions, and diverted 97% of waste from landfill. 15% of our team have been welcomed through our rehabilitation programmes, and only 6% of people we support reoffend — compared to a national average of over 25%.
We operate UK-wide across construction, manufacturing, retail, utilities and public sector markets, offering total waste management, WEEE recycling, and specialist hazardous waste services.
What you will be doing:
- Lead, supervise and motivate Warehouse Operatives, setting clear expectations and providing day-to-day coaching and support.
- Plan and allocate workloads, resources and priorities to ensure operational and productivity targets are achieved.
- Oversee battery sorting, processing, storage, loading and dispatch, ensuring materials are correctly identified, segregated and handled.
- Monitor shift performance, workflow and resource utilisation, taking action to address issues and maintain an efficient operation.
- Ensure high standards of health, safety, environmental and quality compliance, including the safe management of damaged, leaking or hazardous batteries.
- Complete workplace inspections, monitor housekeeping standards and ensure equipment checks are carried out and defects promptly reported.
- Investigate and report incidents, near misses, non-conformances and safety concerns, escalating issues where appropriate.
- Maintain accurate stock movements, operational records, documentation and reporting.
- Manage effective shift handovers and communicate operational, staffing, safety, quality and equipment issues to the wider management team.
- Lead by example and drive continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to improve safety, quality, productivity and efficiency.
Who you are:
You’ll be a confident and hands-on leader who is comfortable taking responsibility for both people and operational performance. You’ll be organised, safety-conscious and able to keep a busy shift focused when priorities change.
Ideally, you will bring:
- Previous experience supervising or leading a team within a warehouse, manufacturing, recycling, waste or similar operational environment.
- A strong approach to health and safety, with the confidence to challenge unsafe behaviours and ensure procedures are followed consistently.
- Experience planning workloads, allocating resources and monitoring productivity and operational performance.
- The confidence to lead from the front, set clear expectations and hold people accountable while providing appropriate support and coaching.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to deliver clear shift briefings, instructions and handovers.
- Good organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to respond quickly to operational, staffing, equipment or quality issues.
- A good eye for detail and an understanding of the importance of accurate operational records and documentation.
- A positive approach to continuous improvement, with the confidence to identify and suggest better ways of working.
- The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across Operations, HSEQ and the wider business.
- Experience within battery recycling or hazardous materials would be advantageous, but isn't essential if you have strong transferable operational leadership experience.
The benefits:
- Competitive remuneration package
- Supportive team in a growing company
- Pensions contribution, 5% employee 3% employer
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Free financial wellbeing support
- Healthcare cash back plan*
- Access to ethical loan and savings products *
- Enhanced maternity & paternity pay*
- Cycle to work scheme*
*Employees become eligible after 12 months service.
We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.
Health, Safety and wellbeing are our priority and as such all roles are subject to pre and post employment drug testing.
