Shift Manager

Synthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

As Shift Manager, you will take operational responsibility for the Alcotex and LHA/Specialities plants during your shift. You will lead a team of 2 Team Leaders and up to 9 Chemical Process Operators while ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable plant performance.

Your Responsibilities Will Include:

Operational Leadership

• Oversee the safe, efficient running of production plants
• Troubleshoot plant issues and escalate to the Production Manager
• Maintain accurate shift logs, SAP inputs, and daily performance data
• Ensure correct OEE/GLA capture by operators
• Manage and maintain an up‑to‑date shift rota

Safety, Health & Environment (SHE)

• Enforce Synthomer’s SHE policies and site procedures
• Act as Operational Incident Controller during emergencies
• Report and investigate incidents and near misses in AIMS
• Issue Permits‑to‑Work (PTW) and maintain Safe Systems of Work

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and support your shift team
• Conduct performance reviews and return‑to‑work interviews
• Manage performance investigations when required
• Assess training needs and maintain operator competency matrices
• Deliver shift briefings and support Operator Care activities

Continuous Improvement & Compliance

• Recommend and drive improvements in areas such as
  • manufacturing efficiency
  • product quality
  • capacity and cost
  • site KPI performance
• Participate in Root Cause Analyses (RCA) and implement actions
• Support shutdown planning, projects, and permit processes

What We’re Looking For

Experience & Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent, or at least 7 years of varied manufacturing experience with people management responsibility
• Experience in chemical, industrial, or heavy manufacturing environments (COMAH experience an advantage)
• Strong leadership capability with a focus on safety and quality

Skills

• Confident decision-maker with excellent communication skills
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail
• Basic computer literacy (Microsoft Office)
• Comfortable working within structured systems such as SAP

Shift Pattern

• 12‑hour shifts
• 4 on 4 off with a 10 day rest period built in to shift cycle
• Full responsibility for site operations outside normal office hours

Why Join Synthomer?

At Synthomer, we are a global leader in specialty chemicals, supplying essential materials to industries worldwide. As a Shift Manager, you will:

• Play a key leadership role in a Lower Tier COMAH site
• Influence daily operations and people development
• Drive continuous improvement and world‑class SHE standards
• Be empowered to make decisions that directly impact site performance