Production Operative
Salary/Hourly Rate of Pay up to £28,850 plus 20% Shift premium
Hours: 39 hours per week.
Rotating shift Pattern: 6am-2pm / 2pm-10pm Mon-Thurs
6am-1pm / 1pm-8pm on Friday
About the role
We are looking for a Production Operative to join the team and play a vital role in achieving the business goals of our Packaging division, which produces corrugated packaging solutions for a range of customers in the FMCG, Pharmaceutical, Electronics and Industrial sectors.
Health & Safety is our number one priority and therefore you will be accountable for your own health and the health and safety of others, operating in line with safe systems of work (SSOW) and company procedures, immediately raising any unsafe acts with those concerned and reporting health and safety incidents to management, to ultimately help create a safe working environment for all.
You will be responsible for the safe operation of movement of materials ensuring you meet productivity and performance targets, which include quality, waste, and customer service. In addition, you will ensure that maintenance and cleaning tasks are carried out in line with the planned maintenance schedule. You will also be required to support and participate in continuous improvement initiatives, as and when arise.
About you
Minimum requirements:
- Puts safety first
- Self-motivated, positive, enthusiastic
- Good communication skills, both verbal and written
- Good team player
- Quality conscious
- Positive approach to multi-skilled working
- To be open minded and flexible, able to challenge and be challenged
- Experience working in a production/machine operating environment
- Counterbalance and/or Reach FLT licence (Essential)
Benefits
- DS Smith pension scheme
- Death in service life assurance
- Company sick pay scheme
- Income protection
- Employee assistance programme
- Occupational Health including physiotherapy, and virtual GP service
- Cycle to work scheme via salary sacrifice
- Shopping discounts
- Electric car via salary sacrifice
- Free eye test and flu vaccines
- Employee share save scheme
- Employee recognition scheme
- Opportunities to progress within the business
- 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
- Free on-site car park parking
We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!
Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”
Skills Required
- Prioritize health and safety and follow company procedures and safe systems of work
- Self-motivated, positive, and enthusiastic attitude
- Good verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team
- Quality-conscious approach
- Positive approach to multi-skilled working
- Open-minded, flexible, and willing to challenge and be challenged
- Experience in a production or machine-operating environment
- Counterbalance or Reach forklift truck licence
DS Smith Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about DS Smith and has not been reviewed or approved by DS Smith.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered okay to good across many roles, with some plants indicating competitive or above‑market hourly rates for operators and similar positions. This supports a broadly fair perception of base pay even as experiences vary by site.
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Healthcare Strength — U.S. offerings include day‑one medical/vision and dental, employer HSA contributions, and 100% company‑paid life and short/long‑term disability, alongside an EAP. Some role descriptions also highlight mental‑health and fertility options.
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Retirement Support — Packages commonly reference a 401(k) with company match and, in some locations, pension eligibility or company‑funded retirement contributions. This positions retirement benefits as a meaningful component of total rewards.
DS Smith Insights
What We Do
DS Smith provides innovative packaging solutions, paper products and recycling services with a commitment to sustainability and a circular economy. Our core purpose is to Redefine Packaging for a Changing World, and our expert teams work closely with like-minded partners to incorporate renewable resources for products that minimize our environmental impact, reduce complexity and increase profitability through supply chain optimization
