Hygiene Operative

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Date: 1 Oct 2026

Location: Belfast, GB

Company: Hovis

Welcome to Hovis. We are the proud guardians of over 130 years of baking experience that make up our iconic and much-loved brand. We produce bread and bakery products created with Hovis goodness at the heart of each. We deliver around 1.3million loaves, every day of the week throughout the UK and Ireland, where we also make Mothers Pride and Ormo products. 

 

We are 2,800 people working within 8 bakeries, 1 flour mill, and 2 regional distribution centres across the UK. Our success is a result of the hard work of our people;  they are experts in their field whether it’s baking, manufacturing, logistics, engineering, or the many departments within the central functions team based in our head office in High Wycombe. We are a values-led business and expect our colleagues to live, breathe, and embed Quality, Accountability, and Trust into their ways of working.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

To facilitate the provision of excellent standards of hygiene throughout the bakery environment, internally and externally and contribute to excellent product quality whilst assisting as required in diverse roles across the bakery. 

 

 

Key Accountabilities
Key Activities/ Decision Areas

Customers
  • Deliver best possible cleaning standards, consistent with both our own and customers’ expectations.
  • Fulfilment of daily hygiene tasks, to a high standard following cleaning instruction cards.
  • Be a flexible and committed team member, who is quality, safety  and customer service focussed
  • Ensure that all Hygiene documentation is completed in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Participate in customer visits / audits when required to do so

 

Strategy and Planning
  • Participate in employee development and training initiatives and activities.
  • Use knowledge and experience to anticipate and solve problems.
  • Work effectively with colleagues to ensure the team delivers the KPI targets
  • Ensure that a “treat as your own” philosophy is embraced with regard to company equipment and property
  • Demonstrate a proactive approach to  “Clean As You Go” in the work place
  • Contribute new ideas towards process improvement and team development.

 

Execution & implementation
  •  Ensure that safety is paramount, working safely at all times and adhering to all work instructions and procedures, risk assessments and method statements.
  • Report hazards promptly to management   
  • Take personal responsibility for 100% compliance to the appropriate dress code policy
  • Take personal responsibility for 100% compliance to the Personal Protective Equipment requirements
  • Ensure your work area adheres to the highest standards of hygiene and safety
  • Actively make suggestions for continuous improvement
  • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and activities
  • Be a flexible and committed member of the team
  • Ensure proper house keeping is maintained throughout all areas.
  • Be vigilant and report pest control issues
  • To make a commitment to achieving the Company’s corporate goals.
  • Any other duties as and when requested to help meet the needs of the business.

Financial and Operational Control
  • To support the team and business in the achievement of its KPI’s.
  • Continually strive to improve plant performance, waste management & finished product quality

 

Cross functional planning
  • Work with manufacturing colleagues to develop and promote a clean as you go culture
  • Work with the Charge-hand, Supervisor  and FLM to ensure all KPIs and targets are achieved
  • Work with engineering department to provide good plant hygiene standards therefore  facilitating plant maintenance programs
  • Highlight machinery or fabrication issues to relevant manager to promote a safe working environment.
  • Work with H&S department to maintain and improve upon ssow and incident investigations

 

 

 

Key Outputs / Metrics
  • Deliver high standards of cleaning, providing an example to colleagues.
  • Working as a team member.

 

Essential role related knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience at selection

Essential Criteria

  • Flexibility to work across all plants and tasks
  • Minimum of 3 month’s experience of cleaning within a contract cleaning role or within the manufacturing industry
  • Experience of being a team player
  • Flexibility within the department regarding hours of work and duties

 

Desirable Criteria

  •  Experience of working in a hygiene role in food manufacturing
  • Basic Food Hygiene certificate
  • Manual handling training
  • COSHH training

 

 

 

Why work for us and our benefits:

At Hovis, we understand the importance of looking after our colleagues, so we provide a variety of benefits in addition to their salaries. The benefits we provide at Hovis are as varied as the people who receive them but they are offered with the intention of creating value to them personally over and above their salaries

  • There is a range of colleague benefits available, which individuals can select based on their needs.

  • Our benefits scheme is called Hovis Choice, which offers a variety of savings and cashback offers on day to day living and much more including eyecare vouchers, and a healthcare scheme to suit everyone.  It also includes our Cycle to Work scheme where you can obtain a brand new bike at a significant saving

  • We offer competitive annual leave entitlement and flexibility where possible in order to create a healthy work-life balance

  • We celebrate loyalty with our generous long service and colleague recognition schemes

  • We offer three levels of pensions

Hovis values diversity and is committed to promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. Every job applicant, employee or worker will be treated fairly and equally with dignity and respect regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, social class, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, union membership, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.