Team Leader - Welder

Job summary

Team Leader | Manufacturing & Production Location: Arlington Site, Eastleigh Duration: Full-time contract until Feb 2027 (Extension potential) Shifts: Monday - Friday Days shift: 07:00 - 15:00 Backshift - 14:30 - 22:30 Pay: PAYE or Umbrella - £25.50 - £39.00 per hour The Opportunity Are you a natural leader with a "safety-first" mindset and a background in high-performance manufacturing? We are looking for a Team Leader to join our Arlington site in Eastleigh. This isn't just a supervisory role; it's a Key Safety Post within Hitachi Rail. You will be the driving force on the shop floor, ensuring our teams deliver world-class quality while maintaining the rigorous safety standards that the rail industry demands. Your Impact As Team Leader, you are the bridge between strategy and execution. Your day-to-day will involve: Driving Performance: Managing throughput and quality to hit KPIs without compromising on process. Safety Leadership: Championing a zero-harm culture, leading accident investigations, and ensuring 100% PPE compliance. People Management: Mentoring your team, conducting appraisals, and managing attendance and performance. Operational Excellence: Troubleshooting technical issues, overseeing SOP sign-offs, and ensuring "zero-defect" handovers. Continuous Improvement: Identifying bottlenecks and implementing lean improvements to minimise non-value-added time. Who You Are You are a disciplined leader who leads by example. You don't just spot a problem-you find the root cause. The Essentials: Qualifications: You must hold an NVQ Level 3 in Welding . Experience: Proven track record in a supervisory or management-deputy role within a manufacturing or engineering environment. Technical Savvy: Ability to interpret test results, conduct failure investigations, and maintain high IT literacy. Mindset: A "safety-first" ethos and the ability to motivate a team under minimal supervision. Great to Have: Experience within an Operational Railway Environment . A formal management qualification. About Hitachi Rail Joining us means becoming part of a culture built on quality, innovation, and equality. We operate in a safety-critical environment where precision is everything. If you are ready to take ownership of a team and help shape the future of rail manufacturing, we want to hear from you. Ready to lead? Apply today for an immediate start. Randstad Business Support is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.