Operations Apprentice - Mars Food & Nutrition - Kings Lynn

Job Description:

Are you ready to kickstart your career with an exciting 1 Year Apprenticeship at Mars?

Dive into the world of food manufacturing as you work towards a Level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative qualification. This isn't just any apprenticeship; it's your ticket to real-world experience, fantastic training, and a chance to make a difference at our state-of-the-art King's Lynn site—home of our best-loved dinnertime brands including BEN’S ORIGINAL™, DOLMIO™, and SEEDS OF CHANGE™!

As an operations apprentice, you will gain a deep understanding of lean manufacturing, machine operations, and safety protocols whilst taking process ownership of your designated work areas. This pathway is designed to develop you into a multi-skilled operator, helping you build leadership skills and work towards taking ownership of your own production lines and equipment.

Following successful completion of the Lean Manufacturing Technician apprenticeship, apprentices may have the opportunity to progress onto the Level 3 Improvement Technician apprenticeship. Progression is not guaranteed and will be offered only to individuals who demonstrate the required potential, capability, and performance during the program

Salary: £21,000 rising on completion of each academic year + shift allowance + annual bonus + benefits

Our Ambition at King's Lynn

Our ambition is to create the world’s fastest-growing dinner company by providing people with healthy, easy, affordable and, of course, delicious meals. Mars Food has 13 brands produced across the world and available in more than 30 countries. More than 1,500 Associates are united by delivering our Purpose: Better Food Today. A Better World Tomorrow.

What are we looking for?

- Qualifications: GCSEs Grade C / 4 or above (or equivalent) in Maths and English.
- Prior Experience Limits: To ensure this apprenticeship provides maximum development, you must not have more than 2 years of prior operations experience, prior learning, or qualifications higher than an NVQ Level 3 in operations.
- Team Player & Positive Mindset: A punctual, reliable team player who respects diversity, communicates openly, and responds positively to change.
- Hands-on Passion: A demonstrable interest in leadership, problem-solving, and working hands-on with technically advanced manufacturing equipment.
- Location: Willing and able to travel to our King’s Lynn site.
- Age Requirement: You'll be required to work shifts in this role, and as such we require you to be 18+ by the 6th September 2027.

What will be your key responsibilities?

With strong mentorship and coaching from our experienced Operations Associates, you will develop your skills in:

- Lean Manufacturing Operations: Learn to follow and contribute to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), building your versatility across both process and wrapping areas to meet customer demands (Just-in-Time).
- Equipment Ownership & Maintenance: Learn how to safely operate, diagnose faults, and perform basic repairs and maintenance on our machinery.
- Workplace Organisation & 5S: Maintain a safe, clean, and highly efficient work environment using workplace organisation principles (Sifting, Sorting, Sweeping, Spick & Span, and Sustain).
- Safety & Quality First: Apply Mars' high safety standards, comply with environmental systems (ISO 14001), and perform quality checks (ISO 9002) using the 4R’s (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Recover) to protect people and products.
- Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving: Work individually or as a team to identify and eliminate the "7 wastes" in our processes, utilizing problem-solving tools and continuous improvement (Kaizen) methods.
- Leadership Development: Build confidence and communication skills to share visual metrics, coordinate small teams, and safely lead operations on your line.

What’s in it for You?

- Purpose-Driven Work: Be part of a company that’s building a better world and producing nutritious, high-quality food for millions of families.
- Professional Qualification: Gain a fully accredited Level 2 Diploma in Manufacturing (knowledge and skills) alongside valuable hands-on corporate experience.
- Training: Access to Mars University, structured mentorship, and continuous learning from day one.

What can you expect from Mars?

- Work with over 140,000 diverse and talented Associates worldwide, all guided by our Five Principles.
- Join a purpose-driven company where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
- Best-in-class learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
- An industry-competitive salary and benefits package, including shift allowance and company bonus.

Ready to Apply?

Applications will be reviewed regularly and may close early if we receive a high number of applicants. We currently expect to hold our assessment day during February 2027 .

Want to know more about the recruitment process? Visit the Apprenticeship page on our careers website: https://careers.mars.com/uk/en/apprenticeships .

We are keen for all applicants to demonstrate their full potential during our recruitment process. If you could benefit from any support or adjustments to this recruitment process for any reason, including those related to a disability, please let us know at [email protected] . Any information you provide will be treated in confidence.

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