Manufacturing Shift Manager (Day Shift)

About Lyka

Lyka was founded in 2018 by Anna Podolsky , inspired by her dog, Lyka , who was suffering from chronic health issues despite being on “premium” kibble. Together with Gabriel Guedes (COO) and Dr. Matthew Muir (Integrative Veterinarian), they built Lyka from the ground up with one core belief: better food can radically improve a pet’s healthspan and quality of life .

Lyka’s meals are vet-formulated and gently cooked from real food ingredients . Delivered via a flexible subscription model, Lyka meals have driven remarkable improvements for tens of thousands of customers, supporting gut health, reducing intolerances, improving energy and mobility, and even promoting hair growth.

What began as home-cooked meals has since scaled into one of Australia’s fastest-growing consumer companies , a vertically integrated, tech-enabled brand that is transforming pet health nationwide.

Lyka now operates from two offices, Sydney (HQ) and Melbourne , with three state-of-the-art food production facilities (two in Sydney, one in Melbourne) and a growing national footprint.

At Lyka, we’re not just selling pet food, we’re pioneering a new standard of wellness for pets. With strong product-market fit, deep customer love, and a track record of rapid growth, we’re now entering our most ambitious chapter yet: building a generational brand and category-defining business with global impact.

About the role

Lyka makes fresh, human-grade pet food that's changing how Australians feed their dogs, and our Dandenong South manufacturing facility is where that promise gets made real, every single shift.

We're looking for a Manufacturing Shift Manager to own day shift operations across our high-speed production lines, leading a team of frontline leaders and operators who care as much about quality as we do.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, automated FMCG environment and wants real ownership over safety, quality, delivery and people outcomes, not just a seat at the table, but the person driving the agenda.

What you'll do

You'll be the standard-bearer for safety on your shift, running GEMBA walks and workplace inspections, closing out actions on time, and building a culture where Lyka's Golden SHEQ Rules aren't just policy but second nature. On the quality side, you'll manage SOP, QA and QC documentation, audit operator performance, and make sure FSSC, HACCP and GMP standards hold firm across every process, investigating complaints and non-conformances and keeping traceability airtight.

You'll own your Achievement to Plan and Achievement to Schedule numbers, coordinating across teams so product moves out the door on time and to spec, and you'll be a champion for embedding LOMS and manufacturing best practice into how the floor actually runs. Your people are central to all of it, you'll directly lead and develop frontline leaders and operators, coordinating with alternate shifts so nothing falls through the cracks at handover.

And because standing still isn't an option, you'll drive LEAN thinking into daily operations, facilitate root cause analysis forums, and push corrective and preventative actions that stick.

You've spent at least three years leading teams in an automated food processing or FMCG environment, and you know what it takes to manage a large workforce across multiple high-speed lines without losing sight of quality or safety.

HACCP, GMP and FSSC 22000 aren't unfamiliar territory, ideally you've worked directly within an FSSC-certified site, and you've got a genuine track record of implementing LEAN methodologies that actually moved the needle, not just ticked a box.

You're a natural coach who gets the best out of frontline teams, comfortable running root cause analysis forums and mechanically minded enough to troubleshoot basic machine issues yourself.

Strong operational IT skills and sharp attention to detail round out how you work.

A bachelor's degree in manufacturing, engineering or a related field is a plus, though we care more about what you've actually delivered on the floor.

• Work in a fast-growing start-up, experiencing what goes on behind the scenes to sustain hyper-growth for a start-up with a physical product!
• Growth and Development – Lyka is growing extremely quickly, which means you will have the opportunity to experience different challenges every day and progressively acquire more responsibilities as our facility and team expand. We provide an annual L&D budget for you to continue your personal development.
• Work for a sustainability-focused company – we care about the health of our dogs and our planet. We’re proud to be Australia’s only carbon-negative and plastic-negative pet wellness company and we’re always looking at ways for us to improve sustainability practices.
• Be part of a diverse top-talent team, coming from widely different backgrounds and geographies.
• Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top-up
• Wellbeing assistance and tools to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work
• Pupper parent support to care for your furry friends – flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, discounts, and financial allowance for dog training and care to help them live their best life!

We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams

Lyka is an equal-opportunity employer devoted to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate diversity, are devoted to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.