Engineering Manager

Akzo Nobel; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite physio

Annual flu vaccination

Health and wellbeing programs

Discount private health insurance

Job summary

Akzo Nobel is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead the Sunshine site’s Engineering function. You will provide technical governance, strategic leadership, and capital project oversight to ensure safety, reliability and growth across plant, utilities and facilities.

You’ll partner with Operations, Maintenance, HSE, Quality and Procurement to deliver value, drive improvements and sustain asset integrity through lifecycle management and multi-year capital planning.

Qualifications

• Senior engineering leadership experience in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Strong grasp of engineering governance, risk, and compliance.
• Proven track record in capital project delivery and asset lifecycle.
• Commercial acumen with focus on value and total cost of ownership.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the site Engineering function with clear priorities and performance expectations.
• Govern asset integrity, reliability, and lifecycle management for plant, equipment, utilities and facilities.
• Oversee capital investment strategy and multi-year CAPEX portfolio; ensure projects are scoped, resourced and delivered safely, on time and within budget.
• Provide engineering governance as Site Responsible Engineer (SRE) and ensure compliance with requirements and standards.
• Manage engineering contractors and service providers; align with Procurement on contracts and value delivery.
• Own engineering budgets and forecasts, balancing safety, reliability, risk and cost.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Commercial awareness

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Safety & compliance

Capital projects

Asset integrity

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Engineering Manager to lead the Engineering function at our Sunshine manufacturing site.

This is a key leadership role responsible for providing engineering direction, technical governance and strategic leadership across the site. You will play a critical role in ensuring our plant, equipment, utilities and facilities are safe, reliable, compliant and fit for the future, while supporting operational performance and business growth.

You will lead the site's engineering and capital investment strategy, drive asset integrity and reliability improvements, and work closely with Operations, Maintenance, HSE, Quality, Procurement and other functions to deliver sustainable improvements across the site.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership

• Lead and develop the site Engineering function, setting clear priorities, objectives and performance expectations.
• Provide technical leadership and engineering support to Operations, Maintenance and other site functions.
• Develop engineering capability through coaching, knowledge sharing and professional development.
• Establish and maintain engineering standards, procedures and governance across the site.
• Ensure engineering documentation, technical records and engineering processes are effectively maintained and controlled.

Asset Integrity & Reliability

• Provide engineering governance for the integrity, reliability and lifecycle management of plant, equipment, utilities and facilities.
• Identify engineering risks and opportunities and develop improvement plans to strengthen reliability, maintainability and operational performance.
• Ensure plant modifications and engineering changes are appropriately assessed, engineered, documented and controlled.
• Drive initiatives to improve asset reliability, productivity, energy efficiency and total cost of ownership.

Capital Investment & Projects

• Lead the development and execution of the site's capital investment strategy and multi-year CAPEX portfolio.
• Identify and prioritise capital projects based on business needs, asset strategy, risk and available funding.
• Provide governance and oversight to ensure projects are appropriately scoped, resourced and delivered safely, on time and within budget.
• Provide engineering leadership for major or complex capital projects, from concept and design through procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Partner with Procurement to evaluate technical and commercial solutions based on overall value and total cost of ownership, rather than simply lowest initial cost.

Technical Governance & Compliance

• Act as the Site Responsible Engineer (SRE), where assigned, providing technical authority and engineering governance for the site.
• Ensure engineering activities comply with AkzoNobel requirements, Australian legislation, applicable standards and site procedures.
• Provide engineering leadership for HSE-critical activities, Process Safety Management, hazard studies, risk assessments and asset integrity requirements.
• Maintain effective communication and collaboration with regional and global engineering functions.

Contractor & Service Provider Management

• Manage engineering contractors, consultants and service providers to ensure safe, effective and commercially sound delivery.
• Establish clear scopes of work, technical requirements, performance expectations and HSE requirements.
• Monitor contractor performance against agreed safety, quality, cost, schedule and service requirements.
• Work closely with Procurement to develop appropriate contracting strategies and deliver sustainable value.
• Develop and implement an engineering improvement roadmap aligned with site strategy.
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, productivity, automation, sustainability, energy efficiency and maintainability.
• Promote engineering excellence, standardisation and the application of proven engineering solutions.
• Participate in relevant ANZ and global engineering initiatives and communities.

Budget & Commercial Management

• Own and manage engineering-related repair, maintenance and service budgets.
• Develop annual budgets and forecasts for engineering maintenance, services and capital expenditure.
• Ensure engineering work is appropriately scoped, costed and prioritised, balancing safety, reliability, risk and cost.
• Monitor expenditure, supplier performance and contractor performance against agreed budgets and commercial commitments.

About You

You are an experienced engineering leader with a strong background in a manufacturing, chemical, process or industrial environment. You combine strong technical expertise with commercial awareness and the ability to lead people, influence stakeholders and deliver results.

What You'll Bring

• A tertiary qualification in Engineering, preferably Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical or a related discipline.
• Significant engineering experience within a manufacturing, chemical, process or industrial environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering activities across plant, equipment, utilities and facilities.
• Strong knowledge and practical application of Australian Standards, engineering codes and statutory requirements.
• Demonstrates strong engineering judgement and a practical, solutions-focused approach.
• Is commercially aware and focused on delivering sustainable value.
• Takes accountability and drives initiatives through to completion.
• Is comfortable challenging existing practices and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Can effectively balance HSE, compliance, reliability, technical integrity, operational requirements, cost and business priorities.
• Leads with a strong commitment to safety and engineering excellence.
• Experience in asset integrity, reliability and engineering risk management.
• Experience with Process Safety Management, hazard studies and risk assessments.
• Proven experience developing and delivering capital projects, including scoping, engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.
• Experience managing engineering budgets, CAPEX, repair and maintenance expenditure and total cost of ownership.
• Demonstrated experience working with Procurement on tendering, technical evaluation, supplier selection and commercial negotiations.
• Strong experience managing contractors, consultants and engineering service providers.
• Proven people leadership, coaching and performance management capability.
• Strong stakeholder management, communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
• The ability to make sound engineering decisions and provide clear technical direction.
• Professional membership of a relevant engineering or industry body is desirable.

Why Join Us?

• Career Pathway and Training: As a Global company, we can offer career pathway and training to you to gain your next step in your career goals.
• Don’t settle for base salary increase: Potential to earn more, on top each year!
• Let Akzo Nobel, help you meet your health goals: With free utilization of onsite physio every Wednesday, free annual flu vaccination, and monetary assistance to cover your choice of health and wellbeing programs every year!
• Want to stretch your dollar further? Enjoy our employee benefits on discounted private health insurance with Bupa and free access for you and your family on our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), that include discount on retail goods and services.

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