Distillery Process Engineer - Continuous Improvement

Scotch Whisky; Girvan; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Healthcare

Defined contribution pension

Cycle to Work

Bonus scheme

Life Assurance

Job summary

William Grant & Sons is seeking a skilled Process Engineer to support ABD and Hendrick’s distillery operations. You will drive safe, efficient processes, lead improvement projects, and collaborate across maintenance, engineering, and quality teams.

The role focuses on regulatory compliance, process safety, asset reliability, and sustainable performance, with opportunities to influence site performance and efficiency improvements.

Qualifications

• Degree qualification in Chemical, Process, Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Experience in a process manufacturing environment such as food & drink, spirits, FMCG, chemical, pharmaceutical, or related industries.
• Strong understanding of process engineering principles, asset reliability, and maintenance strategies.
• Experience leading Continuous Improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent methodologies.
• Knowledge of process safety management, including HAZOP, LOPA, risk assessments, and legislative compliance requirements.
• Experience analysing operational performance data and developing OEE and performance improvement metrics.
• Strong project management and stakeholder management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities with a structured and analytical approach.
• Experience supporting commissioning activities and introducing process improvements within a manufacturing environment.
• A collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence and engage teams across multiple disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable operation of ABD and Hendrick’s process assets.
• Identify operational risks and improvement opportunities with sustainable solutions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focusing on efficiency, performance, cost reduction, and sustainability targets.
• Develop and implement OEE performance metrics and dashboards.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, quality, and maintenance to improve plant uptime.
• Support commissioning, testing, and integration of new equipment and capital projects.
• Monitor energy and utility consumption; implement plans to reduce waste.
• Manage service contracts and ensure supplier performance against standards.
• Maintain mechanical integrity and robust asset management practices.
• Lead Process Safety Risk Assessments (HAZOP, LOPA, etc.) and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Process engineering

Lean Six Sigma

Continuous improvement

OEE metrics

Project management

Education

Chemical Engineering

Process Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Job description

William Grant & Sons is seeking a skilled Process Engineer to support ABD and Hendrick’s distillery operations. You will drive safe, efficient processes, lead improvement projects, and collaborate across maintenance, engineering, and quality teams.

The role focuses on regulatory compliance, process safety, asset reliability, and sustainable performance, with opportunities to influence site performance and efficiency improvements.