Electrical Reliability & Asset Management (SME)

DS Smith; Sittingbourne; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging solutions company is seeking a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Electrical Engineering to lead technical efforts across their UK paper mills. This role requires significant mechanical engineering experience, excellent problem-solving skills, and the capacity to mentor others. Travel across sites in the UK and Europe will be necessary. Join a diverse team committed to sustainability and innovation.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Pension Scheme

Life Assurance

Income Protection

25 days holiday plus 8 Bank Holidays

Employee Discounts Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Significant hands-on mechanical engineering experience in industrial or manufacturing environments.
• In-depth understanding of power distribution, motors and drives.
• Excellent diagnostic skills and ability to propose technical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical engineering activities across paper mills.
• Develop best practices, standards, and specifications.
• Support troubleshooting and technical problem-solving.
• Train and mentor engineering team members.
• Collaborate on capital projects and equipment upgrades.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Power distribution

Control systems

Analytical skills

Training and mentoring

Education

Degree in Engineering (or equivalent experience)

Job description

Electrical Reliability & Asset Management (SME)

Location: UK or Europe (with travel across DS Smith Paper Mills)

We’re looking for a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Electrical Engineering to join our central engineering function. This is a pivotal technical role where you’ll lead on all electrical engineering activities across our paper mills in the UK and Europe. You’ll be at the heart of our drive to continuously improve reliability, efficiency, and technical standards across our operations.

This is not a management position—this is a role for a highly skilled technical expert with deep mechanical engineering knowledge and a passion for solving complex engineering challenges.

This role requires travel, both within the EU and outside, approximately 30-50% of the time, and a willingness to provide assistance 24/7 to manufacturing facilities.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical lead for electrical engineering across all DS Smith Paper mills
• Develop and implement best practices, standards, and specifications for mechanical systems and equipment
• Support site teams with troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and technical problem-solving
• Train and mentor engineering team members across multiple sites to build capability and drive knowledge transfer
• Collaborate with cross-divisional teams on capital projects, equipment upgrades, and strategic engineering initiatives
• Evaluate and introduce innovative mechanical solutions to improve safety, reliability, and performance
• Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, health & safety regulations, and internal policies

About You

• Degree-qualified in Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• Significant hands-on mechanical engineering experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment—ideally within heavy industry, paper, packaging, or process sectors
• In-depth understanding of power distribution, motors and drives, control systems and safety circuits
• Excellent diagnostic and analytical skills, with a track record of delivering technical solutions in complex environments
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain technical concepts clearly to non-specialists
• Confident in training and mentoring others; able to build strong working relationships at all levels
• Willing and able to travel regularly across DS Smith sites in the UK and Europe

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• 25 days holiday plus 8 Bank Holidays
• Employee Discounts Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation, manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

“To fulfil our purpose of redefining packaging for a changing world, we aim to build a diverse, motivated, and engaged workforce. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion where everyone is treated fairly, differences are valued, and everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”