Engineering Improvement Specialist

Arla Foods Plc; Middleton; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dairy company in the UK is seeking a skilled technician to enhance reliability and continuous improvement in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate will lead practical CI implementations, resolve chronic equipment failures, and support operational teams. Required qualifications include an HNC in a relevant engineering field and experience in maintenance or engineering support. This role offers a competitive salary, pension benefits, and opportunities for career development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Employer pension matched up to 6%

X4 annual salary life assurance cover

Flexible Benefits

Strong career development & training

Qualifications

• Proven background in maintenance, CI, or engineering support within manufacturing.
• Experience diagnosing chronic issues and leading technical improvements.
• Exposure to operator-led maintenance programs is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation of CI actions and reliability improvements.
• Resolve chronic equipment failures through structured methodologies.
• Provide technical support to maintenance and operations teams.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving capability

Collaborative mindset

Hands-on approach

Communication skills

Education

HNC in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics or related field

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or similar

Training in RCA or CI tools

Tools

RCA tools

FMEA

RCM

Job description

Monday-Friday, days based role.

Do you want to be at the heart of driving reliability and continuous improvement in a fast-paced manufacturing environment?

You’ll play a key role in strengthening our asset care routines, solving chronic equipment issues, and supporting the development of reliability engineering across the site,

How you will make an impact

In this role, you’ll combine hands‑on technical expertise with structured problem‑solving to improve equipment reliability and support our operations teams. You’ll be central to embedding continuous improvement and developing operator asset care routines.

• Lead the practical implementation of CI actions and reliability improvements.
• Own and resolve chronic equipment failures through structured RCA / BDA methodologies.
• Provide technical support and guidance to maintenance and operations teams.
• Collaborate with operators to strengthen asset care routines and skills.
• Support the Reliability Engineer with data analysis, predictive technologies, and improvement roadmaps.

What will make you successful

We’re looking for someone with strong technical skills, a proactive mindset, and the ability to translate data into practical solutions.

Education & Qualifications

• HNC (preferred) in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related engineering discipline.
• Preferred Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, CI training, or recognised best practice methodologies (TPM, SMED, OAC, RCM, FMECA).
• Training in RCA or CI tools advantageous.

Experience

• Proven background in maintenance, CI, or engineering support within manufacturing / industrial environments.
• Experience diagnosing chronic issues and leading sustainable technical improvements.
• Exposure to operator-led maintenance programs (OAC) highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving capability with practical application skills.
• Hands‑on, action‑focused approach comfortable working on equipment and the production floor.
• Ability to communicate technical detail simply and effectively.
• Collaborative, proactive mindset with strong ownership of tasks and issues.
• Working knowledge of reliability tools (RCA, FMEA, RCM) beneficial.

What do we offer?

• Competitive salary
• Employer pension matched up to 6%
• X4 annual salary life assurance cover
• Flexible Benefits – buy additional days annual leave, reward gateway scheme – discounts with various retailers via my benefit platform.
• Strong career development & training (internal and external training)

At Arla, you’ll join a collaborative team where continuous improvement and professional development are part of our DNA. We’re committed to helping you grow toward Reliability Engineer competencies while contributing to a sustainable future of dairy.

You’ll be part of a market leader producing household‑favourite brands, working in an environment that values innovation, safety, and teamwork.

Would you like to join us?

If you’re ready to take on this exciting opportunity, please apply as soon as possible. We process applications on a continuous basis and will close recruitment once the right candidate is found.

Shape the Future of Dairy

Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with natural, sustainable nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.