Engineering Lead

Randstad; Wrexham; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

Randstad's client in Chirk, Wrexham is seeking an Engineering Lead to oversee all processing and packing engineering operations, leading 20 technicians across two shifts and reporting to the Site Head. You will shift the site from reactive maintenance to a preventative, predictive model, champion Lean tools, and manage a major CapEx investment programme with project engineers.

This on-site role offers a 6-month initial contract, 36-hour weeks, and pay up to £48.87 per hour with a circa £91,500

Qualifications

• Strong engineering leadership in heavy process manufacturing environments.
• Experience transforming reactive maintenance into preventative strategies.
• Experience overseeing contractor footprints and CMMS systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead two Engineering Managers and a team of 20 technicians across day and shift operations.
• Drive preventative and predictive maintenance programs and KPI tracking (GE/OEE, MTBF, MTTR).
• Deliver the site investment roadmap and upgrade legacy assets with project engineers.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Lean manufacturing

Contractor management

CMMS SAP

Change management

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

SAP CMMS

Job description

Location: Chirk, Wrexham (Full-time on-site)

Rate: Up to £48.87 per hour, 36 hours per week (Circa £91,500.00 per annum)

Contract: 6 Months initial contract (Potential for extension or Temp-to-Perm transition)

About the Business & Site

This facility is a critical, foundational processing hub within a global chocolate manufacturing network. Responsible for taking raw cocoa bean deliveries and transforming them into cocoa fats, liquors, and drinking powders, this site serves as the crucial first link supplying internal network sites and third-party partners.

The site employs circa 300 full-time staff alongside a significant contingent of contractors. It operates a heavy industrial processing line (grinding, roasting, milling, compression, and blending) alongside a newer, highly automated packaging section. The site blends heritage infrastructure with a major upcoming investment roadmap, offering an exceptional opportunity to lead modern engineering change on a foundational site.

Position Overview

Reporting directly to the Site Head, the Engineering Lead will oversee all processing and packing engineering operations. You will lead a dedicated team of 20 technicians across both areas (mix of day-based and shift-based, single and multi-skilled) via two direct-report Engineering Managers. Additionally, you will manage a high volume of infrastructure, specialized engineering, and regular OEM contractors.

Your primary objective is to shift site culture from reactive maintenance to a robust preventative and predictive model while steering lean manufacturing practices and delivering extensive CapEx investments alongside project engineers.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

• Provide leadership to two Engineering Managers overseeing a team of 20 day and shift technicians, upskilling single-skilled techs into multi-skilled capabilities.
• Direct and oversee a large contingent of OEM and infrastructure contractors on-site.
• Serve as the senior technical authority across both heavy continuous processing (~2/3 of site operations) and automated packing (~1/3 of site operations).

Maintenance Transformation & Strategy

• Drive the strategic transition from a reactive maintenance model to a structured preventative and predictive maintenance program.
• Drive utilization of SAP CMMS to optimize maintenance schedules, asset management, and equipment reliability.
• Champion Lean manufacturing tools (TPM, 5S, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis) to minimize unplanned downtime and boost operational efficiency.
• Track and improve core engineering KPIs including GE/OEE, MTBF, and MTTR.

Capital Expenditure & Project Execution

• Partner with project engineers to deliver an ambitious site investment roadmap, helping to upgrade legacy assets (including original roasters) alongside modern automated packaging lines.

Candidate Profile

• Background: Strong engineering leadership experience in heavy process-driven or high-volume manufacturing environments. Candidates from Food & Beverage, Automotive, or Chemical processing are preferred.
• Lean Capability: Proven, hands-on experience implementing Lean tools and transforming reactive maintenance operations into preventative strategies.
• Technical Depth: Deep understanding of continuous heavy process engineering (e.g., grinding, milling, compression, thermal processing) as well as automated packing operations.
• Scale Experience: Prior exposure to larger manufacturing operations is strongly preferred to support the site's ongoing growth and investment strategy.
• Contractor & Asset Management: Demonstrated track record of overseeing complex contractor footprints (OEM & infrastructure) and embedding CMMS systems (SAP preferred).