Engineering Manager

Family Business United; Scotland; On-site; GBP 48,600 - 59,400; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Opportunity for career development

Job summary

Family Business United in Scotland seeks a hands-on Engineering Manager to lead the engineering function and drive operational efficiency in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in managing engineering teams and developing preventative maintenance programs, with a preference for those with food production backgrounds. A degree in engineering is required.

This pivotal role offers opportunities for influence and long-term development within the organization.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in engineering management in manufacturing.
• Experience in food production is advantageous.
• Strong hands-on engineering capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the engineering team for high performance.
• Drive transition to planned maintenance strategies.
• Improve equipment reliability and minimize breakdowns.
• Oversee maintenance activities and ensure compliance.

Skills

Managing engineering teams

Fault-finding on production equipment

Developing maintenance systems

Analyzing downtime data

Education

Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Job description

Are you a hands‑on Senior Engineer or Engineering Manager ready to take ownership of an engineering function?

We have an exciting opportunity to join one of Scotland's most established family‑run food manufacturers. We are looking for an experienced engineering leader who thrives on driving change, improving reliability, and building a proactive maintenance culture within a busy manufacturing environment.

Working closely with the Head of Production, you'll lead the shift towards a proactive PPM culture while ensuring the factory runs smoothly day to day. We're looking for a hands‑on leader who enjoys being close to the operation, supporting the team, and driving improvements in reliability, performance, and engineering standards.

What you will get in your new role

• Salary £54,000 per annum
• Flexible working when needed
• Opportunity to take ownership of engineering function
• Scope to influence reliability, efficiency and engineering standards in a growing food manufacturing business
• Longer‑term potential to develop towards a wider group engineering role
• A practical, fast‑paced environment where good ideas can be implemented quickly

Responsibilities in your new role as Engineering Manager

As Engineering Manager, you will play a pivotal role in leading the engineering function, ensuring the factory operates safely, efficiently, and reliably. Working closely with the Head of Production and wider operations team, you will drive continuous improvement across maintenance, equipment performance, and engineering standards.

• Leading and developing the engineering team, fostering a culture of accountability, ownership, and high performance
• Driving the transition from a reactive maintenance approach to a structured planned maintenance and preventative maintenance (PPM) strategy
• Improving equipment reliability and reducing repeat breakdowns through effective maintenance planning and root cause analysis
• Creating greater visibility of downtime, identifying trends, and implementing corrective actions to minimise operational disruption
• Providing hands‑on support during critical breakdowns to ensure production downtime is kept to a minimum
• Overseeing fault‑finding, repair, installation, and maintenance activities across electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, refrigeration, and site infrastructure systems
• Managing building and facilities maintenance while ensuring full compliance with health, safety, and regulatory requirements
• Working collaboratively with production teams to identify and eliminate engineering‑related constraints, driving measurable efficiency improvements
• Managing engineering inventory, parts procurement, suppliers, and contractors, ensuring cost‑effective and value‑driven decision making
• Identifying critical equipment and infrastructure risks, building robust business cases for future investment where required
• Establishing clear engineering standards, processes, and performance measures to support long‑term operational success

Your personality, experience and qualifications

We're looking for an experienced engineering leader with a proven background in manufacturing environments, ideally within food production. The successful candidate will hold a degree, diploma, apprenticeship, or similar qualification in an engineering discipline, with a preference for mechanical or electrical engineering backgrounds. You will bring:

• Significant experience in an engineering or maintenance management role within a fast‑paced manufacturing environment
• Food production experience would be highly advantageous
• Strong hands‑on engineering capability, with confidence supporting fault‑finding on live production equipment
• A proven track record of developing or improving planned preventative maintenance (PPM) systems
• Demonstrable success in reducing reactive maintenance and improving equipment reliability
• The ability to analyse data effectively to identify downtime trends, root causes, and improvement opportunities
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with experience developing, motivating, and challenging engineering teams
• Experience managing contractors, suppliers, parts procurement, engineering budgets, and compliance requirements

We’re looking for someone who can deliver measurable improvements through practical solutions rather than relying on significant capital investment. You'll thrive in a fast‑paced, informal environment where initiative, accountability, and problem‑solving are highly valued.

This is a genuine player‑coach position. You’ll be responsible for setting direction, introducing structure, and maintaining high standards, while remaining closely connected to day‑to‑day operations and the realities of the factory floor.