Engineering Manager

ADM; Stafford; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global ingredients company in Stafford is seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead the maintenance and engineering team. The role involves ensuring safe and efficient production within a high-quality food environment, driving continuous improvement initiatives, and cultivating a motivated team. Candidates should have an engineering degree and substantial experience in food manufacturing, with strong leadership and problem-solving skills. The position offers a dynamic work environment with a focus on quality and compliance.

Qualifications

• Recognised engineering qualification in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.
• Significant experience in food manufacturing, especially in liquid processing.
• Demonstrable leadership experience managing a maintenance function.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance and engineering function to ensure efficient production.
• Ensure compliance with safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity.

Skills

Leadership skills

Problem-solving

Coaching

Communication

Planning

Education

Engineering qualification (degree-level)

Job description

Job Description

FDL is a global ingredients and solutions provider specialising in high-quality flavour systems, syrups, sauces, and customised formulations. At our Stafford site—home to our coffee syrups and sauces manufacturing operation, we are seeking an experienced Engineering Manager to lead our maintenance and engineering function. This role plays a critical part in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient production in a fast‑paced, high‑quality food environment.

Key Responsibilities

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure all employees, visitors, vendors, and contractors understand and comply with FDL/ADM safety policies and procedures.
• Uphold the highest standards of food hygiene and site cleanliness.
• Ensure all engineering activities meet food safety, quality, health & safety, and regulatory requirements, including HACCP, BRC, and GMP.

Leadership & Team Development

• Let clear goals and performance expectations for the maintenance team.
• Manage, coach, and develop team members to reach their full potential, providing effective, consistent, and fair feedback.
• Lead the team through change management processes, including implementation of new technologies, systems, and continuous improvement programs.

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing costs, improving plant performance, and increasing operational productivity.
• Ensure efficient management of spare parts, tools, and equipment inventories.
• Lead and support root‑cause analysis on equipment failures and implement robust corrective actions.
• Support site‑wide projects and lead small‑scale engineering initiatives through to completion.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with production, quality, and HSE teams to ensure alignment of engineering support with business objectives.
• Ensure effective availability and optimisation of spare parts to support reliability and minimal downtime.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate, develop, and manage technical teams.
• Hands‑on, proactive approach to problem‑solving with strong troubleshooting abilities.
• Excellent coaching, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly organised with strong planning and prioritisation capabilities.
• Computer literate with experience using engineering or maintenance management systems.

Education & Experience

• Recognised engineering qualification (electrical or mechanical), ideally degree‑level in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Production Manufacturing, or a related field.
• Significant experience within food manufacturing, preferably in syrups, sauces, beverage ingredients, or similar liquid processing environments.
• Demonstrable leadership experience managing a maintenance function across Safety & Health, Environmental, Quality, Production, and Project Management.
• Experience with Continuous Improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma) is advantageous.
• Strong knowledge of food production processes and regulatory compliance (HACCP, BRC, GMP).
• Strong project management capability with a proven ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Solid understanding of mechanical and electrical systems, process engineering, and automation.
• H&S qualifications preferred.

#IncludingYou

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are cornerstones of ADM’s efforts to continue innovating, driving growth, and delivering outstanding performance. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and create welcoming, truly inclusive work environments—environments that enable every ADM colleague to feel comfortable on the job, make meaningful contributions to our success, and grow their career. We respect and value the unique backgrounds and experiences that each person can bring to ADM because we know that diversity of perspectives makes us better, together.

For more information regarding our efforts to advance Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, please visit our website here: Culture, Engagement & Inclusion | ADM.

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry‑advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.

Req/Job ID

103804BR

Ref ID

#LI-DNI