Engineering Manufacturing Lead in Chirk

Contechs Consulting; Chirk; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Contechs Consulting seeks an Engineering Manufacturing Lead in Chirk, Wales, for a 6-month contract. You will oversee all engineering operations, drive lean manufacturing adoption, and transform maintenance from reactive to preventative/predictive strategies.

Lead a multidisciplinary team to improve plant reliability, efficiency, and safety, while delivering capital projects and coordinating with quality, safety, and production teams.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in a manufacturing or process plant.
• Proven track record implementing lean manufacturing techniques (5S, Kaizen, VSM, TPM).
• Experience transitioning maintenance from reactive to preventative/predictive models.
• Strong knowledge of CMMS platforms, ideally SAP.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in 24/7 environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop engineers, technicians, and maintenance professionals across mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines.
• Set performance objectives, conduct reviews, and drive continuous improvement and accountability.
• Manage resource planning, shift coverage, and skills development for optimal team capability.
• Act as senior technical authority on-site for complex engineering challenges.
• Own plant asset management, drive RCA and corrective/preventive actions.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Lean Manufacturing

Continuous Improvement

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

Engineering Degree

Tools

CMMS SAP

Job description

Position Title: Engineering Manufacturing Lead

Duration: 6 Months Contract

Location: Chirk, Wales

About the Role:

• Our Client are seeking an experienced and driven Engineering Lead to oversee all engineering operations within our manufacturing process plant.


• This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing lean manufacturing techniques, and transforming our maintenance strategy from a reactive model to a robust preventative and predictive maintenance programme.


• The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team and play a central role in improving plant reliability, efficiency, and safety.

Key Responsibilities:

Engineering Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers, technicians, and maintenance professionals across mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines.


• Set clear performance objectives, conduct regular reviews, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.


• Manage resource planning, shift coverage, and skills development to ensure optimal team capability.


• Act as the senior technical authority on-site, providing guidance on complex engineering challenges.

Lean Manufacturing Implementation

• Champion the adoption and embedding of lean manufacturing principles across all engineering and maintenance activities.


• Lead the implementation of lean tools and methodologies including 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, SMED, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).


• Identify and eliminate waste in engineering processes, reducing downtime, material costs, and inefficiencies.


• Establish and track KPIs aligned with lean objectives: GE (Global Efficiency inc. OEE), MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), and MTTR (Mean Time to Repair).


• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and training sessions to build lean capability across the wider plant team.

Plant Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Own the plant's asset management strategy, ensuring long-term reliability and lifecycle cost optimisation.


• Lead failure investigations and root cause analyses for significant breakdowns, implementing corrective and preventive actions.


• Drive capital expenditure (CapEx) projects for equipment upgrades, replacements, and process improvements.


• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Health & Safety, and Supply Chain teams to align engineering priorities with business objectives.

Compliance, Safety & Standards

• Ensure all engineering activities comply with relevant health, safety, and environmental regulations and industry standards.


• Maintain up-to-date documentation including P&IDs, SOPs, risk assessments, and equipment records.


• Support internal and external audits and ensure engineering readiness at all times.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• A high level of experience in an engineering or maintenance leadership role within a manufacturing or process plant environment.


• Food industry experience is advantageous but not essential


• Proven track record of implementing lean manufacturing techniques (e.g., TPM, 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping).


• Demonstrated experience in transitioning maintenance strategies from reactive to preventative/predictive models.


• Strong knowledge of CMMS platforms (ideally., SAP).


• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams in a 24/7 operational environment.


• Solid understanding of health and safety legislation and regulatory compliance in a manufacturing setting.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Degree (or equivalent) in related Engineering field


• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).


• Experience with predictive maintenance technologies (vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasonic testing).


• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 concepts, including IoT-enabled monitoring and data-driven decision-making.