Engineering Operational Manager

Kepak Group; Merthyr Tydfil; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food manufacturing company in Merthyr Tydfil is seeking a leader for their engineering function. You'll drive operational excellence, foster a culture of collaboration and accountability, and manage a diverse team of engineers. Ideal candidates have strong leadership experience in manufacturing, excellent communication skills, and familiarity with lean methodologies. Competitive benefits package offered.

Benefits

Company Pension

Training and Development

Employee Discount Platform

Refer a Friend Scheme

Bike to Work Scheme

Subsidised Canteen

Free Car Parking

Long Service Awards

GroceryAid Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience within a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Ability to influence cultural change and drive cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong people management skills with a track record of building high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse team of engineers and support roles.
• Drive equipment uptime and reliability across production lines.
• Develop and execute a roadmap for engineering transformation.

Skills

Leadership experience within a manufacturing environment

Influencing cultural change

People management skills

Excellent communication

Familiarity with lean manufacturing

Job description

Overview

Kepak is one of Europe’s leading food companies, with manufacturing sites across Ireland and the UK. Kepak’s vision is to be a successful, sustainable, future-ready Food Business with differentiation at its core that is a great place to work. This vision is underpinned by our values of Responsibility, Ambition, Passion for Food, and teamwork.

Kepak Meat Division UK operates across 3 manufacturing sites with 2,000 employees, producing a range of quality meat and protein-based food products for retail and foodservice customers. The division focuses on providing exceptional service and value to our stakeholders

This role will be based at our Merthyr site, working Monday - Friday.

Role Purpose

To lead and transform the engineering function within a complex food manufacturing unit, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This role is pivotal in bridging engineering with production and other key functions, ensuring equipment reliability, team engagement, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People Development

• Lead a diverse team of engineers, supervisors, and support roles with a focus on coaching, mentoring, and performance development.
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and pride in engineering outcomes.
• Develop and implement structured training plans, ensuring skills are embedded and applied.
• Champion employee engagement, wellbeing, and career progression.

Operational Excellence

• Drive equipment uptime and reliability across a number of complex production lines.
• Implement equipment specialisation strategies to reduce cognitive overload and improve technical depth.
• Collaborate with CI engineers to embed lean principles and continuous improvement.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key liaison between engineering, production, quality, hygiene, food safety, and commercial teams.
• Establish cross-functional squads to own line-level performance and problem-solving.
• Facilitate regular communication forums (e.g., huddles, reviews) to align priorities and share insights.

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Develop and execute a roadmap for engineering transformation aligned with business goals.
• Embrace visual management tools to track downtime, root causes, and corrective actions.
• Lead change management initiatives across multi functions.

Key Skills & Experience

• Proven leadership experience within a manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Ability to influence cultural change and drive cross-functional collaboration.
• Strong people management skills with a track record of building high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities.
• Familiarity with lean manufacturing, TPM, or similar methodologies.

Desirable Attributes

• Empathetic and approachable leadership style.
• Strategic thinker with hands-on problem-solving capability.
• Passion for developing others and fostering a learning culture.
• Comfortable navigating employee culture and driving modernisation.

Benefits

• Company Pension
• Training and Development
• Employee Discount Platform - WrkIt offers significant discounts and cashback with hundreds of brands for all Kepak employees.
• Refer a Friend Scheme - Get up to £500 for successfully referring a friend or family member to Kepak Group.
• Bike to Work Scheme - Buy a bike and safety equipment through a salary sacrifice scheme, reducing taxable income.
• Subsidised Canteen - On-site canteen with multiple hot food options.
• Free Car Parking - On-site staff car parking facility.
• Long Service Awards - Recognition for long-serving employees.
• GroceryAid Employee Assistance Program - Emotional, practical and financial support for Kepak colleagues.