Engineering Shift Team Leader

First Base Employment; Tewkesbury; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive rate

Call-out benefits

Permanent employment

30 days holiday

Company pension

Health cashback

Discounted products

Supportive team

Job summary

First Base Employment seeks an Engineering Shift Team Leader for a busy FMCG site in Tewkesbury. This hands-on leadership role supports a team of Engineers, ensuring smooth production and distribution operations on a two-week rotating shift pattern.

You will combine strong electrical fault-finding with practical engineering know-how and people-management skills. The role requires supervising, mentoring, and coordinating maintenance while adapting priorities to meet operational demands.

Qualifications

• Minimum electrical-based apprenticeship qualification.
• Strong electrical fault-finding and diagnostic skills.
• Experience working with high-speed machinery within FMCG or similar production environment.

Responsibilities

• Support the Engineering Manager and Engineering Leads in delivering departmental objectives.
• Provide on-the-floor leadership and technical support to the Engineering team.
• Supervise, train and mentor Engineers, ensuring individual skills are used effectively.
• Coordinate and deliver planned preventative maintenance schedules.
• Lead fault-finding and breakdown resolution involving high-speed automated machinery.
• Repair, maintain and test electrical and mechanical plant equipment.
• Allocate work effectively and adapt priorities in response to operational requirements.
• Assist with departmental paperwork, maintenance records and compliance requirements.
• Mentor engineering apprentices where appropriate.
• Deputise for the Engineering Manager when required.
• Provide engineering cover during absence or periods of increased operational demand.
• Participate in the equipment breakdown call-out rota.
• Ensure all work is completed safely and to a consistently high standard.

Skills

Electrical fault-finding

High-speed machinery

People management

Electrical diagnostics

Shift leadership

Education

Electrical apprenticeship

Job description

Engineering Shift Team Leader

Location: Tewkesbury
Hours: 37.5 contracted hours per week, working a two-week rotating shift pattern
Salary: £22.26 per hour, plus overtime at 1.25 times the hourly rate for hours worked above 40 per week
Contract: Permanent

Shift Pattern

• Week 1: Monday to Saturday, 06:00-13:45 (six shifts)
• Week 2: Monday to Friday, 13:45-21:45 (five shifts)
• Participation in an equipment breakdown call-out rota, approximately one week in six
• £100 retainer for each week on call
• £50 one-off payment for each call-out
• Hourly rate paid once clocked in

Job Overview

Our client, a well-established FMCG manufacturing business, is seeking an experienced Engineering Shift Team Leader to join its Engineering Department.

This is a hands-on leadership position providing day-to-day support to a team of Engineers while helping to ensure the smooth running of production and distribution operations across a busy site. The successful candidate will combine strong electrical fault-finding abilities with practical engineering experience and confident people-management skills.

Key Responsibilities of an Engineering Shift Team Leader

• Support the Engineering Manager and Engineering Leads in delivering departmental objectives
• Provide on-the-floor leadership and technical support to the Engineering team
• Supervise, train and mentor Engineers, ensuring individual skills are used effectively
• Coordinate and deliver planned preventative maintenance schedules
• Lead fault-finding and breakdown resolution involving high-speed automated machinery
• Repair, maintain and test electrical and mechanical plant equipment
• Allocate work effectively and adapt priorities in response to operational requirements
• Assist with departmental paperwork, maintenance records and compliance requirements
• Mentor engineering apprentices where appropriate
• Deputise for the Engineering Manager when required
• Provide engineering cover during absence or periods of increased operational demand
• Participate in the equipment breakdown call-out rota
• Ensure all work is completed safely and to a consistently high standard

Key Skills of an Engineering Shift Team Leader

Essential

• Minimum electrical-based apprenticeship qualification
• Strong electrical fault-finding and diagnostic skills
• Experience working with high-speed machinery within an FMCG or similar production environment
• Previous experience working with automated machinery
• Supervisory, team-leading or people-management experience
• Practical experience repairing and maintaining electrical and mechanical plant equipment
• Able to supervise, train and mentor Engineers effectively
• Self-motivated and able to respond to changing priorities
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills
• Flexible approach to working hours, shifts and operational deadlines
• Willingness to participate in the call-out rota

Desirable

• Previous experience within food, beverage, dairy or high-volume manufacturing
• Experience coordinating planned preventative maintenance schedules
• Experience mentoring apprentices or junior Engineers
• Previous experience deputising for an Engineering Manager or senior engineering leader

Benefits

• Competitive hourly rate with overtime opportunities
• Call-out retainer and additional call-out payments
• Permanent employment with opportunities for development
• 30 days' holiday, increasing with length of service
• Company pension scheme
• Health and wellbeing cashback through Simplyhealth
• Discounted company products
• Supportive and experienced Engineering team