Engineering Team Leader

The Sterling Choice; Gestingthorpe; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is seeking an experienced Engineering Team Leader for a busy Colchester manufacturing site to manage a small team of engineers and lead day-to-day engineering operations.

This hands-on role keeps the site running safely and efficiently while allowing you to contribute technically on the shop floor and support continuous improvement.

You'll work closely with Production and Site Management to prioritise work, develop your team and drive reliability.

Qualifications

• Strong multi-skilled engineering experience with a good electrical bias.
• Solid understanding of maintenance practices and Health & Safety.
• Problem-solving skills and the confidence to make decisions under pressure.
• Experience managing or leading a small engineering team.
• Hands-on approach and the ability to work well with Production and other departments.

Responsibilities

• Oversee planned and preventative maintenance and coordinate reactive work.
• Provide hands-on technical support to diagnose faults and reduce downtime.
• Ensure safety standards and high-quality engineering practices on site.
• Support development of engineers and manage contractor relationships.
• Collaborate with Production, Technical and Site Management on projects.

Skills

Multiskilled engineering

Electrical bias

Team leadership

Job description

Monday to Friday | Days | No Weekends or Bank Holidays

We're looking for an experienced Engineering Team Leader to join a busy manufacturing site in Colchester, where you'll manage a small team of engineers and take the lead on the day-to-day engineering operation.

This is a genuinely hands‑on leadership role. You'll be responsible for keeping the site running safely and efficiently, while also being involved in the technical side of the job. It's ideal for someone who enjoys being visible on the shop floor, supporting their team and getting stuck into problems rather than managing from behind a desk.

The Role

Your day-to-day role will be varied. You'll start by reviewing the priorities for the day, making sure the engineering team is focused on the right jobs and working closely with Production to understand any issues or upcoming requirements.

You'll oversee planned and preventative maintenance, coordinate reactive work and provide hands‑on technical support when problems arise. With a strong electrical element to the role, you'll be expected to use your experience to troubleshoot faults, find practical solutions and help reduce downtime.

You'll also take responsibility for making sure the engineering team works safely and to a high standard, while supporting the development of your engineers and creating a positive, collaborative team environment.

There will be plenty of opportunity to get involved in continuous improvement, looking at how equipment and processes can be made more reliable and efficient. You'll also manage contractors and suppliers, support site projects and have responsibility for areas including building maintenance, fabrication and the steam boiler system.

You'll work closely with Production, Technical and Site Management, so good communication and the ability to build strong working relationships will be important.

What we're looking for

We're looking for someone who is technically strong, practical and confident leading people.

You'll ideally have:

• Strong multi-skilled engineering experience with a good electrical bias
• A solid understanding of maintenance practices and Health & Safety
• Good problem-solving skills and the confidence to make decisions under pressure
• Experience managing or leading a small engineering team
• A hands‑on approach and the ability to work well with Production and other departments
• Experience with 18th Edition, BOAS, TIG welding/fabrication or engineering audits would be an advantage.

The Package & Working Pattern

• Monday to Friday
• Day-based hours
• No weekends
• No bank holidays
• Leadership of a small, friendly engineering team
• A hands‑on role with genuine responsibility and scope to make improvements