Engineering Team Leader

The Sterling Choice; Winsford; On-site; GBP 34,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

3 on 3 off shift pattern

Days shift

Leadership development

Project involvement

Autonomy to improve site

Job summary

The Sterling Choice are recruiting an Engineering Shift Leader for a busy food production site. You will lead a team of 3-4 engineers, balancing production support with maintenance, improvements and project work.

You'll spend ~25% on the shop floor and the rest on leadership, planning and managing activities, using CMMS to plan maintenance and drive reliability. This role offers days-only shifts, a 3 on/3 off pattern, and development opportunities within the business.

Qualifications

• Experience leading an engineering team in a food manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of managing breakdowns, planned maintenance and improvements.
• Hands-on leadership style with trust-building and motivation.
• Experience with automated production equipment is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 3-4 engineers, balancing production support with maintenance, CI and projects.
• Manage breakdowns and production issues to minimise downtime.
• Drive preventative maintenance and improve equipment reliability.
• Lead engineering improvement projects and support site-wide initiatives.
• Ensure maintenance and processes are managed via the CMMS and maintain high site standards.
• Collaborate with production to keep operations running smoothly.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Multi-skilled engineering

CMMS experience

Team coaching

Tools

CMMS software

Job description

Engineering Shift Leader

Salary: Up to £56,000 | 3 on, 3 off | Days Only

Looking for your next step in engineering leadership?

I'm working with an established food manufacturer looking for an Engineering Shift Leader to take ownership of a team of multi-skilled engineers at a busy production site.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys developing people, improving equipment reliability and getting involved in projects, without spending their entire shift firefighting breakdowns.

The site is investing in engineering improvements, with several projects recently completed and more in the pipeline, so there's plenty of scope to make your mark.

The Role

You'll lead a team of around 3-4 multi-skilled engineers, balancing day-to-day production support with planned maintenance, continuous improvement and project work.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading, coaching and developing your engineering team, building a positive and accountable working environment.


• Managing breakdowns and production issues to minimise downtime.


• Driving preventative maintenance and improving equipment reliability.


• Leading engineering improvement projects and supporting larger site-wide initiatives.


• Ensuring engineering processes and maintenance activities are managed effectively through the CMMS.


• Maintaining high engineering, food safety and site standards.


• Working closely with production to keep operations running efficiently.

Around 25% of your time will be spent on the factory floor, with the remainder focused on leadership, planning and management.

What We're Looking For

• Experience in an engineering leadership role within food manufacturing, ideally as a Shift Leader, Shift Manager or Senior Engineer ready to take the next step.


• A good understanding of multi-skilled engineering within a production environment.


• Experience managing breakdowns, planned maintenance and engineering improvements.


• Confidence using a CMMS to organise and manage maintenance activities.


• A hands-on leadership style, with the ability to build trust, motivate engineers and get the best out of your team.


• A proactive approach to identifying problems and taking ownership of solutions.


• Experience with automated production equipment, including weighing and bagging machinery, would be beneficial. We're open to candidates from different food manufacturing backgrounds, so the specific product you work with isn't a deal-breaker.

What's On Offer?

• Salary of up to £56,000.


• Days-only shift pattern, working 3 on, 3 off, 5:45am-5:45pm.


• The opportunity to lead and develop an established engineering team.


• A good balance of leadership, technical involvement and project work.


• Autonomy to take ownership of improvements and make a genuine difference.


• Opportunities for development and progression within a wider manufacturing business.

Interested?

If you're an engineering leader who enjoys bringing people together, improving standards and making things better rather than simply reacting to problems, I'd be keen to have a conversation.