Focused Improvement Technician (Corrugator)

DS Smith Europe; Burscough; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sick pay scheme

Pension scheme

Life insurance

Share Save scheme

Income Protection

25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays

Employee Assistance Programme

Virtual GP

Cycle to Work

Job summary

DS Smith in Burscough is seeking a Focus Improvement Technician to improve reliability, performance and efficiency of high-speed corrugating assets. You will work in the Corrugator area maintaining and improving lines, starch systems, steam and boiler systems, and collaborate with Production and Maintenance teams.

The role offers a competitive salary of £57,500 and a 40-hour week Mon-Fri, with up to 20 night/weekend shift cover annually.

Qualifications

• Recognised engineering qualification such as an apprenticeship, NVQ Level 3/4 or equivalent in Mechanical, Electrical or Maintenance Engineering.
• Experience maintaining high-speed, heavy industrial machinery, ideally within corrugating, paper, packaging or continuous-process manufacturing environments.
• Strong mechanical engineering skills with experience of hydraulics, pneumatics, steam, and precision alignment.
• Able to read mechanical drawings and electrical/wiring diagrams.
• Experience diagnosing faults and root-cause analysis.
• Experience with PLCs, sensors, drives and automated control systems.
• Understanding predictive maintenance techniques such as vibration analysis, thermal imaging and ultrasonic testing.
• Experience using a CMMS (SAP/Maximo or similar) to manage work orders.
• Safety, quality and continuous improvement focus; able to collaborate with Maintenance and Production teams.

Responsibilities

• Deliver planned, preventative and corrective maintenance across your designated production area.
• Act as technical SME for assigned equipment and assets.
• Diagnose and resolve faults in mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and steam systems.
• Support reliable operation of high-speed corrugating equipment and related systems.
• Carry out precision alignment, calibration and installation of heavy machinery and rolls.
• Maintain and troubleshoot starch systems, pumping, piping and adhesive application systems.
• Test and troubleshoot PLCs, sensors, drives and automated control systems.
• Identify and eliminate chronic equipment losses and recurring failures.
• Use root-cause analysis to implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Carry out predictive maintenance including vibration, thermal imaging and ultrasonic testing.
• Review and improve maintenance routines to boost asset reliability.
• Collaborate with Production to minimise disruption and build strong relationships.
• Record maintenance activity and actions in the CMMS.
• Support site-wide Maintenance Excellence and continuous improvement projects.

Skills

Maintenance

PLC systems

CMMS

Root-cause analysis

Vibration analysis

Thermal imaging

Ultrasonic testing

Hydraulics

Mechanical alignment

Automation

Education

Engineering apprenticeship/NVQ 3/4

Tools

SAP

Maximo

Job description

Focus Improvement Technician – Corrugator

Burscough

£57,500

Monday - Friday (40 hours per week)

As a Focus Improvement Technician, you will play a key role in improving the reliability, performance and efficiency of our production assets. Working within a designated production area, you will use your technical expertise and problem-solving skills to identify recurring issues, reduce downtime and deliver sustainable improvements.

For the Corrugator area, you will be responsible for maintaining and improving high-speed corrugating lines, starch systems and associated equipment, including steam and boiler systems. You will work closely with Production and Maintenance teams to ensure maximum equipment uptime, minimise waste and maintain consistently high-quality output.

The salary package includes compensation for undertaking up to 20 night and weekend holiday cover shifts annually. Any holiday cover hours worked in excess of the employee's standard weekly contracted hours will be paid at the applicable overtime rate.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Delivering planned, preventative and corrective maintenance across your designated production area.
• Acting as the technical subject matter expert for your assigned equipment and assets.
• Diagnosing and resolving mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and steam-system faults quickly and effectively.
• Supporting the reliable operation of high-speed corrugating equipment and associated systems.
• Carrying out precision alignment, calibration and installation of heavy machinery and corrugating rolls.
• Maintaining and troubleshooting starch preparation, pumping, piping and adhesive application systems.
• Testing and troubleshooting PLCs, sensors, drives and automated control systems.
• Supporting the identification and elimination of chronic equipment losses and recurring failures.
• Using root-cause analysis to identify underlying issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Carrying out predictive maintenance activities, including vibration analysis, thermal imaging and ultrasonic testing.
• Reviewing and improving maintenance routines to increase asset reliability and performance.
• Working closely with Production colleagues to build strong working relationships and minimise disruption to production.
• Accurately recording maintenance activity, findings and corrective actions within the CMMS.
• Supporting Maintenance Excellence, reliability and continuous improvement projects across the site.
• Ensuring all maintenance activities are completed safely and in line with site procedures and relevant engineering standards.

Person Specification

We are looking for a technically skilled and proactive maintenance professional who enjoys solving complex engineering problems and improving the reliability of industrial equipment.

You will ideally have:

• A recognised engineering qualification such as an apprenticeship, NVQ Level 3/4 or equivalent in Mechanical, Electrical or Maintenance Engineering.
• Experience maintaining high-speed, heavy industrial machinery, ideally within corrugating, paper, packaging or continuous-process manufacturing environments.
• Strong mechanical engineering skills, with experience of hydraulics, pneumatics, steam systems and precision mechanical alignment.
• The ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, fluid power schematics and electrical wiring diagrams.
• Experience diagnosing equipment faults and carrying out effective root-cause analysis.
• Experience working with industrial PLCs, sensors, drives and automated control systems.
• An understanding of predictive maintenance techniques such as vibration analysis, thermal imaging and ultrasonic testing.
• Experience using a CMMS to manage and close maintenance work orders, ideally SAP, Maximo or a similar system.
• A strong focus on safety, quality and continuous improvement.
• The ability to work effectively with both Maintenance and Production teams.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, with the confidence to challenge recurring issues and identify better ways of working.
• The ability to work safely around high-temperature equipment, steam systems and heavy industrial machinery.

Experience or training with corrugator OEMs such as BHS Corrugated, Fosber or Mitsubishi would be advantageous, as would experience with Siemens or Rockwell/Allen-Bradley PLC systems.

This is an opportunity to use your engineering expertise not only to keep equipment running, but to make lasting improvements that increase reliability, reduce downtime and improve overall production performance.

What we can offer you:

• Competitive salary
• Qualifying Sick Pay scheme
• Pension scheme & Life insurance
• Share Save scheme
• Income Protection
• 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Virtual GP, Occupational Health & free Flu vaccine
• Cycle to Work and shopping discounts

We are DS Smith, together with International Paper, we are a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions and other fibre-based products.We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. We employ more than 65,000 colleagues in North America and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), who are experts in innovation,manufacturing, design, sales, sustainability, supply chain, and much more. Together with our customers, we make the world safer and more productive, one sustainable packaging solution at a time. Become part of a world-leading organisation and do your best work with us!

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.”

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