Freshwater Engineering Manager

HIJOBS; Oban; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Scottish Sea Farms seeks an experienced Freshwater Engineering Manager to lead engineering operations across Barcaldine, Girlsta and Knock. This leadership role focuses on ensuring safe, reliable facilities and efficient asset performance to support salmon production.

You will develop and lead multi-site engineering teams, oversee maintenance programmes and budgets, and drive improvements in energy efficiency and operational performance while maintaining fish welfare and biosecurity standards.

Qualifications

• Recognised engineering qualification or equivalent technical experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing engineering or maintenance teams.
• Strong understanding of maintenance, asset reliability and operational risk.
• Experience managing budgets, contractors and engineering resources.
• Sound knowledge of health and safety requirements and safe systems of work.
• Excellent communication, organisational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to balance longer-term priorities with continuous operational demands.

Responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop engineering teams across multiple freshwater facilities.
• Ensure the reliability and availability of critical engineering systems and infrastructure.
• Develop and deliver preventative maintenance and asset management programmes.
• Drive continuous improvement in equipment reliability, energy efficiency and operational performance.
• Manage engineering budgets, contractors and resources.
• Lead and support engineering development and capital improvement projects.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental and statutory requirements.
• Collaborate with production and operational teams to support fish welfare, biosecurity and continuity.
• Designated Reservoir Manager and maintenance of Dam.
• Maintain effective emergency response and out-of-hours engineering support arrangements.
• Develop team capability through training, performance management and succession planning.

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance planning

Budget management

Asset reliability

HSE compliance

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Engineering qualification or equivalent

Job description

Scottish Sea Farms is seeking an experienced and motivated Freshwater Engineering Manager to lead engineering operations across our freshwater facilities at Barcaldine, Girlsta and Knock

Location: Barcaldine Argyll, with travel to Mull/Shetland

Salary and benefits: Competitive Salary

This is an opportunity for an engineering professional who combines strong technical expertise with proven leadership capabilities and a commitment to operational excellence.

Our freshwater facilities play a critical role in salmon production, and the reliability of our engineering infrastructure is essential to maintaining fish welfare, production performance and business continuity.

The opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Freshwater, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to our multi‑site engineering function, ensuring facilities, equipment and infrastructure operate safely, reliably and efficiently. You will develop engineering teams, improve asset performance, oversee maintenance programmes and budgets, and support engineering projects.

This is primarily a leadership position, but you will also be technically capable, practical and willing to provide hands‑on engineering support when operational demands or resource constraints require it.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, motivate and develop engineering teams across multiple freshwater facilities.
• Ensure the reliability and availability of critical engineering systems and infrastructure.
• Develop and deliver preventative maintenance and asset management programmes.
• Drive continuous improvement in equipment reliability, energy efficiency and operational performance.
• Manage engineering budgets, contractors and resources.
• Lead and support engineering development and capital improvement projects.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental and statutory requirements.
• Collaborate with production and operational teams to support fish welfare, biosecurity and continuity.
• Designated Reservoir Manager and maintenance of Dam.
• Maintain effective emergency response and out‑of‑hours engineering support arrangements.
• Develop team capability through training, performance management and succession planning.

About you

We are looking for a confident engineering leader with a strong technical background and a practical, solutions‑focused approach.

Essential experience and skills

• A recognised engineering qualification or equivalent relevant technical experience.
• Proven experience leading and developing engineering or maintenance teams.
• Strong understanding of maintenance, asset reliability and operational risk.
• Experience managing budgets, contractors and engineering resources.
• Sound knowledge of health and safety requirements and safe systems of work.
• Excellent communication, organisational and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to balance longer‑term priorities with continuous operational demands.