Head of Engineering

Mackie's of Scotland; Rothienorman; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Mackie’s of Scotland is seeking a hands-on, strategic Head of Engineering to lead engineering operations across its Westertown and Kintore sites, driving reliability, continuous improvement, automation and long-term growth.

Reporting to the Managing Director, you will build high-performing teams on the factory floor, shape the CAPEX roadmap and deliver major investment projects, ensuring safety, uptime and world-class manufacturing standards.

Qualifications

• Engineering leadership experience in FMCG/food/high-volume manufacturing.
• Proven track record leading high-performing engineering teams.
• Strong maintenance, reliability and asset-performance expertise.
• Experience delivering major CAPEX, automation and site-improvement projects.
• Experience with Lean, TPM or RCA for continuous improvement.
• Broad knowledge across mechanical, electrical and automated systems.
• Ability to influence at senior leadership level and translate engineering priorities to business outcomes.
• Strong health, safety, quality and regulatory understanding in manufacturing.
• Sound commercial acumen: budget management, resource planning, contractor oversight.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management from shop floor to boardroom.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the engineering function across multiple manufacturing sites, creating a high-performing, safety-focused engineering team.
• Drive engineering excellence and asset reliability, ensuring maximum uptime, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Shape and deliver the long-term engineering strategy, aligning maintenance, investment and operational priorities with business goals.
• Lead major CAPEX and site improvement projects, including automation, equipment upgrades and factory modernisation initiatives.
• Partner with senior leadership and operations teams to support business growth, improve performance and deliver world-class manufacturing standards.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Team development

Maintenance & reliability

CAPEX project delivery

Automation

Lean TPM RCA

Mechanical, electrical systems

Senior stakeholder engagement

Budget & resource planning

Regulatory & HSE awareness

Job description

Mackie's of Scotland is looking for a hands-on, strategic Head of Engineering to lead engineering operations across its Westertown and Kintore sites. This is a rare opportunity to join one of Scotland's most iconic food manufacturing businesses and play a key role in driving reliability, continuous improvement, automation and long-term growth.

Mackie's of Scotland is a fifth-generation family business that has grown from its origins as a dairy farm in 1912 at Westertown Farm in Aberdeenshire into one of Scotland's best known food brands. The company produces all its ice cream and chocolate on the farm using fresh milk from its own herd, which has helped establish its traditional ice cream as Scotland's favourite.

Sustainability is central to the way Mackie's operates. The farm generates more than twice the energy it consumes through a combination of wind turbines, solar power and biomass heating systems. This approach supports the company's ambition to become the greenest food manufacturer in Britain.

Reporting directly to the Managing Director, you'll lead the engineering function, combining practical technical expertise with strategic leadership. From tackling complex breakdowns and improving asset performance, to developing a long-term CAPEX roadmap and delivering major investment projects, you'll have a significant influence on the future direction of the business.

We're looking for a leader who enjoys being visible on the factory floor, developing high-performing teams and collaborating across operations to deliver safe, reliable and efficient production.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop the engineering function across multiple manufacturing sites, creating a high-performing, safety-focused engineering team.
• Drive engineering excellence and asset reliability, ensuring maximum uptime, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
• Shape and deliver the long-term engineering strategy, aligning maintenance, investment and operational priorities with business goals.
• Lead major CAPEX and site improvement projects, including automation, equipment upgrades and factory modernisation initiatives.
• Partner with senior leadership and operations teams to support business growth, improve performance and deliver world-class manufacturing standards.

Experience Required:

• Engineering leadership experience within FMCG, food, beverage or high-volume manufacturing environments.
• A proven track record of building, developing and leading high-performing engineering teams.
• Strong expertise in maintenance, reliability and asset performance management.
• Experience delivering major CAPEX programmes, automation projects and site improvement initiatives.
• A track record of driving operational excellence through Lean, TPM, RCA or similar continuous improvement methodologies.
• Broad technical knowledge across mechanical, electrical and automated production systems.
• The ability to influence and contribute at senior leadership level, translating engineering priorities into business outcomes.
• Strong understanding of health & safety, quality and regulatory requirements within a manufacturing environment.
• Sound commercial acumen, including budget management, resource planning and contractor oversight.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage teams from the shop floor to the boardroom.