Interim Engineering Maintenance Manager

Central Employment Agency (North East) Ltd.; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Immediate impact role

Lead established engineering function

Significant autonomy across site

Contract extension potential

Competitive remuneration

Job summary

Central Employment Agency (North East) Ltd. is recruiting an Interim Engineering Maintenance Manager for a 3-6 month contract in North East England.

This hands-on leadership role oversees the site engineering and maintenance functions, ensuring equipment reliability and uptime during a critical period. You will lead the engineering team, drive preventive maintenance, manage budgets and contractors, and partner with Production, Technical and Finance to meet operational targets while upholding

Qualifications

• Experienced Engineering Manager in fast-paced manufacturing, preferably food/FMCG.
• Strong leadership of engineering and maintenance teams.
• Proven track record in preventive maintenance and asset reliability.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the site engineering team with day-to-day direction.
• Drive maintenance through preventive and planned programmes.
• Ensure equipment reliability and maximum plant uptime.
• Investigate breakdowns and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Production, Technical and Finance to meet aims.
• Lead projects, installations and process improvements.
• Manage contractors, budgets and critical spares.
• Promote health, safety and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Preventive Maintenance

Root Cause Analysis

Communication

Stakeholder Management

Problem-Solving

Safety

Lean Manufacturing

Job description

Interim Engineering Maintenance Manager (3-6 Month Contract)

Location: North East England
Contract: Interim, 3-6 Months
Salary/Rate: Competitive Day Rate / Fixed-Term Salary (DOE)
Start Date: Immediate / Short Notice Preferred

A well-established food manufacturing business in the North East is seeking an experienced Interim Engineering Maintenance Manager to provide leadership and operational support during a key period of business activity.

This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for overseeing all engineering and maintenance functions across the site, ensuring equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives are delivered effectively.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage and develop the site engineering team, providing day-to-day direction, support and coaching.
• Drive maintenance performance through the effective implementation of preventative and planned maintenance programmes.
• Ensure maximum equipment reliability and plant uptime across production operations.
• Investigate engineering breakdowns, identify root causes and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Work closely with Production, Technical and Finance teams to support operational objectives.
• Lead engineering projects, including equipment installations, upgrades and process improvements.
• Manage engineering contractors and suppliers, ensuring performance, compliance and cost control.
• Monitor departmental budgets, engineering spend and critical spare parts management.
• Promote a strong culture of health, safety and continuous improvement across the site.
• Participate as a key member of the senior management team, contributing to site performance and strategic decision-making.
• Provide support during emergency situations and out-of-hours incidents when required.

About You

The successful candidate will be an experienced Engineering Manager with a proven track record within a fast-paced manufacturing environment, ideally food, FMCG, processing or related sectors.

You will demonstrate:

• Strong engineering and maintenance leadership experience.
• Excellent knowledge of preventative maintenance and asset reliability programmes.
• Experience managing engineering budgets, contractors and capital projects.
• Continuous improvement and lean manufacturing knowledge.
• Strong root cause analysis and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to lead teams, drive performance and deliver results in a demanding manufacturing environment.
• A proactive, hands-on approach with a focus on safety, quality and operational excellence.

What's On Offer?

• Immediate impact role with a respected manufacturing business.
• Opportunity to lead an established engineering function.
• Significant autonomy and influence across site operations.
• Competitive remuneration package.
• Potential for contract extension depending on business requirements.