Lead Reliability Engineer

Avara Foods Ltd.; Brackley; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Private medical

Life assurance

Holiday allowance

Staff discounts

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Avara Foods Brackley site is seeking a Lead Reliability Engineer to drive asset performance and long-term engineering excellence across the site. You will lead a small Reliability team and work with the Engineering Operations team to deliver reliability improvements and optimise asset lifecycle management.

You will focus on enhancing OEE, reducing downtime, and embedding proactive maintenance strategies, including predictive maintenance, while developing the team within a fast-paced FMCG

Qualifications

• HND or above in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related discipline).
• Proven experience in reliability, maintenance, or engineering leadership in an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of maintenance systems (CMMS), asset management, and performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR).
• Demonstrable leadership, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across teams.
• Experience leading engineering teams in a manufacturing setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Reliability team, ensuring effective delivery of asset performance, maintenance planning, and reliability projects.
• Act as lead for reliability and asset care, championing continuous improvement across site.
• Develop and sustain proactive maintenance strategies, including predictive and condition-based maintenance, to improve equipment availability and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Analyse performance and downtime data to identify and eliminate root causes of equipment failure.
• Collaborate with the wider Engineering team to coordinate planned maintenance, improvement activities, and engineering support during production.
• Lead cross-functional reliability reviews, ensuring effective communication between Engineering, Operations, Planning, and Technical teams.
• Manage contractor and OEM support, ensuring all work complies with site safety, technical, and legislative standards.
• Ensure all rectification actions identified on service reports are followed up and completed in a timely manner.
• Identify the training needs of the team in order to coach, train and develop the team to provide the opportunities to develop to their potential.
• Oversee asset care documentation, including PM reviews, calibration schedules, and PUWER assessments.
• Lead or support capital and improvement projects, ensuring reliability principles are built into design and implementation.

Skills

Leadership

Reliability leadership

Manufacturing engineering

CMMS proficiency

Data analytics

OEE optimization

Team coaching

Education

HND in Engineering

Engineering degree

Tools

CMMS

Job description

Who are we, and what do we do?

You may not have heard of us, but there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed our products. Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well-known restaurants.

About The Role

We own and manage our entire supply chain, from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door - meaning we have careers that cover a whole range of functions. We have major processing sites across England and an agricultural network of over 350 farms, spanning from North Yorkshire to the South Coast and Wales.

A Little About Our Brackley Site

Our advanced manufacturing site in Brackley, is one of our main processing facilities with over 700 talented people helping us to deliver high quality products to our customers and making the business a trusted leader in fresh foods. We’ve recently invested £11 million in advanced technology and colleague amenities, making it one of the most advanced food manufacturing facilities in the UK.

About The Role

This is a key leadership role, responsible for driving reliability, asset performance, and long-term engineering excellence across the site. You’ll lead a small team of Reliability Engineers and work closely with the Engineering Operations team, to deliver strategic reliability improvements and optimise asset lifecycle management. This role combines technical depth with leadership influence, ideal for someone ready to take the next step in their reliability or maintenance career. As Lead Reliability Engineer, you'll be working Monday - Friday 08:00 - 17:00.

What will you be doing as a Lead Reliability Engineer?

As the Lead Reliability Engineer, you will be accountable for developing, implementing, and sustaining the site’s reliability strategy to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reduce downtime, and enhance asset care. You’ll ensure that maintenance and reliability practices are aligned with site priorities and engineering KPIs, supporting operational excellence through data-driven decisions and proactive engineering leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Reliability team, ensuring effective delivery of asset performance, maintenance planning, and reliability projects.
• Act as lead for reliability and asset care, championing continuous improvement across site.
• Develop and sustain proactive maintenance strategies, including predictive and condition-based maintenance, to improve equipment availability and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Analyse performance and downtime data to identify and eliminate root causes of equipment failure.
• Collaborate with the wider Engineering team to coordinate planned maintenance, improvement activities, and engineering support during production.
• Lead cross-functional reliability reviews, ensuring effective communication between Engineering, Operations, Planning, and Technical teams.
• Manage contractor and OEM support, ensuring all work complies with site safety, technical, and legislative standards.
• Ensure all rectification actions identified on service reports are followed up and completed in a timely manner.
• Identify the training needs of the team in order to coach, train and develop the team to provide the opportunities to develop to their potential.
• Oversee asset care documentation, including PM reviews, calibration schedules, and PUWER assessments.
• Lead or support capital and improvement projects, ensuring reliability principles are built into design and implementation.

What You’ll Need To Be Successful

• HND or above in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related discipline).
• Proven experience in reliability, maintenance, or engineering leadership in an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of maintenance systems (CMMS), asset management, and performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR).
• Demonstrable leadership, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across teams.
• Experience leading engineering teams in a manufacturing setting.

The Benefits Of Working For Avara Foods

As a Lead Reliability Engineer, you’ll enjoy a secure, supportive, and progressive working environment where your contribution and achievements are recognised and rewarded. We Offer Comprehensive Training And Continuous Professional Development As You Build Your Long-term Career With Us. You Can Also Look Forward To Benefits Including:

• Up to £45040 per annum.
• 6% Employer matched pension contributions.
• 31 Days holiday allowance.
• Company life assurance scheme.
• Private medical cover.
• Subsidised canteen.
• Staff sales at heavily discounted prices.
• Wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including discounts with major retailers and access to health resources

We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.