Maintenance Engineer

Hexcel Corporation; Leicester Forest East; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Hexcel is seeking a Maintenance Engineer for our Leicester site to own and drive the Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme, maximise equipment reliability and support the pilot plant environment. You will lead maintenance strategies, sustain operations, and collaborate with the R&D team to enable innovative material development.

Join a team focused on safety, continuous improvement and high standards, with opportunities to influence reliability and productivity across a cutting-edge

Qualifications

• Proven experience as Maintenance Engineer, Reliability Engineer, or similar role.
• Mechanical or electrical or multi–skilled engineering with strong fault-finding ability.
• Experience managing Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) systems and planning activities.
• Solid understanding of health and safety regulations and engineering best practices.
• Experience coordinating contractors, suppliers and external service providers.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme to maximise equipment reliability and performance.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve maintenance schedules and strategies across the pilot plant.
• Provide hands-on technical support for breakdowns, diagnosing faults and coordinating effective repairs to minimise downtime.
• Ensure maintenance activities comply with procedures, engineering best practice, safety requirements and legislation.
• Collaborate with R&D and operations to schedule maintenance with minimal disruption.
• Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions to improve equipment reliability.
• Manage external contractors and service providers with safe working practices and delivery to standards.
• Control spare parts and maintenance inventory to mitigate risk and ensure availability.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records and documentation to support compliance and continuous improvement.
• Champion a strong safety culture with proper isolation procedures and contractor compliance.

Skills

Maintenance engineering

Fault finding

PPM management

Health & safety

Contractor coordination

Education

HNC/HND in Mechanical or Electrical

Engineering apprenticeship

Job description

At Hexcel, our maintenance engineers do far more than keep equipment running. They play a pivotal role in enabling the innovation that powers some of the world's most advanced aerospace and industrial technologies. This is an opportunity to take ownership of a diverse pilot plant environment, working at the intersection of engineering excellence and research and development.

As a Maintenance Engineer at our Leicester site, you will enjoy:

• Autonomy and Ownership: Supporting the site's maintenance strategy, driving reliability, performance, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• A Unique Engineering Environment: Working with cutting-edge pilot plant equipment that underpins the development of next-generation composite materials and manufacturing technologies.
• Visible Impact: Collaborating with our R&D team where your maintenance expertise will impact site productivity and innovation.

With our strong investment in research and development and our culture of continuous improvement, Hexcel is the industry leader in the manufacturing of advanced lightweight composite materials, including carbon fibre, woven reinforcements, resins, prepregs, honeycombs, engineered core and composite structures. We invite you to join the Hexcel team at our Leicester site and become part of the "strength within."

Key Responsibilities

• Own and manage the Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme to maximise equipment reliability, availability, and operational performance.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve maintenance schedules and maintenance strategies across the pilot plant.
• Provide hands-on technical support for equipment breakdowns, diagnosing faults and coordinating effective repairs to minimise downtime.
• Ensure maintenance activities comply with company procedures, engineering best practice, safety requirements, and relevant legislation.
• Collaborate with the R&D Technical Manager and operational teams to schedule maintenance activities with minimal disruption.
• Lead root cause investigations and implement corrective actions to improve equipment reliability and maintenance effectiveness.
• Manage external contractors and service providers, ensuring safe working practices and delivery to agreed standards.
• Control spare parts and maintenance inventory, mitigating risk and ensuring critical parts availability.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, reports, and documentation to support compliance and continuous improvement.
• Champion a strong safety culture, ensuring safe isolation procedures, contractor compliance, and adherence to site safety standards.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in a Maintenance Engineer, Reliability Engineer, or similar engineering role within manufacturing, process, industrial, R&D, or engineering environments.
• Mechanical, electrical, or multi-skilled engineering expertise with strong technical fault-finding and diagnostic capability.
• Experience managing Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) systems and maintenance planning activities.
• Strong understanding of health and safety regulations and engineering best practices within an industrial environment.
• Experience coordinating contractors, suppliers, and external service providers.
• Demonstrated ability to investigate equipment issues, identify root causes, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Strong organisational and planning skills with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Proactive, hands-on approach with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• HNC/HND (or equivalent) in Mechanical, Electrical, or a related Engineering discipline. Knowledge of PUWER, LOLER, and HSE regulations is desirable, alongside an engineering apprenticeship background.

Why Join Hexcel?

This is more than a maintenance role. It is an opportunity to become the engineering owner of a critical pilot plant environment, influencing how reliability and safety are delivered. You'll work alongside talented technical R&D specialists, contribute directly to innovative product development activities, and help ensure the equipment and infrastructure supporting Hexcel's future remains at the highest standard.