Maintenance Manager

The Sterling Choice; England; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ownership of engineering function

Investing in people and equipment

Lead improvement initiatives

Varied leadership role

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to own the engineering function at a busy Leicestershire site within the FMCG/food manufacturing sector. You will balance daily maintenance with long-term improvements, lead a growing team and drive capital projects and reliability initiatives.

You will oversee preventative maintenance, scheduling, data analysis and performance reporting while upholding strict health, safety and quality standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in a Maintenance Manager or similar engineering leadership role within FMCG or food manufacturing.
• A Level 3 engineering qualification or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical and electrical systems, including PLCs, HMIs, robotics and drives.
• Experience managing teams and performance.
• Experience with PPM, CMMS, maintenance planning and reliability improvement.
• Proactive problem-solving, continuous improvement and project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Leading the engineering function, balancing day-to-day maintenance with longer-term improvements, team development and capital investment.
• Overseeing planned preventive maintenance, breakdown response and maintenance scheduling to maximise equipment availability and reduce downtime.
• Analyzing performance data, identifying recurring issues and driving continuous improvement across the site.
• Promoting high standards of health and safety, food safety and compliance, ensuring the site remains audit-ready.
• Managing the engineering budget, controlling spend and supporting delivery of capital projects on time and within budget.
• Making effective use of CMMS, PPM schedules, work orders, spare parts management and external service contractors.
• Monitoring downtime, OEE, maintenance KPIs and costs to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Supporting training, skills development and performance management to build a capable engineering team.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Maintenance management

PPM/CMMS

Budget management

Data analysis

Safety compliance

Project delivery

FMCG/food manufacturing

Education

Level 3 engineering qualification or equivalent

Tools

PLCs

HMIs

Robotics

Drive systems

Job description

Maintenance Manager

Leicestershire | Food Manufacturing | Engineering Leadership

We’re looking for an experienced Maintenance Manager to take ownership of engineering at a busy, fast-paced manufacturing site.

This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys leading from the front, developing engineering teams and improving plant reliability. With significant investment planned across the business, you'll have the chance to make a real impact on maintenance performance, equipment reliability and future projects.

The Role

You’ll lead the engineering function, balancing day-to-day maintenance with longer-term improvements, team development and capital investment.

• Engineering Leadership: Managing, developing and motivating the engineering team, setting clear expectations and building a strong performance culture.


• Maintenance Strategy: Overseeing planned preventative maintenance, breakdown response and maintenance scheduling to maximise equipment availability and reduce downtime.


• Plant Reliability: Analysing performance data, identifying recurring issues and driving continuous improvement across the site.


• Health & Safety: Promoting high standards of engineering safety, food safety and compliance, ensuring the site remains audit-ready.


• Budget & Investment: Managing the engineering budget, controlling spend and supporting the delivery of capital projects on time and within budget.


• Planning & Systems: Making effective use of the CMMS, PPM schedules, work orders, spare parts management and external service contractors.


• Performance Reporting: Monitoring downtime, OEE, maintenance KPIs and costs to identify opportunities for improvement.


• People Development: Supporting training, skills development and performance management to build a capable, effective engineering team.

About You

We’re looking for someone who can combine strong technical knowledge with the ability to lead people, improve processes and deliver results.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience in a Maintenance Manager or similar engineering leadership role within FMCG or food manufacturing.


• A minimum Level 3 engineering qualification or equivalent practical experience.


• A good understanding of mechanical and electrical systems, including PLCs, HMIs, robotics and drives.


• Strong people management skills, with experience developing teams and managing performance.


• Experience with PPM, CMMS systems, maintenance planning and reliability improvement.


• A proactive approach to problem-solving, continuous improvement and project delivery.


• The ability to interpret engineering data, report on performance and manage budgets effectively.


• A good understanding of health and safety, quality and food safety requirements.

What’s on Offer?

• The opportunity to take ownership of a key engineering function.


• A business investing in its people, equipment and manufacturing capabilities.


• The chance to lead improvement initiatives and influence future site performance.


• A varied leadership role combining team management, reliability and capital projects.


• A supportive environment where attitude, accountability and continuous improvement matter.

If you’re an engineering leader who wants to improve reliability, develop people and help drive a manufacturing site forward, we'd love to hear from you.