Maintenance Manager

MorePeople; Leicester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

MorePeople is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager for a modern, highly automated food manufacturing site in Leicester. You will own the engineering function, lead a skilled team, and drive reliability, maintenance strategies and continuous improvement across the site.

The role requires a strong mechanical and electrical background, hands-on experience with automated machinery, and a proven ability to develop engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading an engineering or maintenance function.
• Strong mechanical and electrical engineering understanding.
• Experience developing and managing engineering teams.
• Background in preventative maintenance and reliability improvement.
• Experience with automated production machinery.
• Ability to lead projects and influence engineering strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop and motivate the engineering team.
• Develop and implement the site's engineering strategy.
• Drive preventative and planned maintenance.
• Improve equipment reliability, availability and OEE.
• Develop a proactive engineering culture.
• Lead engineering projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Work closely with production and operational leadership.
• Develop engineering standards and maintenance systems.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation and manufacturing efficiency.
• Support the business as it expands manufacturing capacity.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Maintenance management

Mechanical & electrical engineering

Preventive maintenance

Reliability improvement

Automation experience

Project leadership

Team development

Manufacturing experience

Job description

Maintenance Manager
Food Manufacturing | Leicester / Leicestershire

Some engineering environments genuinely stand out from the crowd. This is one of them.

I've spent time walking around the existing manufacturing operation this week, and the word I've probably used more than any other is WOW.

The level of automation, investment in machinery and overall approach to manufacturing is unlike anything I've personally experienced in food manufacturing.

Now, imagine having the opportunity to take ownership of the engineering function at a relatively new, highly automated manufacturing facility, within a business experiencing exceptional growth.

That's exactly what we're looking for.

The opportunity

We're working with a rapidly growing food manufacturing business that is continuing to invest heavily in its future.

The business has recently expanded its manufacturing footprint, with a fourth site planned as part of its ongoing growth strategy.

We're looking for an experienced Maintenance Manager to take ownership of the engineering function at one of its newer manufacturing facilities, approximately two years old.

This is an opportunity to develop an established engineering operation, build on the existing foundations and help take the site through its next stage of growth.

The engineering environment

Having seen the operation first‑hand, there are a few things that genuinely impressed me.

Automation: The level of automation across the manufacturing sites is exceptional. Production lines have been designed with significant equipment redundancy, creating a much more resilient manufacturing operation.

Operator‑led manufacturing: Operators have an excellent understanding of their machinery and actively contribute to maintaining equipment standards. There's a real culture of ownership throughout the operation.

A proactive engineering function: Engineers aren't constantly firefighting. They have the opportunity to concentrate on breakdown analysis, preventative maintenance, projects and improving equipment reliability.

A genuinely impressive working environment: The factory is busy and operating at capacity, but there's a calmness to the operation. It's a well‑organised manufacturing environment without the constant chaos often associated with food production.

What will you be responsible for?

As Maintenance Manager, you'll take ownership of the site's engineering function, leading the team and driving engineering performance.

This will include:

• Leading, developing and motivating the engineering team.
• Developing and implementing the site's engineering strategy.
• Driving preventative and planned maintenance.
• Improving equipment reliability, availability and OEE.
• Developing a proactive engineering culture.
• Leading engineering projects and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Working closely with production and operational leadership.
• Developing engineering standards and maintenance systems.
• Identifying opportunities to improve automation and manufacturing efficiency.
• Supporting the business as it continues to expand its manufacturing capacity.

Who are we looking for?

We're interested in an experienced Engineering Manager, Maintenance Manager or senior engineering professional who has worked within a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

Ideally, you'll have:

• Experience leading an engineering or maintenance function.
• A strong mechanical and electrical engineering understanding.
• Experience developing and managing engineering teams.
• A background in preventative maintenance and reliability improvement.
• Experience with automated production machinery.
• The ability to lead projects and influence engineering strategy.A proactive approach to developing people and improving manufacturing performance.

Food manufacturing or FMCG experience would be advantageous, although we're open to strong engineering leaders from other automated manufacturing environments.

Why consider this opportunity?

Because it's not every day you get the chance to join a business at this stage of its growth.

The company has experienced significant growth, invested heavily in its manufacturing infrastructure and continues to expand its production capacity.

You'll be joining an impressive, relatively new manufacturing facility with the opportunity to take real ownership of its engineering operation, develop the team and influence how the site performs moving forward.

Take ownership. Develop the team. Drive reliability. Shape the next stage of growth.

If you're an ambitious engineering leader who wants more than simply managing day‑to‑day maintenance, this could be a genuinely exciting next step in your career.