Maintenance Team Leader

INNOVA SEARCH; Birkenhead; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading chemical manufacturing business in Birkenhead is seeking a Maintenance Team Leader to lead a team of technicians, ensuring safe and efficient operations while driving continuous improvement. The ideal candidate is a qualified engineer or technician with leadership experience in maintenance and a strong knowledge of safety regulations and maintenance practices.

Qualifications

• Proven leadership experience in maintenance supervision.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance practices and safety regulations.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and execute maintenance activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support a team of maintenance technicians.
• Provide technical guidance and coaching.
• Coordinate maintenance schedules.
• Ensure maintenance work is completed safely and efficiently.
• Identify and resolve maintenance deficiencies.

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance Practices

Safety Regulations

Continuous Improvement Methodologies

Education

Qualified engineer or time‑served technician

Job description

Innova Search are proudly supporting a leading chemical manufacturing business with the appointment of a Maintenance Team Leader. Our client is an organisation with a strong culture of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability, offering employees the chance to make a real impact in an industry that touches lives every day. With a strong presence in the UK and a state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing and R&D facility play a crucial role in producing high‑quality products at scale. The role will lead a team of Technicians, offering hands‑on support and guidance across all maintenance activities. The role focuses on delivering safe, high‑quality, and efficient maintenance operations, while fostering collaboration with Operations & Quality, and technical support teams. The successful candidate will drive continuous improvement initiatives and ensure the team is fully supported and trained in their daily tasks. This is an excellent opportunity for a proactive and skilled maintenance professional to lead a team in a dynamic manufacturing environment, develop technical expertise, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and support a team of maintenance technicians in daily operations.
• Provide technical guidance and coaching to ensure high‑quality maintenance work.
• Coordinate and manage maintenance schedules in collaboration with planners.
• Ensure maintenance work is completed safely, efficiently, and on schedule.
• Identify and resolve maintenance system deficiencies, escalating when necessary.
• Facilitate work order execution and ensure adequate staffing levels.
• Collaborate with contractors and external service providers to deliver safe and timely maintenance work.
• Conduct performance management and support ongoing training for the team.
• Raise and investigate deviations, including preventive maintenance failures and compliance issues.
• Analyse equipment failures related to human error and document findings.
• Monitor and report key maintenance performance metrics.
• Promote safety through team briefings, toolbox talks, and active engagement.
• Encourage use of safety reporting processes and elevate concerns appropriately.
• Work with cross‑functional teams to identify and implement equipment improvement opportunities.
• Lead controlled, compliant changes to equipment for optimisation and reliability improvements.
• Integrate maintenance technicians into project work to enhance skills and knowledge.
• Collaborate with project teams to support commissioning and qualification of new equipment.
• Build and maintain a detailed understanding of all manufacturing equipment.

Skills & Experience Required:

• Qualified engineer or time‑served technician with relevant manufacturing experience.
• Proven leadership experience in maintenance supervision.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance practices, safety regulations, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to plan, coordinate, and execute maintenance activities effectively.