Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Engineer

Omega Plc; Appleton Thorn; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading manufacturing firm in the United Kingdom is seeking a Continuous Improvement Engineer to transform maintenance and asset care performance. This key role involves leading improvement projects, coaching teams, and applying Lean methods to optimize processes in a fast-paced environment. Candidates should have a solid engineering background, ideally with experience in manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies. The position offers excellent benefits and the chance to influence world-class maintenance systems.

Benefits

Excellent salary

Bonus

Market-leading pension

Extensive training and development

Qualifications

• Apprentice-trained Engineer (NVQ Level 3 minimum) is required.
• Experience in manufacturing or process environments is essential.
• Experience with engineering and maintenance improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing and maintenance performance improvement projects.
• Reduce downtime and improve planned maintenance effectiveness.
• Coach and support engineers and operators in continuous improvement.

Skills

Lean principles

Continuous improvement methodologies

Engineering background

Reliability engineering

Data analysis

Coaching

Education

HNC/HND or Degree in Manufacturing and Engineering

Tools

CMMS

Lean Manufacturing tools

RCA

Job description

Overview

This is a newly created Continuous Improvement Engineering role, onsite, designed to transform maintenance and asset care performance across a high-value manufacturing site and wider group. Drive performance improvements across a fast-paced factory environment. You'll lead and support continuous improvement initiatives that reduce downtime, waste, improve reliability, increase throughput, and strengthen maintenance and operational excellence performance. Working closely with engineering, maintenance, and production teams, you'll apply Lean and CI tools to improve planned downtime, reduce reactive maintenance, and embed best-practice ways of working on the shop floor. You will lead manufacturing and maintenance improvement projects that modernise engineering systems, improve asset reliability, and drive a cultural shift away from reactive maintenance toward world-class planned and predictive maintenance. You will work closely with engineering, maintenance, and operations teams to improve uptime, reduce breakdowns, and optimise planned downtime, using lean manufacturing, TPM, and reliability engineering tools. While this is not a tools-on role, it is highly hands-on from a coaching, influencing, and delivery perspective. With over £100m being invested in site assets, this role offers genuine autonomy and the opportunity to shape how maintenance excellence is delivered long-term.

Responsibilities

• Lead manufacturing and maintenance performance improvement projects, focused on reliability, availability, and asset care
• Reduce downtime, losses, and inefficiencies across production assets
• Improve planned maintenance effectiveness and asset reliability
• Use Lean tools (5S, Kaizen, RCA, TPM, OEE) to drive sustainable improvements
• Coach and support engineers and operators in CI methodologies
• Use data, KPIs, and CMMS insights to identify and prioritise improvements
• Improve planned maintenance effectiveness, reducing unplanned downtime and reactive maintenance hours
• Develop and update engineering and maintenance systems, including CMMS optimisation and standardisation
• Introduce and embed condition-based maintenance, RCA, and data-led decision-making tools
• Define equipment criticality to prioritise asset care strategies based on safety, risk, and production impact
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, FMEA, TPM, and reliability engineering techniques
• Lead and support root cause analysis on major failures and ensure corrective actions are embedded
• Continuously update maintenance plans and schedules using learnings from failures and performance data
• Deliver coaching to engineers and operators on the shop floor, building capability in CI tools and best-practice maintenance

What we're looking for - Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Engineer

• Apprentice-trained Engineer (NVQ Level 3 minimum); HNC/HND or Degree desirable within Manufacturing and Engineering
• Strong background in manufacturing or process environments
• Experience working on engineering and maintenance improvement initiatives
• Strong understanding of maintenance systems, asset care, and reliability principles
• Engineering background in a manufacturing or process environment
• Strong understanding of continuous improvement and Lean principles
• Experience working with maintenance and production teams
• Confident influencing on the shop floor
• Experience analysing maintenance data, KPIs, and equipment history
• Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, TPM, RCA, and CI tools
• Experience working with maintenance-led computerised systems
• Comfortable working autonomously in a developing, evolving function
• Previous experience in a reliability or continuous improvement / manufacturing engineering role is beneficial but not essential.

What’s On Offer - Manufacturing Continuous Improvement Engineer

• A highly complex, fast-paced manufacturing environment with real technical challenge
• Excellent salary, bonus, and market-leading pension
• Some hybrid working available
• Extensive training and development through structured engineering pathways
• A strategic role within a growing Group Engineering Reliability and Continuous Improvement function
• The opportunity to build, shape, and influence world-class maintenance systems
• Join an award-winning, investing manufacturing market leader
• Applicants that are relevant will be a Manufacturing Engineer, Continuous Improvement Engineer, Reliability Improvement Engineer, Asset Care Engineer, Maintenance Improvement Engineer, Operational Excellence Engineer, Lean Manufacturing Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer (Manufacturing), Production Improvement Engineer, Maintenance & Reliability Engineer, Operational Excellence Facilitator

Omega is an employment agency specialising in opportunities at all levels within the Engineering, Manufacturing, Aerospace, Automotive, Electronics, Defence, Scientific, Energy & Renewables and Tech sectors