Multi-skilled Engineer

The Sterling Choice; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sterling Choice is seeking a Maintenance Engineer for a food manufacturing site in Milton Keynes. You will work autonomously to improve performance, reliability and future direction of the site, focusing on preventing downtime and driving continuous improvements.

You'll identify root causes, diagnose faults in PLC-controlled machinery, and influence investment decisions while collaborating with a small, proactive team. This role offers hands-on problem solving and visible impact.

Qualifications

• Experience in manufacturing, food production, or fast-paced environments.
• Genuine care for doing things better and pride in your work.
• NVQ Level 3 in engineering or equivalent qualification.

Responsibilities

• Autonomy to drive improvements and identify root causes.
• Improve preventative maintenance and reduce downtime.
• Diagnose and repair faults in PLC-controlled machinery.
• Influence investment decisions and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Self-motivated

Forward-thinking

Problem solving

Independent worker

Team player

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Engineering

Tools

PLC systems

Job description

Most engineering jobs want you to keep the factory running. Am I right?

This one wants you to help transform it and drive their engineering function forward.

If you're the type of engineer who gets frustrated patching the same problems week after week, reading this might be the best thing you do today. We're working with a food manufacturing business that's on a journey. Not the corporate buzzword kind of journey. A genuine turnaround.

The foundations are there. The products are respected. The leadership team knows where they want to go.

What they need now are engineers who can help get them there.

Engineers who don't just wait for breakdowns.

Engineers who spot opportunities.

Engineers who ask "why?" when everyone else accepts "that's how we've always done it."

The opportunity

This isn't one of those heavily layered maintenance teams where every decision needs three signatures and a committee meeting.

You'll have autonomy.

You'll have a voice.

And you'll have the opportunity to make a visible impact on the performance, reliability and future direction of the site.

Whether it's improving preventative maintenance, identifying root causes, reducing downtime, influencing investment decisions or driving continuous improvement projects, you'll be trusted to get involved.

The business wants ideas.

Not passengers.

What we're looking for

You'll probably already be working within manufacturing, food production or a fast-paced production environment.

More importantly, you'll be someone who genuinely cares about doing things better.

Someone who takes pride in their work.

Someone who gets satisfaction from solving problems properly rather than applying another temporary fix.

We're looking for engineers who are:

• Driven and self-motivated
• Forward-thinking
• Proven experience in a similar engineering role within the food manufacturing industry.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems.
• Proficiency in diagnosing and repairing faults in PLC-controlled machinery.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to maintenance.
• Apprentice trained engineers with an NVQ lv3
• Understanding of health and safety regulations within a manufacturing environment.

Why join?

Because opportunities to genuinely influence a manufacturing site's future don't come around every day.

You will be working days only, 3 on 3 off 12 hours shifts. 6am-6pm.

You'll be joining a business that values engineering, welcomes new ideas and is committed to improving.

The right person won't just maintain equipment here.

They'll help shape what comes next.

If you're looking for another maintenance role where you can sit in the workshop and wait for your shift to finish, this probably isn't for you.

If you're looking for the chance to make a difference, we'd like to talk