Plant Engineering Manager

Find Great People | FGP; Thurso; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Find Great People seeks a Plant Engineering Manager to lead engineering, maintenance, reliability, and capital improvements in a high-volume manufacturing facility. This role requires hands-on leadership on the production floor in a non-climate-controlled environment and will partner with operations to enhance OEE and efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have a strong track record in equipment reliability, capital project delivery, and building technical teams, with PE or CMRP credentials

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing Engineering or related technical discipline.
• 7-10 years of engineering, maintenance, or manufacturing leadership experience in a plant environment.
• 3-5 years of leadership experience managing engineering, maintenance, or technical teams.
• Proven success improving equipment reliability and productivity.
• Experience leading capital projects, process improvements, and facility upgrades.
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead plant engineering, maintenance, reliability, and facility operations functions.
• Develop and execute strategies to improve safety, quality, productivity, and equipment performance.
• Manage, coach, and develop engineers, maintenance supervisors, technicians, and other technical personnel.
• Drive equipment reliability initiatives through preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance programs.
• Reduce unplanned downtime by identifying root causes and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Oversee troubleshooting and resolution of complex mechanical, electrical, automation, and process-related issues.
• Lead capital projects from concept through commissioning, including budgeting, vendor selection, equipment specification, installation, and startup.
• Develop and manage annual capital expenditure plans and maintenance budgets.
• Partner with Production and Operations leadership to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Evaluate and implement equipment upgrades, automation solutions, and process improvements.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction and operational excellence.
• Establish and monitor KPIs related to reliability, maintenance performance, downtime, project execution, and asset utilization.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, company policies, and engineering best practices.
• Support quality initiatives through process improvements, corrective actions, and problem-solving activities.
• Manage relationships with contractors, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and service providers.
• Oversee facility infrastructure including utilities, building systems, and related regulatory requirements.
• Support strategic planning efforts by identifying opportunities to increase capacity, improve processes, and support business growth.

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance & Reliability

Capital Projects

Lean Manufacturing

Automation & PLCs

OEE Improvement

Cross-functional Leadership

Financial Acumen

Problem Solving

Regulatory Compliance

Education

PE license

CMRP certification

Tools

CMMS

ERP systems

Job description

The Plant Engineering Manager is responsible for leading all engineering, maintenance, reliability, and capital improvement activities within the manufacturing facility. This role requires frequent interaction with manufacturing operations and regular presence on the production floor in a non-climate-controlled environment. Company is growing rapidly and needs a strong manager to help improve processes, engineering and maintenance activities to support the company's scalability.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has direct responsibility for Engineering, Maintenance, and Technical personnel. The Plant Engineering Manager is responsible for employee development, performance management, workforce planning, and building a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead all plant engineering, maintenance, reliability, and facility operations functions.
• Develop and execute engineering strategies that improve safety, quality, productivity, and equipment performance.
• Manage, coach, and develop engineers, maintenance supervisors, technicians, and other technical personnel.
• Drive equipment reliability initiatives through preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance programs.
• Reduce unplanned downtime by identifying root causes and implementing sustainable corrective actions.
• Oversee troubleshooting and resolution of complex mechanical, electrical, automation, and process-related issues.
• Lead capital projects from concept through commissioning, including budgeting, vendor selection, equipment specification, installation, and startup.
• Develop and manage annual capital expenditure plans and maintenance budgets.
• Partner with Production and Operations leadership to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), throughput, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Evaluate and implement equipment upgrades, automation solutions, and process improvements.
• Lead Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement initiatives focused on cost reduction and operational excellence.
• Establish and monitor KPIs related to reliability, maintenance performance, downtime, project execution, and asset utilization.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental regulations, company policies, and engineering best practices.
• Support quality initiatives through process improvements, corrective actions, and problem-solving activities.
• Manage relationships with contractors, equipment suppliers, engineering firms, and service providers.
• Oversee facility infrastructure including utilities, building systems, and related regulatory requirements.
• Support strategic planning efforts by identifying opportunities to increase capacity, improve processes, and support business growth.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.
• Extensive knowledge of maintenance and reliability engineering principles.
• Experience managing manufacturing equipment, plant systems, and facility infrastructure.
• Proven ability to lead capital projects and equipment installations.
• Strong understanding of Lean Manufacturing, TPM, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of automation, controls, PLCs, and industrial systems.
• Excellent root cause analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing capital and operating budgets.
• Ability to analyze operational data and drive fact-based decision-making.
• Outstanding communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 7-10 years of engineering, maintenance, or manufacturing leadership experience in a plant environment.
• Minimum 3-5 years of leadership experience managing engineering, maintenance, or technical teams.
• Demonstrated success improving equipment reliability, reducing downtime, and increasing manufacturing productivity.
• Experience leading capital projects, process improvements, and facility upgrades.
• Experience in a high-volume manufacturing environment.

Preferred:

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) certification.
• Experience with CMMS, ERP systems, and industrial automation.
• Experience in highly automated or regulated manufacturing environments.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineering leader who combines strong technical expertise with proven people leadership. This individual will have a demonstrated track record of improving equipment reliability, executing capital projects, developing technical teams, and driving operational excellence in a manufacturing environment.