Senior Maintenance Team Lead – Manufacturing Reliability

DK Recruitment; Devon and Torbay; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

DK Recruitment is seeking a Maintenance Team Leader for a Plymouth site in an established international manufacturing business. You will lead a team of engineers, oversee maintenance activities and drive reliability, safety and performance across production equipment and facilities.

You will balance hands-on engineering with strategic planning, optimise maintenance schedules and support automation projects to minimise downtime and disruption.

Qualifications

• Qualified to HNC level or equivalent in Mechanical, Electrical or Multi-skilled Engineering, or a time-served engineer with relevant industry experience.
• Previous experience leading or supervising a maintenance team within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong practical engineering knowledge, including fault-finding, breakdown response and preventative maintenance.
• Experience using a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS), such as SAP, Pirana or similar.

Responsibilities

• Organise daily workloads, establish priorities and provide technical guidance to ensure maintenance requirements are met efficiently.
• Support the development of the engineering team by identifying training needs, sharing technical knowledge and helping individuals build their skills.
• Manage preventative maintenance schedules, ensuring equipment is serviced appropriately and maintenance records are accurately maintained through the site's CMMS.
• Review existing maintenance practices, identify opportunities to improve reliability and ensure essential spare parts are available when needed.
• Investigate recurring equipment faults, establish root causes and coordinate corrective actions to minimise repeat failures.
• Provide hands-on assistance with complex breakdowns and fault-finding, working alongside engineers to restore equipment safely and minimise production downtime.
• Work closely with Production and other departments to resolve equipment issues, improve machinery performance and support operational requirements.
• Assist with the introduction of new machinery, equipment upgrades and automation projects, ensuring maintenance requirements are considered.
• Review maintenance and production data to identify trends, reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment efficiency.
• Encourage the team to contribute ideas and take an active role in improving working practices, maintenance standards and equipment reliability.
• Ensure maintenance activities meet health and safety requirements, including site procedures, risk assessments and permit-to-work arrangements.
• Promote a positive safety culture, ensuring potential hazards are reported and concerns are addressed promptly.

Skills

Leadership

Fault-finding

Maintenance planning

Team development

Communication

Education

HNC or equivalent in Mechanical/Electrical/Multi-skilled Engineering

Tools

SAP CMMS

Pirana CMMS

Job description

DK Recruitment is seeking a Maintenance Team Leader for a Plymouth site in an established international manufacturing business. You will lead a team of engineers, oversee maintenance activities and drive reliability, safety and performance across production equipment and facilities.

You will balance hands-on engineering with strategic planning, optimise maintenance schedules and support automation projects to minimise downtime and disruption.