Senior Mechanical Engineer (Manager)

Elevation Recruitment Group; Chesterfield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Elevation Recruitment Group is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead its shift engineering team in a well-established manufacturing environment. You will drive continuous improvement, coach the team, and ensure plant uptime while maintaining safety and compliant working practices.

This hands-on leadership role requires strong diagnostic skills across electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems, and experience in heavy industry such as casting, forging or foundry environments.

Qualifications

• Strong diagnostic skills across electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic equipment and control systems.
• Experience in heavy manufacturing environments (casting, forging, foundry, machining).
• Proven ability to lead by example and organise the work of others.

Responsibilities

• Act as the focal point for shift engineering, organising work with operations to minimise downtime.
• Lead, coach and develop the engineering team and work alongside them when needed.
• Plan, prioritise and organise the team’s workload, ensuring equipment for planned and breakdown work.
• Champion safety and PPE compliance, risk assessments and method statements.
• Complete 5 Whys for incidents and review to reduce recurrence and impact.
• Review TPM books, chase overdue checks, and train TPM routines.
• Maintain shift report books and report on manning and plant availability to management.
• Identify and deliver plant performance improvements.
• Coordinate stock and direct purchases with the Engineering Administrator.
• Manage team holidays, cover, and return-to-work interviews.
• Develop work instructions, risk assessments and one-point lessons; monitor compliance.
• Oversee contractors on site, ensuring safety and site rules.

Skills

Leadership

Diagnostics

Communication

Organization

Job description

Elevation Recruitment Group is working with a well–established manufacturer in the casting and machining sector, which is looking for a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead its shift engineering team.

This is a hands–on leadership role. You will be the main point of contact for engineering teams that are on shift, keeping plant running, coaching the team and driving continuous improvement across a demanding, heavy–industry environment.

The Role

• Act as the focal point for shift engineering, working with operations supervisors and managers to organise work and minimise downtime
• Lead, coach and develop the engineering team, working alongside them when needed
• Plan, prioritise and organise the team's workload, making sure equipment and components are available for planned and breakdown work
• Champion safety and an inclusive culture, auditing compliance with PPE, safe systems of work, risk assessments and method statements
• Ensure 5 Whys are completed to standard for every lost time and significant event, then review them to reduce recurrence and impact
• Review TPM books, chase overdue checks, audit accuracy and train the team in TPM routines
• Make sure shift report books are completed across all plants, and report on manning, plant issues and availability to management
• Identify and deliver plant performance improvements
• Work with the Engineering Administrator and engineers on stock and direct purchase requirements
• Manage team holiday and cover, and conduct return to work interviews
• Help develop work instructions, risk assessments and one–point lessons, and monitor compliance
• Oversee contractors on site, ensuring they follow safety requirements and site rules

About You

• Strong diagnostic skills across electrical, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic equipment and control systems
• Experience in a heavy manufacturing environment, ideally forging, casting, foundry, machining, melting etc
• Proven ability to lead by example and organise the work of others
• Highly organised and self–motivated, able to prioritise and stay calm under pressure
• Computer literate with excellent communication skills
• A can–do attitude, with precision and attention to detail

What's on offer

This is a days based role in the week, with an early finish on a Friday. Some some flexibility needed to deal with incidents and team needs.

Suited candidates previously hold roles such as: Engineering Manager, Maintenance Manager, Engineering Lead, Maintenance Lead, Mechanical Lead, Mechanical Manager, Asset Manager, Reliability Manager, Site Engineering Manager and Plant Engineering Manager.

About Elevation Recruitment Group

Elevation Recruitment Group is a specialist recruitment consultancy that helps people build long–term, successful careers. We work across a wide range of industries and disciplines with a focus on making recruitment feel more human, more honest and more effective. We are specialists in every function and experts in every hire. Check out our website to find out more.