Senior Shift Engineer, Arla - Leeds

Arla Group; Leeds; On-site; GBP 48,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

24 days holiday

Matched pension contributions up to 6%

Life assurance

Flexible benefits

Job summary

Arla Foods Stourton, a flagship UK dairy site, is recruiting a Senior Shift Engineer to provide technical leadership on a highly automated production facility. You will diagnose electrical and mechanical faults, lead a team of five engineers on shift, and deliver planned maintenance while seeking reliability improvements and asset performance gains.

Ideal candidates are time-served apprentices with NVQ3/City & Guilds/ONC/HNC and proven experience in FMCG or high‑volume manufacturing

Qualifications

• Time-served, apprentice-trained engineer with recognised qualifications.
• Experience in FMCG/high-volume manufacturing essential.
• Strong fault-finding across electrical and mechanical systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering response to breakdowns with advanced fault finding.
• Support and guide Shift Engineers as senior on shift.
• Diagnose faults across PLC-controlled equipment and conveyors.
• Deliver planned preventative maintenance and drive reliability.
• Champion health and safety and contribute to site improvements.

Skills

Fault finding

PLC control

Electrical systems

Mechanical systems

Siemens S7

Automation

Education

NVQ Level 3

City & Guilds

ONC

HNC

Tools

Siemens S7

PLCs

Motors

Inverters

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Job description

Are you ready to keep one of the UK’s most advanced dairy sites running smoothly?

At Arla Foods Stourton, we're looking for a Senior Shift Engineer to provide technical leadership across one of the UK's most advanced dairy manufacturing facilities. Stourton is Arla's second-largest and most complex UK site, producing over 700 million litres of dairy products every year.

Following significant investment of more than £150 million into the site, we are expanding our engineering capability and looking for experienced engineers who can lead from the front, support colleagues and drive operational performance. The role offers the opportunity to act as the senior engineering presence on shift, solving complex faults, supporting continuous improvement and helping to develop engineering excellence across the site.

The position follows a 4 on 4 off shift pattern consisting of 2 days, 2 nights and 4 days off.

How you will make an impact

• Lead engineering response to breakdowns, providing advanced fault finding and technical decision-making across highly automated production systems
• Support and guide Shift Engineers on shift, acting as the senior engineering point of contact within a team of five engineers.
• Diagnose and resolve electrical and mechanical faults across PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment, filling machines, packers, cappers, conveyors and process systems.
• Deliver planned preventative maintenance activities while identifying opportunities to improve reliability, efficiency and asset performance.
• Champion health and safety standards, support engineering projects and contribute to future site investment and continuous improvement initiatives.

What will make you successful

You’ll be a time-served, apprentice-trained engineer with a recognised engineering qualification such as NVQ Level 3, City & Guilds, ONC, HNC or equivalent.

Experience within FMCG, food, dairy, brewing, beverage, bakery, packaging or other high-volume manufacturing environments will be essential. You’ll have strong fault-finding capabilities and experience working with electrical and mechanical systems including PLCs, motors, safety circuits, inverters, hydraulics, pneumatics, pumps and gearboxes. Experience with Siemens S7 fault finding and automated manufacturing equipment would be highly advantageous

Success in this role will come from your ability to make sound engineering decisions under pressure, communicate effectively across teams, support colleagues on shift and drive a proactive approach to maintenance and continuous improvement. You’ll combine strong technical expertise with a collaborative mindset and a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety and operational performance.

What do we offer?

We’re committed to your growth and development, offering internal and external training opportunities.

• competitive salary
• 24 days holiday
• matched pension contributions up to 6%
• life assurance
• flexible benefits

Shape the Future of Dairy

Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.

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