Shift Electrical Engineer

McCarthy Recruitment Ltd; Horsham; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Life cover

Staff discounts

Training & development

Career progression

Job summary

McCarthy Recruitment Ltd is seeking a hands-on Shift Electrical Engineer for a large-scale automated site in West Sussex. You will maintain plant reliability, fault-find quickly and ensure rapid return to operation.

The role operates on a 4-on/4-off shift pattern (2 days, 2 nights), with emphasis on preventive maintenance and improving long-term plant reliability across electrical systems.

Qualifications

• Electrical fault-finding skills required.
• Reading and interpreting electrical drawings.
• Experience in industrial/manufacturing/automated environments.
• Experience with motors, control panels and industrial electrical systems.
• PLC knowledge is advantageous but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Respond to electrical breakdowns and get systems back online.
• Carry out planned preventative maintenance to a high standard.
• Diagnose and resolve electrical faults across plant and equipment.
• Identify recurring issues and improve long-term plant reliability.
• Read and interpret electrical drawings and schematics.
• Support continuous improvement projects across the site.

Skills

Electrical fault-finding

Reading electrical drawings

Industrial environment experience

Motors & control panels

PLC knowledge (advantageous)

Education

Electrical engineering qualification (HNC or equivalent)

Job description

Shift Electrical Engineer

Location: West Sussex

Salary: £45,000 - £55,000 per annum + Benefits

Role: Permanent - Full Time

Shift Pattern: 4 on / 4 off - Days & Nights

Are you an electrically biased engineer who enjoys fault finding, solving problems and keeping complex plant and equipment running reliably?

We’re looking for a hands‑on Shift Electrical Engineer to join a busy engineering team within a large‑scale automated environment. This is a technically varied role where no two shifts are the same, giving you the opportunity to work across a wide range of electrical systems and equipment.

If you’re an Electrical Engineer, Maintenance Electrician, Shift Engineer or Multi‑Skilled Engineer with strong electrical fault‑finding skills, this could be a great next step.

The Role

As a Shift Electrical Engineer, you’ll be responsible for maintaining plant reliability, responding to breakdowns and ensuring equipment is returned to operation safely and efficiently.

You’ll be working within a fast‑paced operational environment where proactive maintenance and effective fault finding are essential.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Responding to electrical breakdowns and getting systems safely back online
• Carrying out planned preventative maintenance to a high standard
• Diagnosing and resolving electrical faults across plant and equipment
• Identifying recurring issues and helping improve long‑term plant reliability
• Reading and interpreting electrical drawings and schematics
• Supporting continuous improvement projects across the site

Working closely with the wider engineering and operational teams

Equipment & Systems

• Sensors, relays and contactors
• AC and DC motors
• MCC panels
• Electrical control systems
• PLC, with Siemens S7 experience beneficial but not essential
• Instrumentation including temperature, pressure and flow systems

This is a genuinely hands‑on engineering position where you’ll be expected to investigate faults properly, identify root causes and help prevent repeat issues.

What We’re Looking For

To be successful as a Shift Electrical Engineer, you’ll ideally have:

• An electrical engineering qualification, ideally HNC level or equivalent
• Strong electrical fault‑finding and diagnostic skills
• Experience within an industrial, manufacturing, processing, automated or similarly fast‑paced environment
• Confidence reading and interpreting electrical drawings
• Experience working with motors, control panels and industrial electrical systems
• PLC knowledge would be advantageous but is not essential
• A practical, hands‑on approach to maintenance and problem solving

Shift Pattern

• 2 days - 06:30 to 18:30
• 2 nights - 18:30 to 06:30
• 4 days off

The shift pattern provides four consecutive days off between rotations, offering a good balance between work and downtime.

The Package

• Salary of £45,000 - £55,000 per annum
• Pension
• Life cover
• Retail, leisure and travel discounts
• Ongoing training and development
• Long‑term career development opportunities

This is a great opportunity to join a technically varied site where you can genuinely influence reliability and performance rather than simply keeping things ticking over.

The Legal Bit

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or age. By applying for this role, you are explicitly consenting for McCarthy Recruitment to hold and process your data in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulations. Your details will be added to our holding database. We process certain personal information about you for our legitimate business interests to identify and contact suitable candidates about positions that may be relevant to them. Details are set out in our privacy policy at privacy. If you wish to exercise your right to access, erase, or restrict the processing of your data, please contact us at the office and we will respond to your query