Shift Engineer

DS SMITH PACKAGING LIMITED; Newmarket; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Subsidised canteen

Company pension

Cycle to work scheme

Employee discounts

Enhanced maternity/paternity leave

ShareSave Scheme

Wellbeing / Digicare+ Apps

Annual health assessments

Free on-site parking

Referral programme

Job summary

DS Smith at Fordham is seeking a skilled Multi‑Skilled Shift Engineer to maintain and improve manufacturing operations. You’ll handle PPM, fault finding and downtime reduction, working with production teams and external contractors to ensure reliability and compliance.

The role requires qualified maintenance expertise, strong diagnostic skills across mechanical and electrical systems, and a proactive hands-on approach within a fast‑paced environment.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified Multi‑Skilled Maintenance Technician.
• NVQ Level 3, BTEC, or equivalent engineering qualification.
• Proven experience delivering and managing preventative maintenance programmes.
• Strong fault‑finding and diagnostic skills across mechanical and electrical systems.
• Experience in fast‑paced manufacturing environments.
• Root Cause Analysis and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.

Responsibilities

• Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance activities across site assets and equipment.
• Ensure manufacturing equipment remains compliant with safety legislation, inspections and testing.
• Track, analyse, and report equipment reliability data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Lead fault-finding and problem-solving activities to minimise downtime and improve operations.
• Work closely with production teams, OEMs and contractors to resolve technical issues.
• Identify, manage, and maintain critical spare parts inventory levels.
• Maintain housekeeping standards across engineering work areas and equipment.
• Support capital investment projects including installation, commissioning and training.
• Assist with asset lifecycle planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide hands-on technical expertise to support improvements.

Skills

Multiskilled maintenance

Fault finding

Electrical systems

Mechanical systems

Manufacturing environment

Root Cause Analysis

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

BTEC or equivalent

Job description

Role is either an electrician/electrical technician or mechanic/mechanical technician supporting a site.

Site Shift Engineering (Multi-Skilled)

Location: Fordham
Salary: £45,946, Shift Allowance £12,405, Bonus £5,127
Hours: Shift rotation 06:00 - 18:15 / 18:00 - 06:15, 4 on 4 off, 7 week rotation of pattern, followed by 18 days off. Annual leave is built into the shift pattern.

We're looking for a skilled and proactive Multi-Skilled Shift Engineer to join our team at Fordham. This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in maintaining and improving our manufacturing operations, ensuring equipment reliability, site safety, and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance activities across site assets and equipment.
• Ensure manufacturing equipment remains compliant with all relevant technical safety legislation, inspections, and testing requirements.
• Track, analyse, and report equipment reliability data to identify trends and improvement opportunities.
• Lead fault-finding and problem-solving activities to minimise downtime and improve operational performance.
• Work closely with production teams, OEMs, and external contractors to resolve technical issues effectively.
• Identify, manage, and maintain critical spare parts inventory levels.
• Maintain high standards of housekeeping across engineering work areas and equipment.
• Support capital investment projects including site preparation, equipment installation, commissioning, and technical training.
• Assist with asset lifecycle planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provide hands-on technical expertise to support operational and engineering improvements.

About You

To be successful in this role, you'll be a qualified maintenance professional with a strong background in manufacturing engineering.

• Fully qualified Multi‑Skilled Maintenance Technician
• NVQ Level 3, BTEC, or equivalent engineering qualification
• Proven experience delivering and managing preventative maintenance programmes
• Strong fault‑finding and diagnostic skills across mechanical and electrical systems
• Experience working within a fast‑paced manufacturing environment
• Root Cause Analysis
• Problem Solving Techniques
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational and prioritisation abilities.
• Proactive, hands‑on approach with a willingness to support wider team activities when required.

Benefits

• Subsidised canteen
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discounts
• Enhanced maternity/paternity leave
• ShareSave Scheme
• Wellbeing / Digicare+ Apps
• Annual health assessments
• Free on-site parking
• Referral programme

About us

We're DS Smith, a company who are redefining packaging for a changing world. We believe a better, more sustainable tomorrow is possible with the right people, who challenge and support one another to enact positive change. Today, we operate in more than 30 different countries, proudly employing over 30,000 people, and supporting customers across sectors like FMCG, industrial, and e‑commerce. We deliver on quality, service, innovation, and added value to deliver market‑leading sustainable packaging solutions our customers need. Our industry needs to transform, and we're building the team to drive change across Europe and North America.

Our people come from diverse backgrounds, bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to generate unique solutions focused on present and future sustainability challenges. We welcome all candidates to apply, even those not meeting all criteria.

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