Site Engineering Lead

Finsbury Food Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced Pension Scheme

Free Employee Assistance Programme

Retail discounts via Benefits Hub

Company shop at sites

Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300)

Learning & Development opportunities

Sponsored professional memberships

Employee recognition awards

Job summary

Finsbury Food Group in Manchester is seeking a Site Engineering Lead to direct the engineering function on site and drive sustained improvements. You will lead shift teams, manage strategy delivery, and influence senior stakeholders to achieve site objectives.

The role emphasizes leadership, project delivery, and strong communication across the business, with a focus on continuous improvement and excellence in an FMCG manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Candidates should have prior engineering leadership experience in fast-paced manufacturing.
• Proven ability to lead and develop shift engineering teams.
• Strong change management, financial and performance improvement track record.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable working with cross‑functional teams and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and deliver the on-site engineering strategy to improve OEE.
• Lead by example to develop and coach on-shift engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement using best practice and group sharing.
• Collaborate with other sites to share engineering initiatives and standardize practices.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Team development

Change management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Project management

Excel

Education

Degree or HND in engineering

Tools

Automation systems

Mechatronics

Job description

Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK

Job Description

Posted Monday 3 August 2026 at 00:00

Shift: Monday to Friday, Days

We have an exciting opportunity for a Site Engineering Lead to join our Engineering team at our Kara site as part of Finsbury Food Group. Established in 1985, Kara offers a wide range of quality sweet and savoury bakery products, including both gourmet butter and vegan brioche buns, doughballs and teacakes. The Kara Bakery can bake over 1 million baps and burger buns every day.

The Site Engineering Lead will lead the engineering department on site to deliver the departmental and site strategies. Maximising OEE through robust leadership of the Engineering shift teams will be crucial to success, so an individual who enjoys leading, managing and developing individuals within teams is what this role requires. This role acts as the most senior engineering position on site and so will be required to be credible presenting to and influencing senior stakeholders.

To be successful in this role, the candidate will have worked in a similar engineering leadership position within a fast-paced manufacturing sector. They will have demonstratable experience of leading and developing teams, change management and strong financial and performance success. Good stakeholder management and clear communication skills are essential as this is a fast-paced role with a need for adaptability, influencing and perseverance to drive sustained improvements.

This is what you will actually do!

You will be responsible for delivering the engineering strategy on site; improving OEE, building a talent pipeline and robust spared and financial management.

You will be required to lead by example in encouraging appropriate behavioural standards in support of the company’s values and culture, coaching employees in the implementation of the Company’s Operational Excellence programme.

You will be required to utilise best practice from around the business and outside bodies to influence and implement within the KARA site for continuous improvement purposes.

Collaborate closely with Engineering Leads across the Group to share best practice, drive consistency, and deliver engineering initiatives that support the achievement of the Group’s strategic objectives.

Ideally this is you!

• Ideally educated to Degree or HND level in engineering or related discipline or Engineering Management experience gained in FMCG manufacturing
• Experience of leading and developing shift engineering teams
• Practical experience of automation and/or mechatronics in a manufacturing environment
• Excellent communication skills and able to communicate clear strategies and plans internally and with senior stakeholders across the business
• Able to work as an individual but with the leadership skills to manage a wider team
• Highly organised with the ability to show strong project management skills
• To lead by example in encouraging and displaying the company’s values
• Has a curious attitude towards change and improvement, with the ability to take onboard best practice
• Computer literate, with good use of Excel and spreadsheets
• Get up & go, positive, can-do attitude and a moral code to ensure the business 'does the right thing'
• Articulate, professional, with excellent communicative English language skills - as you will liaise directly with our clients and the factory, making time sensitive decisions

What's in it for you?

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees
• Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families)
• Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!)
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – t&cs dependent)
• Employee Recognition Awards Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!)
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation.

Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength.

Park Seventeen, Whitefield, Manchester M45 8FJ, UK