Utilities & Op Eng Manager

Refresco; Bridgwater; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

Life assurance

Enhanced holiday allowance

Career development and progression

Cheers benefits platform

Healthcare and wellbeing benefits

Online medical support

Company pension

Job summary

Refresco, Bridgwater site, seeks a Process & Utilities Engineering Manager to lead the engineering function and drive safe, reliable process plant and utility services. You will mentor the engineering teams, own maintenance strategies, and ensure compliance with industry standards.

You will work with production, quality, HSE and project teams to improve asset health, energy efficiency and product quality while supporting decarbonisation goals and site KPIs.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Extensive experience in FMCG, food, beverage or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of process plant engineering and hygienic design principles.
• Experience delivering safe, compliant, reliable and cost-effective process plant and utility services.

Responsibilities

• Lead Process and Utilities Engineering teams, creating a high-performing culture.
• Own maintenance and reliability strategies for process plant and utility assets.
• Ensure compliance with PSSR, PUWER, LOLER, DSEAR and Legionella requirements.
• Manage priorities, maintenance interventions, contractor performance and resources.
• Drive asset reliability improvements via planned, preventive and condition-based maintenance.
• Lead root cause analysis following significant breakdowns and implement preventive actions.
• Monitor KPIs on reliability, maintenance, compliance, energy and environmental performance.
• Identify opportunities to improve OEE, product quality, efficiency, yield and waste reduction.
• Manage specialist contractors and service providers.
• Control maintenance budgets and contribute to capital investment planning.
• Lead engineering projects from concept through commissioning and handover.
• Support decarbonisation and sustainability across the site.

Skills

Leadership

FMCG experience

Process plant engineering

Hygienic design principles

Education

HNC/HND or Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Process, Chemical Engineering

Job description

This is an opportunity to lead a skilled engineering function, influence site-wide performance, and drive improvements that enhance product quality, asset reliability, sustainability, and operational excellence. If you're an experienced engineering manager looking to make a tangible impact within a fast-paced manufacturing environment, we'd love to hear from you.

Process & Utilities Engineering Manager

Bridgwater, Somerset

Days – Monday to Friday

What's in it for you?

• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus opportunity
• Life assurance
• Enhanced holiday allowance
• Career development and progression opportunities
• Access to Refresco's employee benefits platform, Cheers
• Healthcare and wellbeing benefits
• Free online medical support
• Company pension scheme
• Opportunity to lead a critical engineering function within a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility

About The Role

Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you will lead the Process and Utilities Engineering functions across the Bridgwater site, ensuring the delivery of safe, compliant, reliable, and cost-effective process plant and utility services.

You will provide leadership to the Process and Utilities Engineering Team Leaders and their teams, while taking ownership of engineering performance, maintenance strategy, statutory compliance, asset reliability, resource efficiency, and continuous improvement activities.

This role is pivotal in connecting process plant performance with the utility services that support it, ensuring optimal product quality, operational performance, sustainability, and long‑term asset health.

What will you be doing?

• Leading and developing the Process and Utilities Engineering teams, creating a high‑performing and accountable engineering culture.
• Owning maintenance and reliability strategies for process plant and utility assets.
• Ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and company standards, including PSSR, PUWER, LOLER, DSEAR and Legionella requirements.
• Managing engineering priorities, maintenance interventions, contractor performance and resource deployment.
• Driving asset reliability improvements through planned, preventative and condition-based maintenance strategies.
• Leading root cause analysis activities following significant breakdowns and implementing preventative actions.
• Monitoring and improving KPIs relating to reliability, maintenance performance, compliance, energy, water usage, costs and environmental performance.
• Identifying opportunities to improve OEE, product quality, efficiency, yield and waste reduction.
• Managing specialist engineering contractors and service providers.
• Controlling maintenance budgets and contributing to capital investment planning.
• Leading engineering projects from concept through commissioning and handover.
• Supporting decarbonisation initiatives and sustainability improvements across the site.
• Working closely with Production, Quality, HSE, Environmental, Reliability and Project Engineering teams to achieve site objectives.

About You

We're looking for a proven engineering leader with significant experience within a high-volume FMCG, food, beverage, or similarly regulated manufacturing environment.

You will have strong technical knowledge across both process plant and industrial utilities, coupled with a passion for developing people, driving performance, and delivering continuous improvement.

Key Requirements

• HNC, HND or Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Process, Chemical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Extensive experience within FMCG, food, beverage or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of process plant engineering and hygienic design principles.

About Refresco

Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging brands, and retailers. We offer an extensive range of product and packaging combinations, producing everything from juices and carbonated soft drinks to mineral waters.

In the UK, we employ over 1,800 colleagues across six manufacturing sites, producing private‑label soft drinks and fruit juices for many of the country's leading retailers.

Our vision is simple:

Our drinks on every table.

Refresco believes that equal opportunity for all is fundamental to our company's values, and all applicants can expect fairness and transparency throughout our recruitment process.