Group Engineering Manager

Cranswick Country Foods PLC; Ireland; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary & Car Allowance

Share Save Scheme

Pension Scheme

Holiday Entitlement

Employee Discounts

Job summary

Cranswick Country Foods PLC is seeking a Group Engineering Manager to provide senior leadership across the South East region, spanning multiple sites in London, Milton Keynes, and East Anglia. You will shape engineering standards, drive reliability, and oversee purchasing and compliance at a group level.

You will partner with site leaders to deliver safe, cost-effective engineering solutions, with travel across the region to ensure consistency and best practice.

Qualifications

• Senior or group engineering leadership experience in manufacturing.
• Experience across multiple sites with cost control.
• Knowledge of HACCP, BRC, and compliance in regulated environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management at senior level.
• Strong financial acumen and supplier management.
• Willingness to travel across East Anglia and Hull/Yorkshire.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior engineering leadership across multiple sites, aligning with Group strategy and standards.
• Drive efficiency and reliability of plant and machinery, including asset performance and cost of ownership models.
• Lead and support engineering teams to deliver robust planned preventative maintenance with minimal production disruption.
• Coordinate group-led engineering purchasing, sourcing, stock control, and supplier alignment.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, food safety standards, and health & safety across all sites.
• Collaborate with site leadership to support operational performance and capital/build projects.
• Share best practices across sites to drive consistent standards and continuous improvement.
• Contribute at Group level and deputise for the Group Engineering Director on projects.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Multi-site management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

Travel willingness

Job description

Group Engineering Manager – South East Region

(London / Milton Keynes / East Anglia)

About the role

Cranswick is continuing to grow and invest across our South East Region, and we are now seeking an experienced Group Engineering Manager to provide senior engineering leadership across multiple sites. This is a highly influential role, working closely with site leadership teams and the wider Group Engineering function to drive consistency, efficiency, and continuous improvement across engineering operations.

Reporting into the Group Engineering Director, you will oversee engineering performance across your allocated sites, ensuring assets, processes, people, and suppliers are aligned to deliver safe, reliable, and cost‑effective engineering solutions that support production and long‑term business growth. This is a visible, strategic role offering real impact, autonomy, and the opportunity to help shape engineering standards across the Group.

About Cranswick

Cranswick is one of the UK’s leading food producers, supplying high‑quality fresh pork, poultry, and added‑value food products to major retailers, foodservice customers, and international markets. Our South East Region is a key growth area for the business, with multiple manufacturing sites and farms operating in fast‑paced environments and continued investment in facilities, technology, and people. Across Cranswick, our success is built on strong leadership, collaboration, and a commitment to food safety, health & safety, and continuous improvement. We work as one business, sharing best practice and driving standards forward together.

What You’ll Do

• Provide senior engineering leadership across multiple sites, ensuring alignment with Group engineering strategy and standards.
• Drive efficiency and reliability of plant and machinery, including asset performance and acceptable cost of ownership models.
• Lead and support engineering teams to deliver robust planned preventative maintenance (PPM) with minimal disruption to production.
• Coordinate and drive a group‑led approach to engineering purchasing, supporting cost‑effective sourcing, stock control, and supplier alignment.
• Ensure full compliance with relevant legislation, food safety standards (HACCP / BRC), and health & safety requirements across all sites.
• Work closely with site leadership teams to support operational performance, continuous improvement, and capital and build projects where required.
• Develop strong communication and collaboration across sites to share best practice and drive consistent standards.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across engineering functions and contribute at Group level.
• Deputise for the Group Engineering Director on projects when required.

What are we looking for?

• Proven experience leading an engineering function at a senior or group level, ideally within food manufacturing or a fast‑paced industrial environment.
• Strong background in strategic engineering leadership, with experience driving efficiency, reliability, and improvement across multiple sites.
• Solid knowledge of HACCP, BRC, and engineering compliance within regulated environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage, influence, and challenge at senior level.
• Commercially and financially astute, with experience managing budgets, suppliers, and value‑driven purchasing strategies.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, able to balance competing priorities across a multi‑site remit.
• A collaborative leader who develops teams, drives accountability, and supports a high‑performance culture.
• Willingness to travel regularly across the East Anglia region and occasionally to Hull / Yorkshire

We can offer;

• Competitive Salary & Car Allowance – discussed at application stage
• Share Save Scheme – opportunity to purchase shares at a discounted rate
• Pension Scheme – enhanced contribution options
• Holiday Entitlement – generous allowance with the option to purchase additional days
• Employee Discounts – access to discounts at major retailers and supermarkets via our benefits portal

Closing Date: 2nd October

Join one of the UK’s most sustainable food businesses