Maintenance and Engineering Manager

Dawn Meats; Kildare; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Dawn Meats in Kildare, Ireland, is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead the Engineering and Maintenance function at our site. You will drive equipment reliability, implement preventative maintenance, manage projects, and guide a high-performing team to deliver safe, compliant operations.

The role requires a strong background in manufacturing maintenance, leadership, and a proven track record of continuous improvement, with oversight of budgets, CAPEX, and cross-functional

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in a Maintenance Manager or similar role.
• Engineering qualification or time-served Mechanical/Electrical trade.
• Experience managing engineering teams in manufacturing, ideally food production or FMCG.
• Strong leadership and project management skills.
• Experience driving continuous improvement and plant reliability initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the site Engineering and Maintenance team.
• Manage planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programmes to maximise plant uptime and reliability.
• Ensure rapid and effective response to equipment breakdowns and production issues.
• Manage engineering budgets, maintenance costs, contractors, and service providers.
• Drive continuous improvement projects to enhance operational efficiency and reduce downtime.
• Oversee engineering stores, spare parts inventory, and maintenance systems.
• Lead site engineering CAPEX projects from planning through to implementation.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Operations, Utilities, Procurement, and Group Engineering

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance management

Project management

Team leadership

Problem solving

Education

Engineering qualification

Time-served Mechanical/Electrical trade

Job description

Location: Kildare town Co. Kildare

Job Title: Maintenance Manager

Contract Type: Permanent, Full time.

Salary: Competitive Salary in line with market rates and experience

Dawn Meats is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead the Engineering and Maintenance function at our Kildare facility. This is a key leadership role responsible for driving equipment reliability, preventative maintenance programmes, engineering projects, team performance, and continuous improvement initiatives across the site.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the site Engineering and Maintenance team.
• Manage planned preventative maintenance (PPM) programmes to maximise plant uptime and reliability.
• Ensure rapid and effective response to equipment breakdowns and production issues.
• Manage engineering budgets, maintenance costs, contractors, and service providers.
• Drive continuous improvement projects to enhance operational efficiency and reduce downtime.
• Oversee engineering stores, spare parts inventory, and maintenance systems.
• Lead site engineering CAPEX projects from planning through to implementation.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, food safety, quality, and regulatory standards.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Operations, Utilities, Procurement, and Group Engineering

Key Requirements

• 5+ years' experience in a Maintenance Manager, Engineering Manager, or similar role
• Engineering qualification or time-served Mechanical/Electrical trade
• Proven experience managing engineering teams in a manufacturing environment, ideally food production or FMCG
• Strong leadership, project management, and problem-solving skills
• Experience driving continuous improvement and plant reliability initiatives