Senior Maintenance Engineer

en-careers-hovione; Cork; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Hovione is seeking a Senior Maintenance Engineer to lead reliability and lifecycle management of critical utility systems across site operations. You will drive maintenance strategies and capital projects, partner with operations and quality teams, and ensure GMP and environmental compliance.

Ideal candidates bring 5–7 years in maintenance/energy management, strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis, and proficiency with SAP PM. Exceptional English communication is required.

Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Energy, Sustainability, Marine or related engineering discipline.
• 5-7 years' experience in maintenance, utilities, facilities, energy management, or related environment.
• Strong knowledge of utility systems (boilers, chillers, refrigeration, compressed air, HVAC).
• Experience developing maintenance strategies, asset management plans, and capital replacement programmes.
• Experience managing engineering projects from concept through implementation.
• Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis capabilities.
• Knowledge of maintenance management systems, preferably SAP PM.
• Excellent written and verbal English skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure plant utilities and facilities operate safely, reliably, and efficiently to support production.
• Manage and optimise site utility systems (boilers, chillers, air compressors, refrigeration, HVAC).
• Troubleshoot complex equipment failures and identify long‑term solutions.
• Lead root cause investigations and develop improvement plans.
• Prepare technical reports and business cases for capital investments.
• Coordinate and manage small to mid‑size engineering projects.
• Monitor performance metrics, energy use, and asset health with KPIs.
• Collaborate with operations, quality, engineering, and external service providers.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Root Cause Analysis

Project Management

Stakeholder Management

Maintenance Strategy

Energy Management

Quality & Compliance

Communication

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

SAP PM

Maintenance management systems

Job description

Join a Market Leader

About Hovione

At Hovione, we help partners turn scientific innovation into medicines that reach patients around the world. For more than 65 years, we have connected science, technology, and manufacturing to scale complex ideas into high-quality and innovative solutions that truly make a difference.

As an international Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), we support the development and manufacture of drug substances, intermediates, and drug products across the full life cycle. We are globally recognized for our leadership in specialized technologies such as Spray Drying and Continuous Tableting. But what truly sets us apart is not just what we do — it is how we do it: with purpose, care, collaboration, and a deep commitment to doing the right things right.

Our people are the reason for our success. We are a global and diverse team of more than 2,600 team members across Europe, the USA, and Asia, bringing together different experiences and perspectives to help our partners to overcome complex challenges. We believe that an inclusive environment — where everyone, regardless of background, identity or ability, is respected, heard and empowered to contribute — is essential to drive innovation, ensure quality, and secure long‑term sustainable success.

And as we grow, so do the opportunities for our people to develop, broaden their perspectives, and build meaningful careers. Because at Hovione, better starts with those who choose to make a difference every day. Will you be one of them?

You will be responsible to:

As Senior Maintenance Engineer, you will be responsible for the reliability, performance, and lifecycle management of critical utility systems supporting site operations.

Key responsibilities include:

• Ensure all plant utilities and facilities operate safely, reliably, and efficiently to support site production requirements.
• Manage and optimise site utility systems including boilers, chillers, air compressors, refrigeration systems, HVAC, and associated infrastructure.
• Troubleshoot complex equipment failures and identify long‑term solutions to improve reliability and performance.
• Conduct equipment condition assessments and implement proactive maintenance strategies.
• Lead root cause investigations using methodologies such as Fault Tree Analysis, Fishbone Diagrams, FMEA, and 8D.
• Develop long‑term asset replacement and recapitalisation plans, identifying future investment requirements for utility systems.
• Prepare technical reports, engineering studies, and business cases to support capital investment decisions.
• Coordinate and manage small to medium‑size engineering and utility improvement projects.
• Monitor equipment performance, maintenance effectiveness, energy consumption, and asset health through defined KPIs.
• Collaborate with operations, quality, engineering, and external service providers to deliver maintenance and reliability objectives.
• Support compliance with GMP, cGMP, Environmental, Health & Safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage relationships with contractors, utility providers, equipment vendors, and statutory inspection bodies.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, efficiency, sustainability, and operational excellence.
• Maintain accurate maintenance documentation and SAP PM records.

We are looking to recruit a Candidate:

• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Sustainability Engineering, Marine Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5-7 years' experience in maintenance, utilities, facilities, energy management, or a related engineering environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of utility systems such as boilers, chillers, refrigeration systems, compressed air systems, and associated plant infrastructure.
• Experience developing maintenance strategies, asset management plans, and capital replacement programmes.
• Experience managing engineering projects from concept through implementation.
• Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis capabilities.
• Knowledge of maintenance management systems, preferably SAP PM.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience within pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, food, chemical, or other highly regulated manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to energy management programmes and sustainability initiatives.
• Experience working with outsourced maintenance and specialist service providers.
• Certified Energy Manager (CEM) qualification or equivalent energy management certification.
• Familiarity with ISO‑based energy management systems.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to develop technical solutions and present recommendations to stakeholders.
• Project management and organisational skills.
• Commercial awareness and ability to justify capital investments.
• Collaborative approach with excellent stakeholder management skills.
• Proactive mindset focused on continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities.

Hovione is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer

Inclusion and diversity are key to us. We are committed to creating an inclusive recruitment experience and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. If you require any reasonable accommodation or support during the application or interview process, please contact us, and we will be happy to assist.

Notice to Agencies and Search Firms Representatives

Hovione does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies or search firms for this job posting. Any resumes submitted to Hovione by a third‑party agency or search firm without a valid written and signed search agreement will become the sole property of Hovione. No fees will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited referral.