Site Engineering Manager

Osborne Recruitment; Donegal; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Osborne Recruitment is seeking a Site Engineering Manager to lead engineering and maintenance at a large food manufacturing site in Ireland. You will drive reliability, oversee capital upgrades, and manage a compact engineering team in a fast-paced environment.

The role requires trade-qualified or degree-qualified engineering, 5+ years in maintenance/engineering management, and strong leadership with contractor oversight. A hands-on leader with continuous improvement focus is essential.

Qualifications

• Trade-qualified and/or degree-qualified in Engineering.
• 5+ years' experience in a maintenance or engineering management role.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams in a high-volume production environment.
• Experience implementing preventative and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Experience supervising repairs, calibration activities, and contractor management.
• Knowledge of root cause analysis, deviations, and good documentation practices.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience using AutoCAD and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the maintenance and engineering team.
• Deliver KPIs across reliability, downtime, maintenance compliance, and cost control.
• Implement preventative and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Plan and coordinate maintenance activities to support production requirements.
• Manage engineering budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Oversee contractors and external service providers.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and engineering best practice.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, quality, and food safety standards.
• Manage engineering stores and spare parts inventory.
• Lead CAPEX projects and site improvement programmes.
• Maintain responsibility for site utilities including refrigeration, compressed air, electricity, and water systems.

Skills

Leadership

Maintenance management

Reliability improvement

Stakeholder management

Communication

Organisational skills

Hands-on leadership

Contractor management

Problem solving

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Education

Engineering degree or trade qualification

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description

Site Engineering Manager An experienced Site Engineering Manager is required to lead engineering and maintenance operations at a food manufacturing facility within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This is a key leadership role within a smaller site of approximately 260 employees, responsible for ensuring maximum equipment reliability, minimising downtime, and maintaining compliance with food safety and Health & Safety standards. Reporting into the Operations Director, the successful candidate will oversee a compact engineering structure. The role will suit a hands‑on engineering leader who is comfortable operating within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment while driving continuous improvement and operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate all engineering and maintenance activities across site
• Deliver KPIs across reliability, downtime, maintenance compliance, and cost control.
• Implement preventative and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Plan and coordinate maintenance activities to support production requirements.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, Health & Safety, and engineering standards
• Minimise downtime and improve equipment reliability across production operations
• Manage engineering budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Coordinate calibration schedules and site maintenance planning
• Work closely with production, technical teams, and external contractors
• Oversee contractors and external service providers.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and engineering best practice.
• Manage engineering stores and spare parts inventory.
• Lead CAPEX projects and site improvement programmes.
• Maintain responsibility for site utilities including refrigeration, compressed air, electricity, and water systems.
• Develop and support the engineering team through coaching and leadership

Ideal Candidate

• Essential Criteria: Trade-qualified and/or degree-qualified in Engineering.
• 5+ years' experience in a maintenance or engineering management role.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams in a high-volume production environment.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance systems, reliability improvement, and project delivery within a regulated manufacturing environment Experience managing preventative maintenance schedules, engineering compliance, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Strong leadership and team management capability
• Experience supervising repairs, calibration activities, and contractor management
• Knowledge of root cause analysis, deviations, and good documentation practices
• Excellent leadership, communication, organisational and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable working within a hands‑on manufacturing environment Good Microsoft office skills.
• Other key skills Previous experience of implementing predictive maintenance programmes and maintenance management systems Ability to use AutoCAD Knowledge of equipment criticality assessment processes eg FMEA.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the maintenance and engineering team.
• Deliver KPIs across reliability, downtime, maintenance compliance, and cost control.
• Implement preventative and predictive maintenance strategies.
• Plan and coordinate maintenance activities to support production requirements.
• Manage engineering budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Oversee contractors and external service providers.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and engineering best practice.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, quality, and food safety standards.
• Manage engineering stores and spare parts inventory.
• Lead CAPEX projects and site improvement programmes.
• Maintain responsibility for site utilities including refrigeration, compressed air, electricity, and water systems.

Criteria

• Trade-qualified and/or degree-qualified in Engineering.
• Manufacturing background, ideally within food, beverage, or FMCG.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams in a high-volume production environment.
• Strong knowledge of maintenance systems, reliability improvement, and project delivery.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

If you are living in Ireland and hold a VALID WORK PERMIT, we would love to hear from you, if however, you do not hold a valid work permit unfortunately we will not be in a position to assist you with your job search.

Osborne are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Skills: Site Engineering Manager TPBN1_IJ