Utility Engineering Front Line Leader

Abbott; Cootehill; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Ireland - Cootehill in County Cavan is seeking a Utility Co-Ordinator to apply engineering knowledge to maintenance excellence across site utilities. The role covers design, delivery, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of assets to maximise reliability and cost efficiency.

You will gather performance data, lead predictive maintenance efforts, mentor colleagues, and ensure GMP/EHS compliance. A Bachelor's in Engineering is required and experience leading teams is desirable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related discipline.
• Minimum 2 years' experience in an engineering environment.
• Experience leading, coaching, or coordinating teams is desirable.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and monitor activities within Maintenance/Utility Excellence programs.
• Estimate resources and budget for tasks and projects.
• Participate in economic analyses and cost reduction efforts.
• Gather maintenance and manufacturing performance data and analyze results.
• Lead root cause analysis for equipment downtime.

Skills

Problem solving

Analytical skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or related discipline

Tools

Maximo

EFT

OSi

BMS

Microsoft Project

CAD

PowerPoint

Job description

Location Ireland - Cootehill Category Operations

Abbott has maintained a strong presence in Ireland since 1946 and celebrates its 80th anniversary in the country in 2026. The company supports the Irish healthcare sector with a broad portfolio spanning diagnostics, diabetes care, medical devices and nutritional products. Today, Abbott employs more than 6,500 people across ten sites located in Dublin, Donegal, Clonmel, Cootehill, Galway, Kilkenny, Longford and Sligo.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Abbott Ireland Nutrition Division Cootehill Cavan

Abbott Nutrition produces a range of infant formulae in all pack sizes under the brand name “Similac”. To complement the range of “Similac” infant formulae, the facility also manufactures a range of follow on formulae under the brand name of “Gain”. The essential ingredient is liquid skim milk and this is combined with carbohydrate, vegetable oils, vitamins and minerals. The product is blended, pasteurised, dried and packaged at the site and once packaged, is distributed to Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Canada.

Established in 1975, Abbott Nutrition in Ireland is the largest powder manufacturing facility for the production of infant formulae within the Abbott Corporation worldwide. Approximately 1,000 dairy farms in Ireland and Northern Ireland supply quality milk to the Cootehill facility which processes 500,000 litres per day. This secure supply together with Ireland’s reputation as a green, clean environment is of significant strategic importance to Abbott Nutrition.

*Please note any offer of employment for this position is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a medical practitioner designated by the Company.

Primary Function / Goals / Objectives

• The Utility Co-Ordinator will be responsible for applying scientific knowledge, engineering knowledge, mathematics, and ingenuity to complete assignments related to maintenance excellence and reliability.
• This position is involved in the overall lifecycle of capital assets (designing, delivering, operating, maintaining, and decommissioning) in the most productive and cost-effective manner.
• Technical area’s of coverage to include all site serviced utilities:
  • Gas boilers
  • CHP’s
  • Low pressure hot water pumps
  • Water treatment
  • Effluent
  • Air compressors
  • Nitrogen generation
  • Gas and electric consumption
  • Refrigeration
• This Job function will change where update procedures to GMP, EHS, Technical / New Equipment, Quality Procedures & SOP’s are made.
• The Utility Co-Ordinator is responsible for consulting any SOP’s for any job task he/she may carry out and ensure they fully understand and adhere to the SOP.
• This list of responsibilities may change depending on plant needs and employees are expected to be adaptable and flexible where this need arises.

Major Responsibilities

Project Management

• Coordinates and monitors activities within the Maintenance/Utility Excellence programs. Reviews plans and monitors status of implementation for those people assigned to effort; participates in site assessments.
• Estimates and coordinates resources needed (materials, budget, time and people) to accomplish assigned individual tasks.
• Participates in economic analysis and feasibility studies. Jointly responsible for achieving financial targets in support of business objectives.
• Supports the start-up of new facilities in the development of their maintenance strategy.

Technical / Design

• Independently gathers maintenance and manufacturing performance data (Maximo, EFT, Osi, BMS etc.), and performs preliminary analysis. Reports findings. Prepares and communicates recommendations and respective action plans to drive cost containment and cost reduction efforts.
• Anticipates future directions. Benchmarks internally and externally. Assists with deployment of predictive and reliability centred maintenance strategies.

Problem Solving:

• Provide a centralized, strategic look across equipment performance (downtime), material/component failure analysis.
• Predicts patterns/trends. Grasps complexities and sees relationships among data; determines consequences and alternatives; makes recommendations; analyses problems from multiple perspectives.
• Improves maintenance processes. Recognizes and implements process improvements and cost reductions; creatively applies others’ ideas.
• Leads root cause analysis for equipment downtime.

Organisational Interface:

• Mentors others by sharing information and providing feedback and guidance.
• Prepares written communication. Conveys information effectively through formal and informal documents with team members, designers, technicians, and other technical personnel, both internal and external to Abbott, using appropriate communication protocols; obtains approval to proceed with proposed action plans.
• Establishes networks. Follows through on goals; contributes willingly and incorporates the ideas of others; shares resources, knowledge, and accountability to benefit the objectives of the business.
• Builds relationships. Initiates and cultivates open, honest relationships with colleagues, customers, contractors, and vendors by establishing rapport, developing an understanding of others’ needs, promoting common goals, and following through on commitments, e.g. offers assistance; interacts effectively with stakeholders at appropriate levels of the organization.

Compliance:

• Complies with all regulations and standards for quality, Environmental, Health, Safety, and Energy (EHS&E) Global Policies, Abbott Engineering Standards, and other governance areas as applicable.
• Ensures quality and effectiveness of assigned tasks.
• Has awareness of the potential consequences of changes to established processes.
• Identifies areas of risk with respect to compliance.

People:

• Contributes to the development of operational policies and procedures that affect personnel within the assigned organizational unit.
• Monitors compliance with company policies and procedures (e.g. compliance with Quality & EHS regulations).
• Holds themselves and others accountable to delivering results on time and right first time.
• Plans work, monitors labor utilization, and manages overtime
• Plan and schedule work in accordance with plant demand and available manpower.

Additional Responsibilities May Include:

• Develops procedures and standards.1pl & SW
  Directs the efforts of others such as technicians and outside resources and provides training where deemed necessary.
• Supervising the resources for Preventive/Predictive

Maintenance

• Customer interface (in support of uptime and meeting production plan) and/or daily performance review meetings – Tier 1 ,2 & 3.
• Leads capital plant projects or process/plant efficiencies, improvement initiatives (i.e. Uex)
• Plan, implement, and perform effectiveness checks for corrective actions on quality reports.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 2 years' experience in an engineering environment.
• Experience leading, coaching, or coordinating teams is desirable.

Technical Skills

• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, Microsoft Project, CAD, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to organize work effectively, prioritize tasks, and drive results.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day guidance and support to a team of 5+ technicians.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing, and safety-focused work environment.
• Support team development through coaching, mentoring, and performance management.

Key Responsibilities & Impact

• Ensure equipment and manufacturing processes operate safely, reliably, and efficiently.
• Support the delivery of annual production and operational objectives.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance productivity, quality, and compliance.
• Maintain compliance with environmental, health, safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to the protection of company assets through effective equipment care and risk management.

Job Id 31164727 LocationIreland - Cootehill Medical surveillance Yes Division ANSC Nutrition Supply Chain Travel Not specified Additional Location Significant work activities Not Applicable

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.

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PAY TRANSPARENCY NONDISCRIMINATION PROVISION

We provide reasonable workplace accommodations. U.S. residents only: To request accommodation, please call 224-667-0340or email [e-mail].

Abbott is committed to pay equity and transparency. Compensation is determined using objective, job-related, and gender-neutral criteria in compliance with applicable laws and local regulations.