Engineering Manager

We are partnering with a leading FMCG manufacturer to appoint an experienced Engineering Manager to lead the engineering function. This is a senior leadership opportunity with responsibility for setting the engineering strategy, improving maintenance and asset performance, and ensuring high standards of safety, reliability and operational efficiency across the site.

Engineering Manager

Salary: Up to £65,000 + car allowance + up to 12% bonus

Location: Northamptonshire

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the site's engineering function, ensuring engineering priorities align with production and business objectives.
• Lead, coach and develop the engineering team, building technical capability, accountability and a culture focused on continuous improvement.
• Develop and optimise maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime and maximise the availability of critical production assets.
• Take ownership of major equipment breakdowns, ensuring effective troubleshooting, root cause identification and implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
• Ensure all engineering activities comply with relevant legislation, statutory requirements and company standards, including PUWER, PSSR, LOLER, LEV and Permit to Work.
• Manage engineering projects, capital investment and new equipment installations, ensuring projects are delivered safely, effectively and with long‑term asset reliability in mind.
• Track engineering performance using key measures such as OEE, downtime, maintenance compliance, asset availability and engineering expenditure.
• Build effective relationships across Production, Quality, Health & Safety and wider business functions to deliver improvements in site performance.

Key Requirements

• Previous experience leading an engineering or maintenance function within a fast‑paced FMCG, manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong technical understanding of engineering maintenance, asset reliability, equipment performance and continuous improvement principles.
• Proven track record of improving plant availability, reducing downtime and implementing robust preventative and predictive maintenance programmes.
• Experience using structured problem‑solving techniques, including Root Cause Analysis, FMEA and condition monitoring, to improve equipment reliability.
• Commercially aware, with experience managing engineering budgets, capital expenditure, resources and external contractors.
• Strong people leadership experience, with the ability to develop engineering talent, support apprentices and create a high‑performing team environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder‑management skills, with the confidence to influence colleagues across different functions and levels.
• A proactive and results‑driven approach, with the ability to balance strategic engineering initiatives with the demands of a busy manufacturing operation.