Lead Engineer

Lead Engineer

Lincolnshire (North)

Let's be honest about what this job is.

It's a food factory. Machines run all day and sometimes they stop when they shouldn't. When that happens, everyone looks at you.

That's the job. If that sounds like a nightmare, fair enough, there are plenty of other adverts. If it sounds like your idea of a good time, keep reading.

What you'll actually be doing

You'll lead the engineering team at our Scunthorpe site. You'll keep production lines running, fix things properly rather than patching them up, and work out why they broke so they don't break again (RCA).

What a shift looks like

• You get the handover from the Production Area Manager, find out what's actually going on, and pass it on to your technicians and operators.
• You sit in the shift production meeting and say something useful.
• You pick out the top issues on the lines, agree a plan with the Area Managers, and make sure the spares are there before you need them.
• You look at what the plan says about assets coming free for PM and remedial work, and make sure your team is ready to use the window.
• You run the contractors: permits to work, RAMS that are actually good enough, and every permit closed out before you go home.
• You get stuck in. You lead from the front, not from the office.
• You log everything on the CMMS, as you go. Not on Friday from memory.
• You manage breaks around what production needs, so the lines run well and your team still gets a proper rest.
• At the end of the shift, you and the Area Managers account for all the lost time, and you give the next Team Leader a handover they can use.

The stuff that's not negotiable

• Food safety, hygiene and GMP. Your team follows them, and you make sure of it.
• All CCPs are complied with.
• Risk assessments are done before any non-routine job starts, not after.
• Everyone who works on site goes home safe.
• Root cause analysis on every major stoppage, segregation and seam defect. Not “we reset it and it went away.”

And the people bit

You'll train and develop apprentices, and you'll look after the people who report to you: training needs, development plans, appraisals and PDRs done on time. You'll also keep a grip on absence. A good engineering leader looks after the team as well as the machines.

Who we're after

• Proven engineering experience in food, FMCG or similar fast-paced manufacturing
• Credible on mechanical and electrical faults, or at least honest about which side you lean towards
• Experience leading a shift team and a reputation for getting the best out of them
• Confident with permits, RAMS and contractor control
• Someone who can be calm and clear at 3am when a line goes down

Qualifications matter, but we'll take a proven engineer with a patchy CV over a polished one with no stories.

The honest bit

• It's shift work. Things go wrong at inconvenient times.
• You're responsible for the Engineering team on your shift.
• Some of the equipment is new and some of it isn't. You'll look after both.

What you get

• A real opportunity to make an impact
• A site where engineering matters
• Salary of £53,000 - £56,000 DOE
• Shift pattern: 4 on 4 off days and nights

How to apply

If you are keen to explore this opportunity, hit apply and Wayne will give you a call.