Head of Engineering

Job Title: Head of Engineering

Location: Covering two sites North Yorkshire & North East

Reports to: GM

Team Size: 15-20 Engineering Staff

Working Hours: Full-time, flexibility required to support 24/7 operations

Role Overview

We are seeking a hands on Head of Engineering to lead and develop our engineering function across both sites. This is a pivotal leadership role requiring a blend of strategic oversight and practical involvement in day to day operations. The successful candidate will drive engineering excellence, ensure equipment reliability, and support continuous improvement in a fast paced, 24/7 manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop a multi disciplinary engineering team (15-20 staff) across both sites.
• Oversee all engineering activities including maintenance, reliability, and capital projects.
• Support and develop the Planned Maintenance (PPM) schedule, ensuring full preventative maintenance is carried out effectively.
• Ensure compliance with health & safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Drive root cause analysis and implement corrective actions to reduce downtime.
• Collaborate with production and operations teams to optimise equipment performance.
• Manage engineering budgets, spare parts inventory, and contractor relationships.
• Lead site engineering strategy aligned with group objectives and sustainability goals.
• Support and lead initiatives in extrusion, thermoforming, and injection moulding processes.
• Champion continuous improvement and lean manufacturing principles.
• Manage contractors on site and ensure they meet legal and company requirements.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): Monitor and improve OEE across all production lines.
• Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF): Increase MTBF through proactive maintenance and reliability initiatives.
• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR): Reduce MTTR by streamlining fault diagnosis and repair processes.
• Engineering Spend vs Budget: Maintain spend within agreed budgets while ensuring operational efficiency and asset reliability.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Electrically biased engineer with strong mechanical understanding.
• Proven leadership experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally multi site.
• Hands on approach with the ability to mentor and motivate technical teams.
• Experience in plastic packaging or similar sectors (extrusion, thermoforming, injection moulding).
• Strong problem solving skills and a proactive mindset.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Relevant engineering qualifications (HNC/HND/Degree or equivalent).

What We Offer

Competitive salary and benefits package.

A dynamic and supportive working environment.

Career development within a forward thinking organisation.