Warranty and Performance Engineer - Energy Recovery Facility, Leicestershire

ENCYCLIS, (formally known as Covanta Europe), is a leader in the energy from waste industry and we are looking for our next talented individual to join us on our continuous mission of achieving brilliant things!

We generate sustainable electricity for homes and businesses from non-recyclable waste. The ash from the process is also recycled to become building materials, and metals are recovered for re-use.

Our facilities are some of the most advanced in the world! They boast new, state of the art equipment and tools, ensuring safety is at the heart and its people are set up for success.

You will be joining a team of highly skilled, diverse individuals and a business that applauds their successes, loves idea sharing and values its people.

Encyclis Newhurst Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) is adjacent to the M1 Motorway at Shepshed, Leicestershire and just 30 minutes from both Leicester and Nottingham city centres.

This stunning single-line facility, which has been operational since 2023, has the capacity to process 350,000 tonnes of residual waste per year, diverting it from landfill, while generating sufficient electricity to power 80,000 homes.

As our Warranty and Performance Engineer you will be highly experienced, technically adept and will sit amongst our fantastic Engineering team. You will play a critical technical role in the post-commissioning lifecycle of the facility focussing on two core areas:

• Warranty & Defect Engineering: Leading the identification, management, and resolution of equipment and system defects during the Defect Liability Period (DLP) to ensure contractual compliance, operational reliability, and cost recovery.
• Performance Optimisation: Delivering continuous improvement in asset integrity, plant efficiency, and operational availability through advanced data analytics, thermodynamic performance evaluation, and systems engineering.

This role requires strong diagnostic, process, and systems analysis capabilities, with a hands-on approach to problem-solving and performance enhancement across complex integrated energy systems.

Warranty and Defect

• Lead the technical defect resolution process during DLP, managing the full lifecycle of defect notifications via the Defect Notification Record (DNR) in the PIRS platform.
• Perform detailed forensic analysis of system faults, leveraging SCADA/DCS data, site instrumentation, and failure reports to determine root causes.
• Liaise with EPC contractors, OEMs, site personnel, and engineering teams to validate design compliance, installation quality, and performance specifications.
• Quantify and document all operational impacts and cost exposures from unresolved or recurring defects; develop and execute claims for operator reimbursement where applicable.
• Support onsite inspections, commissioning re-tests, and technical audits to verify defect closure and prevent recurrence.
• Generate and deliver structured technical reports, incorporating time-based performance data, design vs. actual comparisons, and engineering recommendations.

Plant Performance Engineering

• Continuously monitor plant performance metrics (e.g. boiler & ACC efficiency, auxiliary power load, flue gas parameters) using real-time and historical data analytics tools.
• Identify degradation patterns in process equipment and control systems; develop and implement corrective action plans.
• Perform thermodynamic cycle assessments to identify improvement opportunities across the Rankine cycle and associated balance of plant systems.
• Develop and implement engineering upgrades/modifications to enhance availability, reduce unplanned downtime, and improve emissions compliance.
• Support Distributed Control System (DCS) optimisation, including logic tuning and interface modifications for combustion, steam cycle, and emissions controls.
• Lead and execute Root Cause Analyses (RCA) and Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEA) for plant performance issues and process anomalies.
• Assist in defining and executing system enhancements under the Management of Change (MOC) framework, whilst overseeing and auditing, ensuring technical rigor and traceability.

Operational and Technical Interface

• Act as the technical liaison between Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance teams, ensuring coherent implementation of asset management strategies across sites.
• Support the planning and technical scoping of outages and shutdowns, ensuring defect resolutions and performance upgrades are integrated into schedules.
• Contribute to process safety reviews (HAZOP/LOPA) and ensure that operational risks are technically assessed and mitigated.
• Support condition monitoring and predictive maintenance initiatives through analysis of vibration, thermal, acoustic, and electrical signature data.
• Ensure Encyclis H&S standards are maintained at all times .
• Actively participate in and support the cross-fertilisation of knowledge across the Encyclis UK business, including but not limited to; lessons learnt, EPC Schedule reviews, process & procedure reviews.
• Encouraging innovative ways of working and challenging existing processes/practices, to continually enhance and drive performance excellence.
• Support initiatives and be proactive in developing best practice and the relevant methods/processes.
• Attend all nominated company & technical training courses/modules as required.

Continuous Improvement

• Establish and maintain plant performance dashboards and KPI tracking systems using tools such as EcoPowersoft, PI System, or equivalent platforms.
• Provide input into CAPEX proposals related to system optimization, emissions reduction, and reliability improvement.
• Support the implementation of ISO 9001, 14001, and 45001, standards across engineering workflows and documentation.
• Champion cross-site technical knowledge transfer, lessons learned, and root cause trends to promote standardisation and engineering excellence across the fleet.

Qualifications (Required)

• HNC (Minimum) in Engineering.

Experience and Skills (Required)

• Time served in a mechanical or electrical engineering discipline.
• Relevant industry experience (minimum 3yrs).
• Data trending, analysis and evaluation.
• RCA methods - knowledge and experience.
• Excellent report writing capability and presentation skills.

Desirable

• Foundation Degree / Degree in Engineering.
• Registered as CEng / IEng.
• Knowledge of software / PLC tools.
• Six Sigma or CI equivalent.

Want to know more about what we do?

Check out our website and have a look around!