Job Description:

Lead Maintenance Engineer£65,000 | Monday–Friday Rotating Shifts | Food Manufacturing | TiptonLead Engineering Excellence in a Market-Leading Food Manufacturing BusinessAre you an experienced Maintenance Engineer ready to step into a highly visible leadership position? Or an established Lead Engineer looking for your next challenge with a respected food manufacturer?

We are seeking a Lead Maintenance Engineer to join the engineering leadership team at a well-established and highly successful food manufacturing site in Tipton. This is a fantastic opportunity to take ownership of maintenance operations, lead a team of engineers, and play a key role in driving reliability, performance, and continuous improvement across a fast-paced production environment.

Working closely with the Technical Engineering Manager, you will be responsible for delivering engineering excellence across planned and reactive maintenance activities while developing a proactive maintenance culture that supports operational success.

What's on Offer?

• £65,000 annual salary
  
  
• Monday to Friday rotating shifts
  
  
  • 5:00am – 2:00pm
    
    
  • 1:00pm – 10:00pm
    
    
  • 9:00pm – 6:00am
    
    
• Join a respected and growing food manufacturing business
  
  
• Significant leadership and decision-making responsibility
  
  
• Opportunity to influence maintenance strategy and site reliability
  
  
• Long-term career development and progression opportunities
  
  
• Stable ambient production environment
  
  

The RoleAs Lead Maintenance Engineer, you will take full ownership of engineering activities during your shift, ensuring maintenance resources are effectively deployed to maximise equipment reliability and production performance.

Key ResponsibilitiesEngineering Leadership & Shift Management

• Lead and coordinate engineering activities from shift handover to handover
  
  
• Allocate engineering resources across planned and reactive maintenance tasks
  
  
• Act as the primary engineering contact for production teams
  
  
• Monitor plant performance and prioritise maintenance response activities
  
  
• Manage shift attendance and escalate staffing concerns when required
  
  
• Ensure compliance with Permit to Work procedures and engineering safety standards
  
  
• Complete detailed shift reports and handovers through the CMMS system
  
  
• Serve as the first escalation point for maintenance issues
  
  

Reliability & Root Cause Analysis

• Lead investigations into repeat equipment failures and major breakdowns
  
  
• Utilise structured RCA techniques including 5 Whys and Fishbone Analysis
  
  
• Deliver RCA reports within required timeframes
  
  
• Identify recurring issues and implement long-term corrective actions
  
  
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve plant reliability
  
  
• Share lessons learned and engineering best practice across teams
  
  

Planned Preventative Maintenance

• Manage and prioritise all PPM activities through CMMS
  
  
• Ensure maintenance schedules are completed on time and to a high standard
  
  
• Audit maintenance quality and verify work completion
  
  
• Support the transition from reactive to proactive maintenance practices
  
  
• Work collaboratively with production teams to minimise downtime
  
  

CMMS & Spare Parts Management

• Maintain accurate maintenance records and work order completion
  
  
• Manage spare parts usage through CMMS processes
  
  
• Identify critical stock shortages and support inventory optimisation
  
  
• Promote strong CMMS discipline across the engineering team
  
  

Contractor & Compliance Management

• Coordinate and oversee all contractor activities on site
  
  
• Conduct contractor inductions and issue permits
  
  
• Ensure contractor compliance with site safety standards
  
  
• Monitor work quality and performance
  
  
• Maintain accurate contractor records for audit purposes
  
  

About YouTo be successful in this role, you will have:

• Minimum 5 years' engineering experience within food manufacturing
  
  
• Previous experience as a Lead Engineer, Engineering Supervisor, Shift Engineering Manager, Senior Maintenance Engineer or similar leadership role
  
  
• Strong mechanical and/or electrical engineering background
  
  
• Proven experience leading engineering teams within a manufacturing environment
  
  
• Excellent fault-finding and problem-solving skills
  
  
• Strong understanding of Root Cause Analysis methodologies
  
  
• Experience using CMMS systems to manage maintenance activities
  
  
• Knowledge of Permit to Work systems and engineering safety standards
  
  
• Excellent communication and team leadership skills
  
  
• Passion for continuous improvement, reliability and engineering excellence
  
  

Apply NowIf you're an ambitious engineering leader looking to make a real impact within a successful food manufacturing business, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today to discuss this exciting Lead Maintenance Engineer opportunity in confidence.