Our client are a large food supplier with over 25 years of excellence in the food industry.  They have a wide range of meat and seafood products that delight consumers worldwide. They are always looking for talented and passionate people to join their large global team.

Their company culture values innovation, quality, sustainability, and customer satisfaction. Successful candidates have the opportunity to work with diverse and delicious products that are sourced responsibly and sustainably from over 50 different protein sources from 5 continents.

The Role          

The Head of Engineering will take accountability for all aspects of equipment, maintenance and safe operation of maintenance tasks and environmental issues.

You will be the key link between the Managers of department to leverage Engineering expertise to deliver the departments agreed food, people and site safety, maintenance priorities and innovative projects.

You will represent Engineering as a value adding, ‘role model’ function inside and outside of the site and take accountability for the delivery of Engineering people.

Key Accountabilities

• To exercise diligence and independent judgement to promote transparent, values-led and professional management of the site.
• Develop, implement and maintain an engineering strategy that is effective, efficient, to budget, well-managed, flexible and able to adapt to changing production circumstances.
• Management of lean and CI activities within the Engineering Function.
• Ensuring standards and procedures are in place and regularly updated to govern all site engineering activities including aspects of new asset realisation, safe working practises, management of contractors and assessment of competencies within the teams.
• To act as a professional and trusted advisor to the Head of Operations and site Management team on all maintenance and engineering matters.
• To utilise organisational and local MI to identify and prioritise local engineering agendas to achieve organisational engineering goals; Ensure MI is consistent, honest, open, routinely reviewed.
• Undertake a planned maintenance programme with consideration to optimising production and reducing downtime
• Support the integration of the engineering function into the manufacturing with a one-team mind-set
• With the site management team, ensure that the productive capability of the plant is optimised and improved for the needs of the business, including the provision and use of utilities (gas, water, electricity, compressed air) while complying with environment legislation
• Manage site utilities suppliers to ensure that the factory is provided with adequate, timely resources for emergency, accident, disaster or outage situation (Crisis Management)
• Ensure systems for stores to minimise inventory levels and working capital
• Regular constructive engagement with, and co-ordination of, the broader engineering teams (other sites, HSE Depts) to facilitate the local delivery of site engineering goals.
• The application of financial rigor to all engineering activity to ensure value for money for the site.
• Implement the groups engineering strategy.
• To ensure compliance with all company policies and procedures and food safety legislation and guidance

Skills and Experience Required       

• HNC / equivalent in Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering
• NEBOSH Certificate qualified
• Mechanical / electrical qualification or equivalent.
• Level 4 Food Hygiene (or equivalent) • Advanced HACCP (or equivalent)
• 5+ years of Engineering leadership experience; with exposure to FMCG environments, M&S audit standards and being ‘audit ready’.
• Evident confidence in presentation, communication and negotiating with professional peer groups.
• Efficient in delivering objectives and key measures.
• Ability to lead engineering segments of audits and ensure delegated Managers are able to lead also.
• Ability to work with peers in a matrix structure to draw in external skills to achieve local goals
• Track record of delivery
• Ability to manage priorities and projects across a multi-site and multi-function organisation
• A personal commitment to role model behaviours and to leadership and management through example

If you are looking for a rewarding and exciting career in the food sector, this could be the role for you.  Please get in touch for more information or apply with your CV today.