Engineering Lead

PE Global are currently recruiting for an Engineering Lead for a contract role with a leading multinational food manufacturing client based in Chirk, Wrexham.

Initial 6 months contract with potential for extension or turning into a perm opportunity later.
Pay rate is £39.10 per hour - £48.87 per hour PAYE (depending on experience)

We are seeking an experienced and driven Engineering Lead to oversee all engineering operations within our manufacturing process plant. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing lean manufacturing techniques, and transforming maintenance strategy from a reactive model to a robust preventative and predictive maintenance programme. The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team and play a central role in improving plant reliability, efficiency, and safety.
The Chirk site is a very traditional heavy engineering site, so experience in this environment is necessary.

Job Responsibilities
• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers, technicians, and maintenance professionals across mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines.
• Set clear performance objectives, conduct regular reviews, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Manage resource planning, shift coverage, and skills development to ensure optimal team capability.
• Act as the senior technical authority on-site, providing guidance on complex engineering challenges.
• Champion the adoption and embedding of lean manufacturing principles across all engineering and maintenance activities.
• Lead the implementation of lean tools and methodologies including 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, SMED, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
• Identify and eliminate waste in engineering processes, reducing downtime, material costs, and inefficiencies.
• Establish and track KPIs aligned with lean objectives.
• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and training sessions.
• Develop and execute the strategic roadmap to transition the plant from reactive maintenance model to a structured preventative and predictive maintenance programme.
• Continue to implement a Computerised Maintenance Management System (SAP) to schedule, track, and optimise all maintenance activities.
• Develop condition-based monitoring techniques (e.g., vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis) to predict equipment failures before they occur.
• Establish preventative maintenance schedules.
• Target a measurable reduction in unplanned downtime (e.g., 30–50% reduction within the first 18 months).
• Own the plant's asset management strategy, ensuring long-term reliability and lifecycle cost optimisation.
• Lead failure investigations and root cause analyses for significant breakdowns, implementing corrective and preventive actions.

Requirements
• A high level of experience in an engineering or maintenance leadership role within a manufacturing or process plant environment. Food industry experience is advantageous but not essential
• Proven track record of implementing lean manufacturing techniques (e.g., TPM, 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping).
• Demonstrated experience in transitioning maintenance strategies from reactive to preventative/predictive models.
• Strong knowledge of CMMS platforms (ideally., SAP).
• Experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams in a 24/7 operational environment.
• Solid understanding of health and safety legislation and regulatory compliance in a manufacturing setting.

Desirable
• Degree (or equivalent) in related Engineering field
• Lean Six Sigma certification (Green Belt or Black Belt).
• Experience with predictive maintenance technologies (vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasonic testing).
• Familiarity with Industry 4.0 concepts, including IoT-enabled monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

Interested candidates should submit an up to date CV.

***Please note our client cannot assist with any visa sponsorship and candidates must have the correct visa to live and work in UK***

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Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed