Engineering Manager

Engineering Manager
Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10
£60,000 - £70,000 per annum

Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week
Permanent, Full-Time
The Opportunity
Hawk 3 Talent Solutions are seeking an experienced and proactive Engineering Manager to lead the engineering function within a fast-paced manufacturing environment. This is an excellent opportunity for a strong engineering leader to drive maintenance excellence, improve equipment reliability, and play a pivotal role in enhancing operational performance. Based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, you will lead the engineering team while implementing best-in-class maintenance strategies that support production efficiency and business growth.
Key Responsibilities

Lead, manage and develop the Engineering team, creating a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement.
Develop, implement and sustain a comprehensive Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) programme.
Drive the transition from reactive maintenance to a proactive and reliability-focused engineering approach.
Improve equipment uptime, reliability and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) investigations into equipment failures and implement long-term corrective actions.
Analyse downtime and engineering performance data to identify opportunities for improvement.
Collaborate closely with Production, Planning and Technical teams to support operational efficiency.
Lead engineering improvement projects and capital investment programmes.
Manage engineering budgets, contractors, suppliers and spare parts inventory.
Champion Health, Safety and Environmental compliance across all engineering activities.
Identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption, waste and operating costs through engineering-led initiatives.
About You
To be successful in this role, you will possess:
Essential

Significant engineering leadership experience within a manufacturing or industrial maintenance environment.
Proven experience implementing and developing Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) systems.
Demonstrable success in reducing reactive maintenance and improving equipment reliability.
Strong technical knowledge across mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic disciplines.
Experience conducting Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and implementing reliability improvements.
Ability to analyse engineering performance metrics including OEE, downtime and maintenance compliance.
Experience managing budgets, contractors and capital projects.
Strong understanding of UK Health & Safety legislation within a manufacturing setting.
Desirable

HNC, HND, Degree or equivalent engineering qualification.
Experience within packaging, plastics, manufacturing or other high-speed automated production environments.
Experience using CMMS systems.
Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, autonomous maintenance or continuous improvement methodologies.
Experience delivering engineering transformation or major uptime improvement programmes.
What We're Looking For

Strong leadership skills with the ability to build and motivate high-performing teams.
A proactive and hands-on management style.
Excellent problem-solving and analytical capabilities.
Strong planning, organisation and prioritisation skills.
Effective communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders across the business.
A results-driven mindset focused on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Package

Salary: £60,000 - £70,000 per annum
Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week
Permanent full-time position
Opportunity to lead and shape engineering strategy within a growing manufacturing operation
Based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10
If you are a driven Engineering Manager looking for your next challenge and have a passion for reliability, continuous improvement and team development, we'd love to hear from you.
If you would like to apply for the role of Engineering Manager, then please email your CV to (url removed)   or call Deb on (phone number removed)
Closing date is 20.11.2026 Please note this could change subject to suitable applications.
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Hawk 3 Talent Solutions are committed to the selection, recruitment and development of the best people, basing judgements solely on suitability for the job. Whilst we endeavour to respond to all applications individually, due to high volumes, this is not always possible. Thank you for your interest in this role and we look forward to working with you in the future
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed