Maintenance and Planning Team Leader

Maintenance Team Leader
Permanent | Darlington | £50,000 - £55,000

About the Role
We are seeking a Maintenance Team Leader to join a growing engineering function, supporting the operational reliability of highly specialised laboratory, manufacturing, and facility assets.
Reporting to the Head of Maintenance, this role will lead a small team responsible for maintaining critical equipment, laboratory infrastructure, and facility systems across the site. You'll play a key role in ensuring assets remain safe, compliant, and available for scientific and operational teams, while also coordinating external contractors and facilities management providers.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced maintenance professional looking to take the next step into a leadership role, while still remaining technically involved in the day-to-day operation of the site.

What You'll Be Responsible For
Maintenance Leadership

Lead and coordinate a team of maintenance technicians and support staff
Plan, prioritise, and manage planned and reactive maintenance activities
Support the development of team capability through coaching, mentoring, and training
Act as a key escalation point for maintenance and reliability issues across the siteFacilities & Equipment Reliability

Ensure the reliability and availability of laboratory, manufacturing, and facility equipment
Coordinate maintenance schedules to minimise downtime and maximise operational performance
Oversee preventative and predictive maintenance programmes
Support installation, calibration, improvement, and repair activities across site assetsContractor & Facilities Management

Work closely with facilities management providers and third-party contractors
Coordinate infrastructure maintenance and facility improvement activities
Ensure contractor activities are delivered safely, efficiently, and in line with operational requirements
Act as the interface between internal teams and external service providersOperational & Site Support

Support Heads of Operations and key stakeholders with maintenance planning and technical advice
Coordinate engineering resources and priorities across the site
Contribute to maintenance strategy, asset lifecycle planning, and reliability improvements
Help identify opportunities to improve asset performance and reduce operational costsCompliance & Continuous Improvement

Ensure activities are completed in accordance with Health & Safety, quality, and regulatory requirements
Support maintenance activities within regulated environments, including GMP facilities
Analyse maintenance data and KPIs to identify trends and improvement opportunities
Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance reliability and efficiency
About You
You are an experienced maintenance professional with strong technical knowledge and a proactive approach to leadership and problem solving.
You'll bring:

Significant experience in maintenance engineering within a regulated or highly controlled environment
Experience leading or supervising maintenance teams
Strong fault-finding and problem-solving capability
Experience working with both equipment and facility infrastructure
The ability to prioritise competing demands and coordinate multiple stakeholders
Excellent communication and planning skillsWe are open to candidates from either a mechanical or electrical background.
Particularly desirable experience includes:

GMP or pharmaceutical manufacturing environments
Cleanroom facilities
Steam systems
Purified water systems
Building services and critical utilities
Medical devices, pharmaceutical, life sciences, oil & gas, or similarly regulated industries
Facilities maintenance and contractor managementThe ideal candidate will be hands-on, practical, and able to support both laboratory equipment and facility-related assets while leading a small team and coordinating external providers.

Why Join Us?

Opportunity to lead maintenance activities across a technically advanced site
Mix of leadership, engineering, and operational responsibility
Work within cutting-edge laboratory and manufacturing environments
Exposure to GMP and advanced therapeutic manufacturing facilities
Competitive salary of up to £55,000
Location & Working Pattern

Based primarily in Darlington
Occasional travel to other UK sites may be required
Full-time permanent role
The Opportunity
This role is ideal for an experienced maintenance engineer, supervisor, or team leader looking to step into a broader leadership position. You'll play a critical role in keeping complex scientific and manufacturing environments running effectively while helping shape the future reliability and maintenance strategy of the site

Guidant, Carbon60, Lorien & SRG - The Impellam Group Portfolio are acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed