Head of Engineering

The opportunity

We are working with a long-established and well-regarded food manufacturing company that is looking to hire a Head of Engineering. This is a senior leadership position focused on engineering direction, equipment uptime, maintenance results, and the future technical evolution of a busy production site.

The person in this role will help shape the engineering function, contribute to capital investment planning, and drive initiatives that strengthen reliability, efficiency, and overall site performance. It is a strong fit for an engineering leader who enjoys developing people, building capability, and making a visible difference in manufacturing operations.

Role overview

• Direct and support the engineering and maintenance teams.
• Improve equipment reliability, plant performance, and maintenance effectiveness.
• Design and roll out preventive and predictive maintenance approaches.
• Manage capital projects from early planning through to completion.
• Spot and drive opportunities in automation, process improvement, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with production, quality, and senior leadership to support site results.
• Make sure engineering activity complies with safety, legal, and regulatory standards.
• Promote a workplace culture built on continuous improvement, ownership, and technical excellence.

Candidate profile

• Substantial leadership experience in engineering, ideally gained in food manufacturing, FMCG, or another highly automated production environment.
• Demonstrable success in improving plant performance and lowering downtime.
• Background leading engineering and maintenance teams in a manufacturing setting.
• Strong experience managing capital projects and budgets.
• Practical, hands-on leadership style with the ability to influence at all levels of the organisation.
• A continuous improvement mindset and commitment to operational excellence.

Why this role stands out

• Help define the future direction of a well-invested manufacturing operation.
• Lead a key function with real influence across the business.
• Deliver measurable gains in performance, reliability, and efficiency.
• Join an organisation focused on improvement and long-term growth.

Additional information

The employer is a respected food manufacturing business with operations linked to Dublin and Waterford, and the role is based in County Waterford, Ireland. Interested candidates are invited to discuss the opportunity in confidence.