Head of Engineering

About the Role

A prominent manufacturing company in the food sector is seeking an accomplished and dynamic Head of Engineering to lead their Engineering and Facilities teams. This permanent role demands a strong leadership presence to ensure plant, equipment, systems, and infrastructure operate safely, efficiently, and reliably while supporting business growth and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and implement engineering standards, best practices, and maintain comprehensive documentation.
• Supervise system design, make technical decisions, and manage technology selection.
• Guarantee engineering outputs meet stringent quality, reliability, and safety criteria.
• Plan resources, infrastructure, and future technology investments strategically.
• Lead root cause analysis for critical incidents and oversee corrective actions.
• Maintain and enhance plant and facility standards with a focus on preventative and predictive maintenance.
• Ensure timely and on-budget delivery of engineering projects while managing departmental budgets and vendor partnerships.
• Direct and cultivate engineering and facilities teams, promoting strong interdepartmental communication and documentation practices.
• Monitor key performance indicators to continuously improve engineering performance and align initiatives with business goals.
• Oversee facilities management including contractor coordination and compliance with health, safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Report operational performance, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership effectively.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven engineering leadership experience in manufacturing or industrial settings.
• Strong mechanical, electrical, or automation engineering background.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams and execute complex projects.
• Expertise in maintenance reliability, continuous improvement, budget oversight, and vendor negotiations.
• Experience within food or FMCG manufacturing environments is advantageous.
• Knowledge of CMMS, automation technologies, or industrial IT systems is beneficial.
• Training or certification in Lean or Six Sigma methodologies is a plus.