Engineering Manufacturing Lead in Chirk

Position Title: Engineering Manufacturing Lead

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Duration: 6 Months Contract

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Location: Chirk, Wales

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About the Role:

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• Our Client are seeking an experienced and driven Engineering Lead to oversee all engineering operations within our manufacturing process plant.
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• This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, implementing lean manufacturing techniques, and transforming our maintenance strategy from a reactive model to a robust preventative and predictive maintenance programme.
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• The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary engineering team and play a central role in improving plant reliability, efficiency, and safety.
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Key Responsibilities:

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Engineering Leadership & Team Management

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• Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers, technicians, and maintenance professionals across mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation disciplines.
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• Set clear performance objectives, conduct regular reviews, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
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• Manage resource planning, shift coverage, and skills development to ensure optimal team capability.
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• Act as the senior technical authority on-site, providing guidance on complex engineering challenges.
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Lean Manufacturing Implementation

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• Champion the adoption and embedding of lean manufacturing principles across all engineering and maintenance activities.
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• Lead the implementation of lean tools and methodologies including 5S, Kaizen, Value Stream Mapping, SMED, TPM (Total Productive Maintenance), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
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• Identify and eliminate waste in engineering processes, reducing downtime, material costs, and inefficiencies.
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• Establish and track KPIs aligned with lean objectives: GE (Global Efficiency inc. OEE), MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures), and MTTR (Mean Time to Repair).
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• Facilitate cross-functional workshops and training sessions to build lean capability across the wider plant team.
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Plant Reliability & Continuous Improvement

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• Own the plant's asset management strategy, ensuring long-term reliability and lifecycle cost optimisation.
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• Lead failure investigations and root cause analyses for significant breakdowns, implementing corrective and preventive actions.
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• Drive capital expenditure (CapEx) projects for equipment upgrades, replacements, and process improvements.
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• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Health & Safety, and Supply Chain teams to align engineering priorities with business objectives.
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Compliance, Safety & Standards

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• Ensure all engineering activities comply with relevant health, safety, and environmental regulations and industry standards.
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• Maintain up-to-date documentation including P&IDs, SOPs, risk assessments, and equipment records.
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• Support internal and external audits and ensure engineering readiness at all times.
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Required Qualifications & Experience:

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

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