Lead Engineer

Description:

A fast-paced food manufacturing company in Widnes is seeking a highly skilled and hands-on Lead Engineer – Multi-Skilled to ensure production excellence, prevent downtime, and uphold top-tier product safety and quality standards. This is an exciting and dynamic role for an experienced engineer who thrives in an FMCG environment where continuous improvement and high performance are essential.

As a Lead Engineer, you'll be responsible for both electrical and mechanical engineering functions, including preventive maintenance, fault finding, installations, and compliance with food safety standards such as BRC and SALSA. Your work will have a direct and visible impact on factory performance and the quality of products delivered.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead both electrical and mechanical fault diagnosis and repair across critical machinery and systems.

• Perform preventive maintenance and implement robust maintenance strategies to reduce downtime.

• Maintain and troubleshoot pneumatic systems, including solenoid valves and air pistons.

• Repair, replace, and optimize components such as bearings, gearboxes, and mechanical assemblies.

• Carry out welding and fabrication for machine alterations and upgrades.

• Oversee installation and commissioning of new machinery, ensuring full integration with existing operations.

• Maintain and improve Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machinery.

• Uphold compliance with BRC, SALSA, and food safety protocols in all engineering work.

• Organize and manage spare parts inventory and ensure availability for key equipment.

• Collaborate with the Factory Quality Manager to resolve defects and enhance quality standards.

• Create and update SOPs to standardize operations and engineering best practices.

• Contribute to process improvement, factory layout optimization, and development projects.

• Support general maintenance and warehouse operations as needed.

Candidate Requirements:

• Proven multi-skilled engineering background with strong electrical and mechanical expertise.

• Demonstrated ability in diagnosing and resolving complex faults quickly and effectively.

• Strong understanding of pneumatic systems and mechanical drive components.

• Welding and fabrication skills required.

• Experience in machinery installation and integration.

• Previous experience in an FMCG or high-speed manufacturing environment.

• Familiarity with Vertical Form Fill Seal (VFFS) machines is highly desirable.

• Working knowledge of food safety regulations (BRC, SALSA).

• Excellent organization, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

• A proactive, solutions-focused attitude with a drive for continuous improvement.

Benefits:

• Salary of £45,000 to £50,000 per annum

• Opportunity to work in a progressive and quality-focused manufacturing environment

• Involvement in strategic factory upgrades and improvement projects

• Fast-paced and varied role with visible impact

• Supportive team and leadership structure