Engineering Shift Lead

Location: Cambrian Industrial Park, Tonypandy, CF40 2XX
Salary: Circa £41,00 DOE
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Hours/Shift Patterns: Monday to Friday (6am to 2pm or 2pm to 10pm on a rotating shift)
Department: Engineering

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Engineering Shift Lead to take ownership of engineering performance during your shift.

This is a hands on leadership role, combining technical expertise with people management, safety leadership and continuous improvement.

You will lead, coach and develop a shift based engineering team while remaining actively involved in maintenance, breakdown response, fabrication and improvement work. You'll play a key role in improving equipment reliability, reducing downtime and building a high performance, safety first culture.

What you'll be responsible for

• Leading start-of-shift briefs, end-of-shift reviews and effective cross-shift handovers
• Setting clear expectations and holding the team to agreed standards
• Coaching, developing and recognising engineers on shift
• Managing performance, conduct and absence issues fairly and in line with company policy
• Creating a culture of accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement
• Hands on maintenance & breakdown response
• Diagnosing and repairing mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic faults
• Supporting electrical fault finding where competent
• Carrying out fabrication, machining and component repair work
• Ensuring fast, safe and effective breakdown resolution to minimise downtime

Preventive Maintenance

• Delivering scheduled preventive maintenance to defined standards
• Working from maintenance schedules and production plans
• Maintaining accurate maintenance records for compliance and analysis

Safety, Compliance & Housekeeping

• Championing safe systems of work and leading point-of-work risk assessments
• Working closely with the H&S Manager to drive safety compliance
• Investigating accidents and near misses and ensuring corrective actions are completed
• Maintaining BRC accreditation, 5S standards and excellent housekeeping

• Identifying and implementing equipment and process improvements
• Supporting automation and cost reduction initiatives
• Applying Lean tools, RCA and 5 Whys methodology
• Driving improvements in OEE, reliability and downtime reduction
• Facilitating small Kaizen activities and sharing best practice across shifts

Communication & Decision Making

• Providing clear shift performance updates to the Head of Engineering
• Maintaining accurate breakdown, repair and PM records
• Liaising with internal teams and external suppliers
• Allocating labour and approving reasonable overtime within agreed parameters
• Stopping work where safety or quality is at risk and escalating appropriately
• Deputising for the Head of Engineering within agreed authority

What success looks like

• Strong shift level safety performance and audit results
• Reduced downtime and improved equipment reliability
• Planned maintenance completed on schedule
• Engaged, well coached engineering team
• Improved OEE and measurable CI cost savings
• High levels of near miss reporting and closed corrective actions

What we're looking for

• Strong mechanical engineering background with hands on experience
• Proven ability to diagnose and repair mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic systems
• Experience with fabrication, machining and hand fitting components
• Leadership experience within a maintenance or engineering environment
• Knowledge of RCA and 5 Whys problem solving techniques
• Good understanding of HSE requirements and compliance standards
• Confident people leader who sets standards and holds others accountable
• Flexible and able to work rotating shifts
• Basic electrical fault finding capability
• Experience with Lean / Continuous Improvement tools
• Manufacturing environment experience
• IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent H&S qualification
• Track record of improving OEE and equipment performance

Why Join Us?

• A leadership role that keeps you hands on and technically challenged
• Real influence over engineering performance and site reliability
• Opportunity to develop people, systems and processes
• Supportive leadership structure and clear decision making authority

If you're an experienced engineer ready to lead from the front - balancing people, performance and technical excellence - we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now to join our Engineering leadership team.

Registered Office: 36B Speirs Wharf, Port Dundas, Glasgow, G4 9TG

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