Site Engineering Manager

Site Engineering Manager

Cockermouth

About James Walker

James Walker is part of the James Walker Group of Companies, who are a successful global Industrial organisation supplying high performance sealing products and solutions. With state-of-the-art material technology skills, the James Walker Strategic Business Unit (SBU) of the James Walker Group specialises in the provision of sealing solutions (elastomers, polymers, composites, engineering plastics, high nickel alloys).

Our worldwide group of companies has operations, sales and service entities across Europe, Middle East, India, Australia, New Zealand, SE Asia, South Africa and North and South America

Your Role

Lead and manage the engineering and maintenance function across the site, ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient operation of manufacturing equipment, plant, utilities and site infrastructure.

The Site Engineering Manager will be responsible for developing the engineering team, delivering effective maintenance strategies, improving equipment reliability, managing engineering projects and controlling maintenance expenditure.

The successful candidate must have proven engineering leadership experience within a manufacturing or industrial environment. An electrical engineering background is strongly preferred, although candidates with a strong mechanical or multidisciplinary engineering background and proven leadership capability will also be considered

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, motivate and develop the site engineering and maintenance team.
• Establish clear objectives, responsibilities and performance expectations.
• Build a proactive, accountable and safety-focused engineering culture.
• Develop team capability through training, coaching and succession planning.
• Ensure engineering resources are effectively deployed to support production requirements.
• Work closely with production, operations, quality and senior management to achieve site objectives. Maintenance and Equipment Reliability
• Take overall responsibility for planned preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance and breakdown response.
• Develop and implement maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability, availability and performance.
• Reduce unplanned downtime through root cause analysis and corrective action.
• Oversee maintenance planning, equipment shutdowns, spare-parts management and contractor activities.
• Monitor maintenance performance and implement continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure maintenance systems and asset records are maintained effectively.

Electrical Engineering and Technical Support

• Provide leadership and technical oversight for electrical engineering and maintenance activities.
• Support the diagnosis and resolution of complex electrical and control-system faults.
• Oversee the maintenance of electrical installations, motors, drives, control panels, automation systems and production machinery, as applicable.
• Ensure electrical work is undertaken by appropriately competent and authorised personnel
• Maintain appropriate electrical safety standards, technical documentation and compliance arrangements.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment performance through electrical, controls and automation upgrades.
• An electrical engineering background is strongly preferred, but the ability to lead the full engineering function is the primary requirement.

Mechanical Engineering and Site Infrastructure

• Oversee mechanical maintenance and the reliability of production equipment and associated plant.
• Ensure effective coordination between electrical and mechanical engineering teams.
• Manage site infrastructure, utilities and engineering services within the role's remit.
• Ensure equipment repairs, modifications and installations meet appropriate safety and engineering standards.

Engineering Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Lead engineering improvement projects, machinery upgrades and capital expenditure programmes.
• Prepare project proposals, budgets, technical specifications and implementation plans.
• Manage external contractors, suppliers and commissioning activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce maintenance costs and extend equipment life.
• Promote continuous improvement, energy efficiency and effective asset management.

Health, Safety and Compliance

• Ensure engineering activities comply with applicable health and safety legislation and company procedures.
• Maintain effective risk assessments, safe systems of work and equipment isolation arrangements.
• Oversee relevant statutory inspections and engineering compliance activities.
• Ensure contractors and engineering personnel work safely and competently.
• Promote a strong safety culture throughout the engineering function.

Budget and Performance Management

• Prepare and manage engineering and maintenance budgets.
• Monitor maintenance expenditure, contractor costs and spare-parts usage.
• Establish and report key performance indicators, including equipment downtime, asset availability, maintenance costs and planned maintenance compliance.
• Report engineering performance, risks and improvement plans to site management.

About you

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical or another relevant engineering discipline.
• Electrical engineering qualification or substantial industrial electrical maintenance experience.
• Recognised project management or engineering management qualification.
• IOSH Managing Safely, NEBOSH or equivalent health and safety training.

Essential Qualifications

• HND in Engineering, such as Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent relevant engineering experience.

Application End Date 29/10/2026