The Compleat Food Group
Engineering Manager
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Engineering Manager
Barnsley
£70,000 - £77,000 + Car Allowance + Bonus + Benefits
At The Compleat Food Group, we're creating great quality food that people love. Behind every successful site is a high-performing engineering function that keeps our operations safe, reliable, and efficient.
We're looking for an experienced Engineering Manager to join our Barnsley site and play a pivotal role in driving engineering excellence, asset reliability, and operational performance.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a strong engineering leader to join a growing business where you can make a genuine impact, lead a talented team, and help shape the future of engineering performance across the site.
About the Role
Reporting to the Head of Engineering and forming part of the site leadership team, you'll take ownership of the engineering function, ensuring our assets, systems, and people consistently deliver outstanding performance.
You'll lead the site's Asset Care strategy, ensuring equipment reliability, compliance, continuous improvement, and engineering capability are aligned with business objectives and group engineering standards.
Working closely with both site and regional leadership teams, you'll drive a proactive maintenance culture that supports operational excellence, enhances performance, and delivers sustainable improvements.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & People Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of engineers and engineering leaders.
- Build a high-performance culture focused on accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Conduct performance reviews, succession planning, and skills development activities.
- Ensure engineering resource plans effectively support operational requirements.
Asset Reliability & Performance
- Drive equipment reliability and site asset performance.
- Lead preventative maintenance programmes, ensuring planned maintenance targets are achieved.
- Manage reactive maintenance activities and implement robust root cause analysis processes.
- Use engineering and production data to identify performance improvement opportunities.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve OEE, reduce waste, and increase asset availability.
Health, Safety & Compliance
- Champion a safety-first culture across the engineering team.
- Ensure compliance with all statutory engineering requirements and company standards.
- Oversee permit-to-work systems, contractor management, and safe systems of work.
- Lead investigations into engineering-related incidents and implement preventative actions.
- Maintain full audit readiness and compliance with food safety, environmental, and health & safety standards.
Financial & Project Management
- Manage the site engineering budget and departmental expenditure.
- Control contractor costs, supplier performance, and engineering inventory.
- Support and deliver capital investment projects from proposal through to implementation.
- Apply lifecycle costing principles to engineering decision-making.
- Deliver engineering improvements that contribute to site profitability and operational efficiency.
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Engineering Governance
- Ensure effective use of CMMS and maintenance systems.
- Maintain engineering documentation, SOPs, risk assessments, and statutory records.
- Lead engineering reviews and ensure effective communication across shifts and departments.
- Support internal and external audits and drive timely closure of actions.
What We're Looking For
We're seeking an inspirational engineering leader with a proven track record within a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Essential Experience
- Significant engineering leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing, or a similar high-volume production environment.
- Proven success in improving equipment reliability and operational performance.
- Strong experience managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
- Experience managing engineering budgets, contractors, and supplier relationships.
- Track record of leading high-performing engineering teams.
- Experience using CMMS systems and data-driven maintenance strategies.
- Exposure to capital project delivery and continuous improvement initiatives.
Qualifications
- HNC, HND, or Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Engineering-related discipline.
- IOSH Managing Safely or NEBOSH qualification desirable.
- Project management qualifications or experience would be advantageous.
Key Skills
- Excellent leadership and coaching capability.
- Strong technical and problem-solving skills.
- Experienced in root cause analysis and continuous improvement methodologies.
- Commercial awareness and sound financial management skills.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
- Organised, structured, and disciplined approach to engineering governance.
Personal Attributes
- Visible, engaging, and credible leader.
- Passionate about developing people and building capability.
- Hands-on and proactive approach.
- Results-focused with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Able to influence and collaborate at all levels.
- Committed to delivering engineering excellence and operational success.
Why Join Us?
This is a chance to step into a commercially significant role in a business with incredible momentum. You’ll be joining a PE-backed group with scale, ambition, and pace, where strong commercial talent can make a visible impact. With a diverse multi-site manufacturing footprint, leading chilled food capabilities, and a major strategic partnership with Tesco, this is an opportunity to influence growth at the highest level.
You’ll be part of a collaborative, passionate, and commercially driven team that values pace, ownership, and fresh thinking.
At The Compleat Food Group, we believe our people are the heart of our success. That’s why we offer a wide range of benefits designed to support your lifestyle, wellbeing, and career growth:
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Financial & Lifestyle Benefits
- Competitive Car Allowance
- Company Bonus Scheme recognising performance and contribution
- Salary Sacrifice Schemes - including Electric Vehicles, Home & Tech, Cycle to Work, and SMART Pension
- 33 days’ annual leave (including bank holidays) with the option to purchase extra
- Holiday Discounts Available via our online retail discount platform
- Access to enhanced retail discounts online and in-store
- Free product handouts across our sites, so you can sample and enjoy our delicious products first hand
- EV charging points - available at selected sites
Health & Wellbeing
- 24/7 access to GroceryAid for free financial, emotional, and practical support
- Physical Wellbeing Hub - free on-demand exercise programmes, online classes, and multiple gym discounts
- Free diet & nutrition advice with access to thousands of meal plans and healthy recipes
- Online wellbeing support - from mindfulness to lifestyle resources
- Financial wellbeing tools - including mortgage calculators, budgeting tools, and financial aid
Career Growth & Development
- Access to a personalised online learning platform (LMS)
- Formal and informal training opportunities tailored to your role
- Performance Development Plans and regular Career Conversations
- Industry-leading company Mentoring Scheme to add depth and really support your career journey
- Recognition through Club Compleat rewards portal
Community & Culture
- 2 paid volunteering days per year to give back to causes that matter to you
- Charity initiatives and fundraising events
- Team socials to connect and celebrate together
- Employee networks & support groups - including Women @ Compleat
- New baby gift for new parents
What You Should Know About How We Recruit
At The Compleat Food Group, we believe great teams are built on difference. We create an inclusive, respectful environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and are able to be themselves at work. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to Fairness, Equity, Inclusivity, and Respect. If you need a reasonable adjustment at any stage of our recruitment process, just let us know, we’ll support you — confidentially and with care. We hire the best people for our roles, not the same people. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, we focus on what you do and the impact you could make in our business. Our recruitment process is fair, accessible, and designed to give everyone an equal chance. You’ll also find benefits that support people at every life stage, plus active internal networks — including Women @ Compleat, LGBTQIA+, and Neurodiversity.
Recruitment Agencies
We have a small, active, and trusted Preferred Supplier List to assist us if required. We do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions. We only accept CV submissions for roles released to you directly by our Talent Acquisition team.
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