Whitworths Ltd
ENGINEERING TEAM: SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER (MON-FRI 8-HOUR DAY SHIFTS)
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Irthlingborough
All Locations is a required fieldPermanent full timeNot SpecifiedEngineering
About The Role
Join Whitworths as a Site Reliability Engineer
Find the Cause. Fix It Properly. Make It Stay Fixed.
Are you the kind of engineer who isn’t satisfied with simply getting a machine running again?
When equipment fails, do you want to understand why it failed, what the real failure mechanism was, and what needs to change to prevent it happening again?
At Whitworths, we’re looking for a Site Reliability Engineer to help us take the next step in our engineering journey - moving beyond reactive maintenance and using data, structured problem-solving and engineering expertise to improve the long-term reliability of our manufacturing assets.
This is a hands-on manufacturing reliability role where you’ll work closely with Engineering, Operations and other site teams to identify recurring losses, investigate significant failures and turn what we learn into sustainable engineering improvements.
Your Mission
As Our Site Reliability Engineer, Your Mission Is Straightforward
Reduce repeat failures and make our equipment more reliable.
You’ll analyse breakdown and downtime data to identify where our biggest reliability opportunities are, lead structured Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and work with the wider team to develop medium and long-term engineering solutions that address the underlying causes rather than repeatedly treating the symptoms.
Just as importantly, you’ll follow those actions through and demonstrate that the solution has actually worked.
What You’ll Do
- Find the Real Cause: Lead structured Root Cause Analysis for significant, high-impact and recurring equipment failures, using evidence to understand the true failure mechanism.
- Turn Data into Action: Analyse breakdown, downtime, OEE and maintenance data to identify recurring failure patterns and high-impact assets that should be prioritised for improvement.
- Fix Problems Properly: Separate immediate containment from permanent corrective action and develop practical medium and long-term solutions that prevent failures from returning.
- Make Sure the Fix Works: Track corrective actions through to completion and verify that they have genuinely reduced or eliminated the original failure.
- Improve How We Maintain Equipment: Turn reliability learning into better PPM tasks, frequencies, inspection standards, maintenance methods and engineering standards.
- Understand How Equipment Can Fail: Apply techniques including FMEA, asset criticality and structured failure-mode analysis to identify vulnerabilities before they become significant production losses.
- Measure Reliability: Track repeat failures, MTBF, MTTR and engineering-related downtime to highlight trends, emerging risks and improvement opportunities.
- Develop Smarter Maintenance: Identify practical opportunities for condition-based and predictive maintenance where these can improve asset reliability.
- Improve Critical Spares Strategy: Use failure history, asset criticality, consequence and lead times to help ensure the right critical components are available when they’re needed.
- Build Reliability Capability: Coach engineers and operational colleagues in structured problem-solving, failure capture and RCA so that learning is shared across the site.
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Real Engineering. Real Impact.
You Could Be
- Investigating why the same packaging machine has suffered repeated failures and identifying the engineering change needed to eliminate the problem.
- Analysing downtime data and identifying a small number of recurring failures responsible for a disproportionate amount of production loss.
- Leading a cross-functional RCA with Engineering and Operations following a significant breakdown.
- Challenging a temporary repair and developing a permanent engineering solution.
- Reviewing an existing PPM and discovering that we’re maintaining the equipment frequently but not addressing the failure mode that’s actually causing downtime.
- Completing an FMEA on a critical asset to identify vulnerabilities and prioritise improvement activity.
- Using failure history to improve our critical-spares strategy.
- Reviewing MTBF and MTTR trends to demonstrate whether engineering improvements are delivering measurable results.
- Working with suppliers or specialist contractors to understand a complex equipment failure and develop the right technical solution.
- Taking lessons from one failure and making sure they’re applied across similar equipment throughout the site.
Who We’re Looking For
You’re An Engineer Who Doesn’t Stop At
“How do we get it running again?”
You Naturally Ask
“Why did it fail - and what do we need to change so it doesn’t happen again?”
You’ll be comfortable combining practical engineering knowledge with data and structured problem-solving. You’ll need the confidence to challenge assumptions, follow the evidence and work across different teams to turn technical findings into practical improvements.
You won’t need direct authority over people to make things happen - you’ll use evidence, engineering judgement and strong relationships to influence action.
Essentials
- Experience in a maintenance, reliability or engineering role within a manufacturing environment.
- Practical experience of Root Cause Analysis and structured failure investigation.
- Experience implementing corrective actions that prevent failures from recurring.
- Ability to analyse breakdown, downtime, OEE or maintenance data and turn it into improvement priorities.
- Strong engineering understanding of manufacturing equipment and associated mechanical, electrical and control systems.
- Experience working with manufacturing systems, controls and instrumentation.
- Strong logical and evidence-based problem-solving skills with the ability to look beyond symptoms and identify underlying failure mechanisms.
- Ability to communicate technical findings and recommendations clearly with colleagues at all levels.
- Strong PC skills, including Excel, and experience using ERP/CMMS or maintenance-management systems.
- HNC/HND or equivalent engineering qualification, or a time-served engineering apprenticeship with significant relevant manufacturing experience.
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It Would Be Great If You Also Have
- Experience within FMCG, food manufacturing or packaging.
- Practical experience of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
- Knowledge of asset criticality, Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) or similar reliability methodologies.
- Experience developing condition-based or predictive maintenance approaches.
- Experience facilitating cross-functional problem-solving sessions.
- Experience coaching others in RCA and structured problem-solving.
Why This Role Matters
Our engineering teams already work hard to respond to equipment failures and keep production moving.
This role is about doing something different.
It’s about creating the time, focus and technical ownership to understand why failures happen in the first place and ensuring that the learning results in sustainable engineering improvements.
Success won’t simply be measured by how many RCAs you complete.
It Will Be Measured By What Happens Afterwards
- Fewer repeat failures.
- Longer MTBF.
- Less engineering-related downtime.
- Better maintenance strategies.
- More reliable equipment.
If you’re an engineer who enjoys getting underneath difficult problems and wants the opportunity to make a measurable difference to manufacturing performance, we’d like to hear from you.
Join Whitworths and help us move from fixing failures to engineering them out.
Click Apply Now and help us engineer technology that keeps Whitworths moving.
All applications will be responded to—we’re excited to hear from you.
Our Commitment
Whitworths is fully committed to eradicating modern slavery within our business and supply chain. Our modern slavery statement is available on our website. If you have any concerns, please contact the Salvation Army Human Trafficking Helpline (0300 303 8151) or the Modern Slavery Helpline (08000 121 700)
About You
About Us
We’re on an exciting mission here at Whitworths – to help boost the nutrient intake of the nation, improving general health of families using the goodness found in our delicious products. We’re the only brand that gives a credibly nutritious boost to breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, baking and beyond.
There are obviously many other reasons to come and work with us, but the biggest reason is so that you have a job you love and a company you are proud to say you work for. You will receive a competitive salary, 33 days holiday, a workplace pension, and in addition, you’ll also have access to a number of family friendly, health and lifestyle benefits. Culturally, we believe strongly in investing in our people, developing them in role and developing their careers within Whitworths. Don't just take our word for it, our people say the same, as demonstrated by our recent accreditation from Investors In People.
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