Engineering Manager

Company Description

At Valeo Foods UK we bring together a family of much-loved UK food brands supported by the scale and ambition of a global investment partner. From Kettle’s bold crunch to Rowse’s natural sweetness, through to Matthew Walker and Barratt Sweets, our portfolio blends heritage, craft and category-leading innovation.

Alongside our branded portfolio, we are also one of the UK’s largest suppliers of private label products, partnering with major retailers to deliver quality and category expertise that meets the needs of millions of households every week.

As a business, we’re on a journey of transformation. We’re strengthening our operations, driving quality and investing in our people. It’s an exciting, fast-moving environment where heritage meets new thinking, and where every colleague contributes to shaping the future of food across the UK.

Join us and play your part in building the next chapter of some of Britain’s most loved brands.

Job Description

As Engineering Manager, you will lead the site’s strong engineering team, driving operational excellence, safety, and compliance. You will be responsible for developing and implementing a robust maintenance strategy, ensuring maximum efficiency and reliability of the site’s equipment and infrastructure. You will also play a key role in continuous improvement, cost control, and strategic planning.

You will oversee all engineering activities, ensuring they align with both internal and external compliance requirements. This includes conducting risk assessments, managing contractor safety, and maintaining a safe working environment. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure that all maintenance and engineering projects meet food safety and quality standards, investigating and resolving any equipment-related product quality issues as they arise.

A key aspect of the role will be the development and execution of a preventative maintenance program, ensuring a stable and reliably functioning site. When unexpected issues arise, you will be responsible for ensuring the team responds efficiently, minimising downtime while prioritising customer needs. Alongside this, you will review asset management plans and align maintenance strategies with the overall business objectives. Managing the engineering budget will also be an important focus, ensuring cost-effective procurement of spare parts, labour, and equipment while delivering long-term value to the business.

Beyond day-to-day operations, you will oversee and drive engineering projects, managing capital expenditure (CapEx) and operational expenditure (OpEx) to ensure successful delivery. Your leadership will be instrumental in guiding the team through these projects, balancing operational requirements with business goals.

People leadership is at the heart of this role. You will be responsible for developing and motivating the engineering team, ensuring they have clear objectives aligned with the wider operational strategy. Through regular one-to-ones, training plans, and structured performance reviews, you will foster a high-performing team, ensuring continuous development and succession planning.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior engineering role, ideally within food manufacturing
• Strong knowledge of electrical and mechanical engineering
• Experience of leading site services (effluent, allergen and hazards)
• Experience managing maintenance strategies and project planning
• A track record of leading teams, driving performance, and managing change
• Experience in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment
• Capital project management experience
• Familiarity with project management software

Additional Information

Join Our Team: If you're ready to challenge the norm, inspire others, and make a real impact, we want to hear from you! Apply now to become part of the Valeo Foods UK team and take your career to the next level.