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 People Leadership & Culture • 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 Continuous Improvement & Projects • 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 Essential • 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 Desirable • 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. No agencies please