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