Head of engineering - food manufacturing

Job Title: Head of Engineering

Location: Preston, Lancashire, UK (Relocation assistance available)

Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 per annum dependent on experience, specifically in relation to candidates with experience in the meat / poultry processing sector

Job type: Full time, Permanent

Shape the Future of Engineering at Gafoor

This is an opportunity to build, influence and transform.

Gafoor is a fast-growing, family-owned food manufacturing business supplying major UK grocery, retail and wholesale customers from our modern, BRC-accredited facility in Preston. With 500 employees and a 24/5 operation spanning live intake through to finished product distribution, we are at a pivotal stage in our growth.

We are investing in capability, infrastructure and leadership - and we are looking for a Head of Engineering.

About the Role:

Why This Role is Different:

You will have:

• Strategic influence - A seat at the leadership table, shaping investment and integration of new technology.
• Autonomy - The scope to design and implement a best-in-class engineering roadmap.
• Transformation opportunity - The mandate to elevate engineering culture and embed preventative and predictive maintenance excellence.
• Commercial impact - Direct accountability for OEE, downtime reduction, cost control and performance optimisation.
• Real scale - Leadership of a multi skilled engineering team supporting a complex, high-throughput food manufacturing environment.

This role offers the rare balance of hands-on operational leadership and long-term strategic direction.

Please note that sponsorship is not available for this role and therefore candidates must have the legal right to live and work in the UK to be considered.

What You'll Be Responsible For:

• Driving cultural change and engineering excellence across the function
• Embedding a robust preventative and predictive maintenance framework
• Delivering measurable improvements in availability, efficiency and waste reduction
• Managing KPI performance, budgets and contractor relationships
• Leading a structured program of capital expenditure
• Ensuring engineering compliance with BRC requirements/standards
• Aligning engineering capability with ambitious business growth plans
• Be an active member of the company's leadership team and play a key role in shaping the day-to-day management and culture of the wider team.

This is a visible leadership role requiring flexibility to support a 24/5 operation.

Who Will Thrive Here/What we are looking for:

You will be an experienced engineering leader from a food manufacturing background - ideally meat or poultry processing - who combines technical credibility with commercial acumen.

You will bring:

• Degree-level (or equivalent) Engineering qualification
• Proven success leading multi-skilled engineering teams
• Strong experience implementing preventative maintenance and CI programmes
• Experience of managing 3rd party contractors and CDM compliance
• Experience managing capital expenditure projects
• Excellent I.T skills, all standards Microsoft packages
• Experience within BRC or similarly regulated environments
• A track record of improving OEE and operational performance
• The confidence to influence at board and shop-floor level

Most importantly, you will be motivated by building something stronger than what you inherited.

What You Gain/Why Join Gafoor:

• Competitive salary with flexibility for sector expertise
• Relocation package for candidates relocating (Relocation budget up to £5000)
• Genuine leadership influence within a growing, ambitious business
• The opportunity to shape culture, standards and long-term engineering strategy
• Free parking and onsite canteen serving fresh hot meals each day
• A business that values performance, accountability and continuous improvement
• Staff shop / discounted products
• PPE and uniform provided
• Enhanced pension and holiday entitlement with continuous service

If you are seeking the chance to join a well-established company at an exciting stage in their growth, please click the APPLY button to send your CV in for immediate consideration.

Candidates with experience or relevant job titles of; Engineering Manager, Mechanical Engineer, Multi Skilled Engineering Manager, Multiskilled Engineer, Senior Engineer, Engineering Team Leader, Maintenance Manager, Manufacturing Engineer Manager, Senior Production Engineer, Electrical Engineer, Design Engineering, Installation Engineer, Multi-skilled Engineer, Maintenance Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, may also be considered for this role.

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