This is a hands-on, high-impact role where you'll contribute to the efficient operation, maintenance, and improvement of pilot plant equipment and R&D facilities. The role is approximately 85% site-based and 15% office/administrative, requiring a multi-skilled technician with a strong mechanical and electrical maintenance background.
You'll be central to supporting process trials, troubleshooting technical issues, and implementing plant upgrades in collaboration with engineering and R&D teams.
Key Responsibilities
• Diagnose, repair, and maintain electrical, mechanical, and electro-mechanical systems and components.
• Service plant equipment, control systems (HMI/PLC), and associated instrumentation.
• Support the development and operation of lab-scale and pilot-scale pelletisation equipment and pre-treatment systems (milling, drying, curing).
• Participate in production trials for R&D, proof-of-concept testing, and process optimisation.
• Operate and maintain plant utilities and safety systems (gas burners, compressed air, ATEX extractors).
• Ensure critical spares availability and inventory tracking.
• Liaising directly with approved OEMs
• Provide clear documentation of work, observations, and equipment performance.
• Support the wider Technology Leadership Group in external and customer site trials.
• Champion continuous improvement in maintenance, safety, and process efficiency.
• Promote and adhere to strict health and safety protocols.
Equipment You'll Work With:
• Gas rotary mini curing dryer (1tph capacity)
• Ball mill (1–2tph capacity)
• Roller presses and mixers
• Feeding conveyors, gearboxes, motors
• HMI software systems and PLC cabinets
• Hot testing RIG systems and gas burners
• Compressed air and ATEX-rated extraction systems
• Various industrial testing machinery (computerised/automated)
Qualifications & Experience:
• HNC desirable or equivalent in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering
• Minimum 10 years of hands-on industrial maintenance experience
• Background in process, manufacturing, or heavy industry
• Experience working with control systems, sensors, actuators, and plant instrumentation
• Welding experience (preferred)
• Familiarity with pilot plant environments and R&D settings is advantageous