Join Our Pack 🐶🍽️
From a bold idea to revolutionising dog food, Years has grown into a fast‑scaling business dedicated to helping dogs live longer, healthier lives.
In just 3 years, we've built a great start up business, serving thousands of happy customers, all while striving to achieve our mission.
Our goal? To give dog owners a better, fresher, and healthier way to feed their pets. We provide human cut, personalised meals designed to support each dog's unique needs, delivered straight to their door - no preservatives, no compromises, just real nutrition.
You can find our customers across the UK, with future ambitions to scale internationally and continue transforming how people care for their dogs.
Your Mission
As our Engineering Manager, you'll build and lead the engineering function at a fast‑scaling food production business - taking full ownership of reliability, maintenance strategy, and engineering standards across the site.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a leadership role where you're not inheriting a legacy system - you're building it. From day one, you'll shape how engineering operates: designing preventative maintenance systems, setting standards, building a team, and creating the infrastructure required to support production at scale.
You'll balance hands‑on problem solving with strategic thinking - driving down downtime, improving equipment performance, and implementing systems that move the business from reactive firefighting to proactive, data‑led engineering.
If you're someone who takes pride in building high‑performing teams, enjoys solving complex operational problems, and wants to leave a lasting mark on a growing business - this role gives you that platform.
What You'll Be Responsible For
* Build, recruit, and lead the Engineering team - setting clear standards, structure, and daily direction
* Design and implement a preventative maintenance (PPM) and asset care programme from the ground up
* Own and improve engineering KPIs - downtime, MTTR, MTBF, and PPM adherence
* Lead reactive and proactive engineering activity to maximise equipment reliability
* Drive continuous improvement projects to reduce downtime and improve line performance
* Oversee installation, commissioning, and optimisation of new machinery and upgrades
* Ensure full compliance with health & safety and food manufacturing standards
* Manage engineering budget, contractor relationships, and supplier sourcing
* Build and maintain an organised, well‑equipped workshop and spares system
* Work closely with Production, NPD, and Operations on trials, automation, and scale‑up initiatives
* Embed a culture of accountability, safety, and engineering excellence
Requirements
* Strong mechanical and electrical engineering background within a production or manufacturing environment
* Proven experience leading or stepping into a leadership role within engineering
* Experience building or running preventative maintenance (PPM) systems
* Solid understanding of production equipment - conveyors, mixers, weighers, chillers, packaging lines
* Exposure to automation and PLC‑controlled systems
* Experience managing budgets, contractors, and external suppliers
* Strong understanding of health & safety within a food or regulated environment
* Flexibility - there may be some evening and weekend work required based on project requirements (agreed directly with Line Management where needed)
How You Work
* You take ownership - you don't wait for systems, you build them
* You're hands‑on when needed but think strategically about long‑term improvements
* You prioritise effectively and stay calm under pressure
* You communicate clearly across teams and bring people with you
* You set high standards and build a culture that reflects them
* You're driven by continuous improvement and measurable results
Benefits
* £55,000 - £65,000 PA
* Medicash Cash Back programme
* Annual £250.00 Learning & Development budget for courses, books or other self‑learn activities
* Access to Spill EAP and Mental Wellbeing support
* Annual £200.00 Wellbeing budget
* Up to 2 weeks working abroad per year (selected roles)
* Monthly recognition through our Yappa of The Month programme
* 1 Volunteer day per year - dog themed or not: it's your choice!
* Subsidised employee groups - from five a side to padel there's loads to get involved in or the chance to start up your own group
* Exclusive discounts on Years and Years treats for yourself and friends/family
* Lunch & Learn programme - from dog first aid to financial savviness we've got sessions planned to cover all kinds of topics
* Casual dress
* Your birthday off or different day if it falls on a non‑working day
* Ability to sell any unused holiday back to Years at the end of the Holiday Year (maximum 1 working week)
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