Technical Engineering Manager
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Technical Engineering Manager to lead our cooling and refrigeration maintenance operations across a high‑performance frozen food manufacturing site. This is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and compliance of all cooling, freezing, and temperature‑controlled systems that support continuous production.
You will oversee a team of engineers and technicians, driving excellence in preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and optimisation of key refrigeration assets-including spiral freezers, blast freezers, ammonia/CO₂ systems, chillers, compressors, condensers, evaporators, and automated cooling controls.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multi‑disciplinary engineering team focused on refrigeration and cooling system uptime.
- Own the maintenance strategy for all cooling and freezing equipment, including preventative and predictive maintenance plans.
- Ensure full compliance with safety, environmental, and industry regulations (e.g., F-Gas, ammonia safety standards, food manufacturing compliance).
- Oversee rapid response to breakdowns, root cause analysis, and implementation of long-term corrective actions.
- Manage medium to large-scale engineering upgrade projects, including system redesign, energy efficiency improvements, and equipment replacements.
- Monitor system performance, analyse trends, and identify opportunities for operational optimisation and cost reduction.
- Work closely with Production, Quality, and Health & Safety teams to maintain maximum uptime and product integrity.
- Manage budgets, external contractors, and service-level agreements.
- Continuously improve engineering practices, documentation, and asset reliability.
About You
You will thrive in this role if you are a proactive technical leader with strong refrigeration expertise and a passion for operational excellence in a high-paced frozen food manufacturing environment.
Required Skills & Experience
- Experience managing refrigeration or cooling systems within cold storage, or similar temperature-controlled industries.
- Strong knowledge of industrial refrigeration systems (e.g., ammonia, CO₂, glycol‑based systems).
- Proven leadership experience managing engineering teams or maintenance departments.
- Background in mechanical, electrical, or refrigeration engineering (degree, HND, or equivalent).
- Solid understanding of preventative and predictive maintenance methodologies.
- Strong troubleshooting skills and hands-on technical credibility.
- Familiarity with compliance standards related to food production, environmental regulation, and refrigeration safety.
- Excellent communication, planning, and project management skills.
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