Electrical Engineer in Chester

Electrical Maintenance Engineer

Shifts: 06:00–14:00 / 14:00–22:00 /22:00-06:00

£55k inc shift rate.

Role purpose

Support safe, compliant and reliable operation of lead (Pb) component and lead sheet production assets across rolling, extrusion and CNC-machining areas. The role balances reactive breakdown support with preventive reliability improvement and small–medium CAPEX/CI upgrades. Expect hands‑on work across electrical power, PLC/controls (Mitsubishi + Siemens), drives, instrumentation, and electro‑hydraulic systems in a heavy‑industry environment with strict lead exposure controls and LEV (fume extraction) interlocking.

Shift pattern

Predominantly rotating three-shift pattern: mornings/afternoons/nights

Participation in planned shutdowns and commissioning windows as required inc Dec 27 - 31

Typical equipment footprint

Lead melting/heating zones (where applicable): heaters, thermocouples, controllers, SSRs/contactors.

Rolling mills: high‑torque drives, tension/position feedback, roll-gap/force control, interlocks.

Extrusion lines: multi‑zone temperature control, drives, hydraulics, safety and LEV permissives.

CNC machining cells: safety circuits, machine‑ready interfaces, peripherals (coolant/lube/chip handling).

Hydraulic presses/guillotines/forming: power packs, proportional valves, cylinders, accumulators, filtration.

LEV/extraction and monitoring: airflow/differential pressure sensing, alarms, shutdown permissives.

Key responsibilities

• Diagnose and resolve electrical/control faults safely (including intermittent faults) to restore production.
• Troubleshoot Mitsubishi and Siemens PLC‑controlled machinery: I/O, sequences, alarms and comms.
• Support and fault‑find drives (VFD/servo): trip analysis, torque/current limits, accel/decel, PID loops etc
• Support electro‑hydraulic systems: pressure/flow loss, drift, overheating, cavitation, contamination, internal leakage, and their PLC symptoms (timeouts/chatter/analog instability).
• Maintain compliance: LOTO/isolation (electrical + hydraulic + thermal), guarding/interlocks, and functional proving tests.
• Support LEV/extraction compliance: ensure correct interlocks, sensor health, and alarm response; use trends to improve reliability.
• Deliver RCA/CI, implement preventive actions to reduce repeat stops and scrap.
• Commission modifications/upgrades; complete I/O checks, interlock proving, controlled trials and verification.
• Maintain documentation/change control: PLC backups/versioning, parameter logs, and up‑to‑date as‑built electrical/hydraulic drawings.
• Work effectively across shifts with strong handover: current status, actions taken, what changed, risks, and next steps.

Required skills

• Industrial electrical fundamentals: 3‑phase motors, protection, earthing, control circuits, panels/MCCBs.
• Proven troubleshooting on PLC‑controlled machines; Mitsubishi GX Works and Siemens TIA Portal experience preferred.
• Ability to read and update electrical schematics.
• Drives competence: understands diagnostics and parameters; can capture evidence and implement controlled changes.
• Hydraulics exposure: pressure/flow reasoning, contamination effects, safe depressurisation/accumulator awareness.
• Manufacturing mindset: structured problem solving under pressure; good communication with production/maintenance.

Qualifications / desirable

• HNC/HND in Electrical/Controls/Mechatronics (or equivalent experience).
• Desirable: PLC & Servo Drive experience (Mitsubishi/Siemens), electrical safety training, hydraulics experience.

Working conditions

Heavy manufacturing environment with heat, noise and lead particulate; strict PPE and hygiene/contamination controls.

Hands‑on shop‑floor support with occasional contractor supervision and commissioning