Site Responsible Engineer in Gateshead

About AkzoNobel Since 1792, we’ve been supplying the innovative paints and coatings that help to color people’s lives and protect what matters most. Our world class portfolio of brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – is trusted by customers around the globe. We’re active in more than 150 countries and use our expertise to sustain and enhance the fabric of everyday life.

At AkzoNobel, we've been creating innovative paints and coatings for over 200 years. Our brands – including Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon – are trusted worldwide, and our manufacturing sites are central to delivering products millions rely on every day.

We’re looking for an experienced Site Responsible Engineer to join our Felling manufacturing site. This senior engineering leadership role offers the opportunity to shape maintenance strategy, influence engineering standards and lead a high-performing team within a COMAH-regulated chemical manufacturing environment. You’ll act as the site’s mechanical engineering authority, ensuring assets operate safely, reliably and efficiently while developing your team and supporting the site’s long-term engineering strategy.

The Role

As Site Responsible Engineer, you’ll provide technical governance and leadership for mechanical engineering and maintenance across key production areas. Leading a team of Engineering Supervisors and Maintenance Technicians, you’ll ensure statutory compliance, mechanical integrity and engineering excellence, while driving continuous improvements in asset reliability, plant performance and operational efficiency. Working closely with Production, HSE, Process Safety and Projects teams, you’ll influence engineering strategy, embed maintenance best practice and help deliver the site’s capital investment programme.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing mechanical engineering team, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Act as the site’s technical authority for mechanical engineering, ensuring engineering standards, governance and best practice are consistently applied.
• Develop and implement maintenance and asset management strategies that improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime and optimise lifecycle costs.
• Ensure the mechanical integrity of plant and equipment through robust maintenance, inspection and compliance programmes.
• Own the site’s mechanical asset management strategy, ensuring the asset register, engineering documentation and maintenance systems are accurate, up to date and audit ready.
• Lead reliability improvement activities, including Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), FMECA and preventative maintenance optimisation.
• Monitor engineering KPIs and asset performance data, identifying trends and implementing improvements to enhance reliability and operational performance.
• Deliver engineering and capital projects from concept through commissioning, ensuring they are completed safely, on time and within budget.
• Ensure statutory inspections and engineering compliance programmes are delivered in accordance with legislation, including COMAH, LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and ATEX.
• Support Process Safety Management through HAZOP participation, Management of Change, incident investigations and implementation of engineering improvements.
• Manage engineering contractors and external suppliers, ensuring work is completed safely and to the required standards.
• Champion Lean maintenance and structured continuous improvement to reduce maintenance costs and improve equipment performance.
• Develop engineering capability through coaching, succession planning and supporting apprentices, graduates and future engineering leaders.

Requirements

We’re looking for an engineering leader who combines strong technical expertise with excellent people leadership. You’ll ideally have:

• Degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline.
• Significant engineering leadership experience within COMAH, chemical manufacturing, petrochemical, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, energy or other major hazard process industries.
• A proven track record of leading multidisciplinary maintenance teams and improving engineering performance in a process manufacturing environment.
• Extensive knowledge of asset management, reliability engineering, mechanical integrity and preventative maintenance strategies.
• Experience leading engineering improvement initiatives and capital investment projects.
• Strong understanding of engineering legislation, statutory compliance and Process Safety Management.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• A passion for developing people and building high-performing engineering teams.

What Will Make You Stand Out

We’re particularly interested in candidates who have:

• Previous experience as a Site Responsible Engineer, Engineering Manager or Senior Maintenance Manager.
• Chartered Engineer status (or are working towards accreditation).
• NEBOSH qualification.
• Experience implementing ISO 55001 Asset Management principles.
• A track record of improving reliability through modern maintenance and reliability methodologies.
• Experience developing engineering talent through coaching, mentoring and succession planning.

What we offer at AkzoNobel

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary and bonus opportunity.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Excellent company pension.
• Income protection and life assurance.
• Private Medical Cover.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Staff discount at Dulux Decorator Centres.
• Flexible benefits including GymFlex, dental cover, retail discounts and more.

At AkzoNobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment.