At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead maintenance strategies and ensure brewing equipment operates efficiently and reliably.
- Company: Join AB InBev, the home of iconic beer brands like Budweiser and Stella Artois.
- Benefits: Enjoy competitive pay, health perks, a beer allowance, and generous holiday leave.
- Other info: Dynamic culture with growth opportunities and a commitment to excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced brewery while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Degree in engineering and experience in maintenance leadership required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Ownership Purpose: Brewing the world’s most loved beers and building brands consumers love, AB InBev is where ownership, ambition, and action thrive. Our portfolio of iconic brands includes global classics like Stella Artois, Budweiser, and Corona, and well-known favourites such as Camden Hells, Beck’s, and Leffe. We empower you to dream big, lead change, and create a long-lasting legacy. We value relentless problem-solvers who take accountability, embrace challenges, and turn bold goals into results through resilience and hard work.
What's in it for you:
- Benefits for you and your family to help your physical and mental health
- Competitive parental leave and pension double contributions
- 25 days holidays per year
- Employee benefits to help your physical and mental health and overall well-being (travel insurance, gym memberships, discounted services, dental, etc.)
- A beer allowance to enjoy our brands
- 2 volunteer days a year to support your local community
- WPA Private Medical Care
- 26 weeks paid leave for primary caregiver
The Role: We are seeking an experienced Maintenance Reliability Manager to take ownership of the maintenance and reliability strategy for our Brewing Department within a high-performing, fast-paced brewery environment. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring that all brewing assets, utilities interfaces, and supporting infrastructure operate safely, efficiently, and with best-in-class reliability. You will combine strategic ownership of maintenance systems with hands-on operational leadership to drive performance today while building sustainable capability for tomorrow.
You will lead the deployment of world-class maintenance and reliability practices, embedding continuous improvement, strengthening technical capability, and ensuring long-term asset performance and cost optimisation.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- Maintenance Strategy & Reliability Leadership: Own and execute the Brewing Department maintenance and reliability strategy. Translate production and business needs into robust asset care strategies. Lead the Maintenance Pillar within the site management system (VPO – Voyager Plant Optimisation). Drive long-term asset performance, reliability improvement, and cost optimisation.
- Execution Excellence: Ensure effective planning, scheduling, and execution of all Brewing maintenance activities. Drive high levels of schedule compliance, backlog management, and maintenance discipline. Own key maintenance KPIs including availability, MTBF, downtime, cost, and reliability performance. Lead structured response to breakdowns and chronic losses, ensuring RCA and sustainable fixes. Ensure accurate CMMS execution (SAP/Sigma), including work order quality and feedback loops.
- People Leadership & Capability Development: Lead, coach, and develop maintenance planners, reliability engineers, and Plant Technical Experts. Build strong technical capability in fault finding, condition monitoring, and structured problem solving. Develop apprentices and frontline engineers through training plans and hands-on coaching. Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement.
- Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving: Embed structured tools such as 5 Whys, PDCA, Abnormality Management, and RCA. Lead initiatives to eliminate chronic losses and improve overall equipment effectiveness. Drive improvements across safety, quality, throughput, energy, and cost. Ensure adherence to SOPs, standards, and maintenance best practices.
- Asset Care, Compliance & Utilities: Ensure safe, compliant, and reliable operation of brewing equipment and utilities systems (steam, refrigeration, compressed air, cooling systems). Support food safety, environmental, and regulatory compliance requirements including audits and inspections. Own engineering inputs into safety and quality compliance standards. Support VPO audits and maturity assessments.
- Planning, Spares & CAPEX: Own spare parts strategy including critical spares identification and inventory optimisation. Partner with planning teams to ensure robust long-, medium-, and short-term maintenance plans. Lead CAPEX projects and new equipment introductions, ensuring maintainability and reliability by design. Own Management of Change (MOC) for brewing engineering modifications.
- Additional Responsibilities: Provide hands-on support during breakdowns and escalations. Ensure completion and quality of all maintenance documentation and CMMS updates. Support development of SOPs, training materials, and maintenance documentation control. Participate in reliability events including PM optimisation, CIL, and SOP reviews. Support OEMs and contractors on site to ensure effective execution and knowledge transfer. Support 5S implementation and sustainment activities. Attend training courses and operational meetings as required.
What we’re looking for:
- Degree (or equivalent experience) in Mechanical, Electrical, or Automation Engineering.
- Significant experience in maintenance and reliability leadership within high-speed manufacturing or process environments (brewing or FMCG desirable).
- Proven track record of delivering maintenance strategy and reliability improvement at scale.
- Strong leadership experience managing engineering or technical teams.
- Strong knowledge of CMMS systems (SAP preferred) and maintenance data analysis tools.
- Strong fault-finding capability across mechanical, electrical, and automation systems.
- Experience within World Class Manufacturing / TPM / structured maintenance environments.
- Strong understanding of utilities systems (steam, refrigeration, compressed air, cooling systems).
- Strong analytical capability (e.g. Power BI or similar tools).
- Desirable: Experience in brewing, batch processing, or high-speed packaging environments. Knowledge of refrigeration plant, steam systems, heat exchangers, and compressed air networks. Experience delivering CAPEX or large-scale reliability improvement programmes.
Why build your career with us: We recruit for mindset, ambition, cultural fit, and growth opportunities.
UNIQUE CULTURE: We are proud to be part of something bigger than ourselves and are passionate about building upon our company’s long legacy. We believe in collaboration and candor, which results in a dynamic culture with open communication.
BRANDS EVERYONE LOVES: We are part of the collective, global history of beer. We are the proud makers of more than 500 iconic brands, from beloved international classics to local favourites.
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES: Our people grow at the pace of their talent. We empower our people to learn, expand their perspectives, and unlock career growth. In an environment where commitment to excellence pays off, our people are able to deepen their impact and create a long-lasting legacy.
Maintenance Reliability Manager – Brewing employer: Anheuser--busch-Inbe
At AB InBev, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that fosters collaboration and open communication. Located in Samlesbury, our brewery environment not only provides competitive benefits such as generous parental leave, a beer allowance, and wellness support, but also prioritises employee growth through hands-on coaching and development opportunities. Join us to be part of a legacy where your ambition and problem-solving skills can truly make a difference.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Maintenance Reliability Manager – Brewing
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the brewing industry, especially those who work at AB InBev. Attend industry events or join relevant online groups to make connections that could lead to job opportunities.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its brands. Understand their values and how they align with your own. Be ready to discuss how your experience in maintenance and reliability can contribute to their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your problem-solving skills during interviews. Use real-life examples from your past roles to demonstrate how you've tackled challenges in maintenance and reliability. This will highlight your fit for the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at AB InBev.
We think you need these skills to ace Maintenance Reliability Manager – Brewing
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in maintenance and reliability, especially in brewing or high-speed manufacturing. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of how you’ve improved maintenance strategies or led successful projects. We love seeing results and how you’ve made a difference in your previous roles.
Be Authentic:Let your personality shine through! We’re looking for someone who fits our culture of ownership and ambition, so don’t be afraid to show us what makes you unique and passionate about this role.
Apply Through Our Website:For the best chance of success, make sure to apply directly through our website. It’s the easiest way for us to keep track of your application and get back to you quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Anheuser--busch-Inbe
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge related to maintenance and reliability in brewing. Understand the key systems like CMMS, utilities, and fault-finding techniques. Being able to discuss these confidently will show that you're not just a candidate, but a potential leader in the field.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams or projects in the past. Highlight your experience in coaching and developing others, as this role requires strong people leadership. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses effectively.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Be ready to discuss how you've implemented continuous improvement strategies in previous roles. Familiarise yourself with tools like 5 Whys and PDCA, and be prepared to share specific instances where you've driven efficiency and reliability improvements.
✨Cultural Fit Matters
Research AB InBev's culture and values. They’re looking for candidates who align with their ambition and ownership mindset. Be genuine about why you want to work there and how you can contribute to their legacy. Show them that you’re not just looking for a job, but a place to grow and make an impact.
