At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to enhance reliability and optimise asset performance in a cutting-edge food manufacturing site.
- Company: Join a leading food manufacturer known for innovation and sustainability.
- Benefits: Enjoy 31 days holiday, private medical cover, and a generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Be part of a forward-thinking team in one of the UK's most advanced manufacturing facilities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment with opportunities for growth and development.
- Qualifications: Experience in reliability or engineering leadership, with strong analytical and communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 € per year.
Location: Hereford
Hours: Monday to Friday, 08:00-16:30 (flexibility required to support 24/7 operations)
Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Who are we, and what do we do?
Our Client is a leading food manufacturing company based in Hereford. They own and manage their entire supply chain — from farms to factory and all the way to the customer door — creating career opportunities across a wide range of functions. With major processing sites across England and Wales, the advanced Hereford facility is one of the most significant and technologically advanced food manufacturing sites in the UK. The Hereford site continues to invest heavily in automation and innovation to maintain our reputation as a trusted leader in fresh food manufacturing.
About the Role
Due to ongoing investment and growth at the Hereford site, we’re looking for an experienced and driven Lead of Reliability to join the Engineering Team. This is a key leadership role, responsible for driving reliability, asset performance, and long-term engineering excellence across the site. You’ll lead a small team of Reliability Engineers and work closely with the Engineering Reliability manager and the maintenance operations team, to deliver strategic reliability improvements and optimise asset lifecycle management. This role combines technical depth with leadership influence, ideal for someone ready to take the next step in their reliability or maintenance career.
What will you be doing as a Lead Reliability Engineer?
As the Lead Reliability Engineer, you will be accountable for developing, implementing, and sustaining the site’s reliability strategy to improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reduce downtime, and enhance asset care. You’ll ensure that maintenance and reliability practices are aligned with site priorities and engineering KPIs, supporting operational excellence through data-driven decisions and proactive engineering leadership.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage the Reliability Team, ensuring effective delivery of asset performance, maintenance planning, and reliability projects.
- Act as lead for reliability and asset care, championing continuous improvement across site.
- Develop and sustain proactive maintenance strategies, including predictive and condition-based maintenance, to improve equipment availability and reduce unplanned downtime.
- Analyse performance and downtime data to identify and eliminate root causes of equipment failure.
- Collaborate with the wider Engineer Team to coordinate planned maintenance, improvement activities, and engineering support during production.
- Lead cross-functional reliability reviews, ensuring effective communication between Engineering, Operations, Planning, and technical teams.
- Manage contractor and OEM support, ensuring all work complies with site safety, technical, and legislative standards.
- Ensure all rectification actions identified on service reports are followed up and completed in a timely manner.
- Identify the training needs of the team in order to coach, train and develop the team to provide the opportunities to develop to their potential.
- Oversee asset care documentation, including PM reviews, calibration schedules, and PUWER assessments.
- Lead or support capital and improvement projects, ensuring reliability principles are built into design and implementation.
What you’ll need to be successful:
- Proven experience in reliability, maintenance, or engineering leadership in an FMCG or manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrable leadership, coaching, and influencing skills.
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across team.
- Experience leading engineering teams or projects in a large-scale manufacturing site.
- Reliability tools knowledge (RCM, FMEA, TPM).
- NEBOSH or IOSH qualification.
- CAD experience and contractor management exposure.
The benefits:
- 6% Pension
- 31 Days Holiday
- Life Assurance
- Private Medical Health Cover
- Subsidised Canteen
- Free Staff Parking
- Wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including discounts with major retailers and access to health resources.
Lead Reliability Engineer employer: Argon Engineering Limited
As a leading food manufacturing company based in Hereford, we pride ourselves on our commitment to innovation and employee development. Our advanced facility offers a collaborative work culture where you can lead a dedicated team, drive strategic improvements, and enjoy a comprehensive benefits package including a generous pension scheme, private medical cover, and wellbeing resources. Join us to be part of a dynamic environment that values your expertise and supports your career growth.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Reliability Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the food manufacturing industry, especially those who work at companies similar to our client. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings and even referrals.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s reliability strategies and recent projects. Show us you’re not just interested in the role but also passionate about their mission and how you can contribute to their engineering excellence.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! We want to hear about your experiences leading teams and driving improvements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers and make them memorable.
✨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 us you’re serious about joining our team and contributing to our innovative approach in the food manufacturing sector.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Reliability Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Lead Reliability Engineer role. Highlight your experience in reliability and maintenance, especially in FMCG or manufacturing environments. We want to see how your skills align with our needs!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're passionate about this role and how your leadership experience can drive reliability improvements at our Hereford site. Keep it engaging and relevant!
Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; showcase your achievements! Use specific examples of how you've improved equipment effectiveness or reduced downtime in previous roles. We love seeing data-driven results!
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates from us!
How to prepare for a job interview at Argon Engineering Limited
✨Know Your Reliability Tools
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of reliability tools like RCM, FMEA, and TPM. Be ready to discuss how you've applied these in past roles, as this will show your technical depth and understanding of the field.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your leadership experience, especially in managing teams or projects. Think about specific situations where you coached or influenced others, as this role requires strong leadership capabilities.
✨Understand the Company’s Operations
Research the company’s supply chain and manufacturing processes. Being able to speak about their operations and how your role as a Lead Reliability Engineer can enhance their efficiency will demonstrate your genuine interest and fit for the position.
✨Prepare for Problem-Solving Questions
Expect questions that assess your analytical and problem-solving skills. Prepare to discuss how you've tackled equipment failures or downtime issues in the past, using data-driven decisions to support your strategies.
