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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a team to enhance reliability and asset performance in a cutting-edge food manufacturing site.
- Company: Join Avara Foods, a top UK food business known for quality chicken and turkey products.
- Benefits: Enjoy a secure job with 31 days holiday, private health cover, and a 6% pension.
- Other info: Comprehensive training and development opportunities await you!
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a dynamic environment while advancing your engineering career.
- Qualifications: HND in Engineering and experience in reliability or maintenance leadership required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 65000 ÂŁ 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?
Avara Foods is one of the UK’s leading food businesses, supplying chicken and turkey to the country’s major supermarkets and well‑known restaurants. We own and manage our 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, our advanced Hereford facility is one of the most significant and technologically advanced food manufacturing sites in the UK.
About The Role
Due to ongoing investment and growth at our Hereford site, we’re looking for an experienced and driven Lead of Reliability to join our 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.
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.
- Support the Engineering Reliability Manager in the development and execution of the site’s maintenance and reliability roadmap.
- Maintain the office, reliability‑and‑outside areas to high standard, ensuring regular checks are conducted and satisfactory feedback is received from GMP/WPW audits.
- 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.
Essential What you’ll need to be successful:
- HND or above in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, or related discipline)
- Proven experience in reliability, maintenance, or engineering leadership in an FMCG or manufacturing environment
- Strong understanding of maintenance systems (CMMS), asset management, and performance metrics (OEE, MTBF, MTTR)
- Demonstrable leadership, coaching, and influencing skills
- Excellent analytical, problem‑solving, and communication abilities
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across teams
Desirable
- 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
Benefits
As a Lead Reliability Engineer, you’ll enjoy a secure, supportive, and progressive working environment where your contribution and achievements are recognised and rewarded. We offer comprehensive training and continuous professional development as you build your long‑term career with us. You can also look forward to benefits including:
- 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
Application Process
After you’ve applied, you’ll be contacted by a member of our Resourcing Team based at our Hereford site to discuss your application and CV further. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask any questions about the role and what it’s like to work with us. If you’re ready to lead reliability excellence in one of the UK’s most advanced food manufacturing sites, apply today!
Additional Requirements
Due to Bird Welfare, it is essential that you do not own any Avian Pets, Poultry, or Porcine. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer.
Lead Reliability Engineer employer: Avara Foods
Contact Detail:
Avara Foods Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Reliability Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current employees at Avara Foods on LinkedIn or other platforms. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing the Lead Reliability Engineer role.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by brushing up on your technical knowledge and leadership skills. Be ready to discuss how you've driven reliability improvements in past roles, as this will show you're the right fit for the team.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your problem-solving abilities! During interviews, share specific examples of how you've tackled challenges in maintenance or engineering. This will highlight your analytical skills and experience in the field.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining Avara Foods.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Reliability Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Lead Reliability Engineer role. Highlight your leadership experience and any relevant engineering qualifications to catch our eye!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about reliability engineering and how your background makes you the perfect fit for our team at Avara Foods.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your impact in previous roles. Numbers and results speak volumes, so let us know how you’ve improved processes or reduced downtime!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website for a smoother application process. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands quickly!
How to prepare for a job interview at Avara Foods
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your engineering principles, especially around reliability and maintenance systems. Familiarise yourself with key metrics like OEE, MTBF, and MTTR, as these will likely come up in conversation.
✨Show Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've led teams or projects in the past. Think about times when you’ve driven continuous improvement or coached others to success. This role is all about leadership, so be ready to showcase your experience.
✨Be Data-Driven
Since the role involves analysing performance and downtime data, be prepared to discuss how you've used data to make decisions in previous roles. Bring examples of how you identified root causes of equipment failures and implemented solutions.
✨Ask Smart Questions
At the end of the interview, don’t forget to ask insightful questions about the company’s reliability strategy and future projects. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you understand how you can contribute to their goals.