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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering excellence and drive operational efficiency in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Company: Join a well-established personal care manufacturer supplying global beauty brands.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership opportunities, and the chance to shape engineering strategy.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a high-growth industry with strong visibility at senior leadership level.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in senior engineering roles within manufacturing, especially in personal care or FMCG.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for site transformation and continuous improvement.
The predicted salary is between 70000 - 90000 £ per year.
Location: UK (East of England)
Industry: Personal Care Manufacturing
Overview
We’re partnering with a well-established, fast-growing personal care manufacturer supplying global beauty brands across prestige, mass, and indie channels. This is a key leadership role responsible for driving engineering excellence, operational efficiency, and site performance across a complex, high-volume manufacturing environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Engineering & Site Performance
- Lead all engineering, maintenance, and facilities activities across the site
- Drive equipment reliability, uptime, and overall plant performance
- Oversee preventative maintenance programmes and continuous improvement initiatives
- Identify and deliver process optimisation opportunities across filling, formulation, and packaging lines
- Capex & Projects
- Own and execute capital investment strategy, including new equipment and line upgrades
- Lead site expansion and automation projects
- Manage external vendors, contractors, and OEM relationships
- Ensure projects are delivered on time, on budget, and to spec
- Continuous Improvement
- Implement Lean / Six Sigma methodologies to reduce waste and improve efficiency
- Drive cost reduction and margin improvement initiatives
- Support production teams to improve throughput, yield, and quality
- Leadership & Collaboration
- Lead, develop, and mentor a multi-disciplinary engineering team
- Partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Quality, and NPD teams
- Play a key role in site leadership and strategic decision-making
- Compliance & Standards
- Ensure compliance with GMP, health & safety, and regulatory standards
- Maintain strong documentation, audit readiness, and engineering governance
Ideal Profile
- Proven experience in a senior engineering leadership role within manufacturing
- Background in:
- Personal care / cosmetics
- FMCG manufacturing
- CDMO / contract manufacturing
- High-speed production lines (filling, packaging, formulation)
- Capex project delivery
- Lean / continuous improvement
- Improving OEE / uptime / efficiency
- Leading site transformation initiatives
- Delivering cost and performance improvements
Nice to Have
- Experience in multi-site environments
- Exposure to automation / digital manufacturing
- Background working with global beauty brands or retailers
Why this role
- High-impact position within a growing manufacturing platform
- Opportunity to shape engineering strategy and site performance
- Strong visibility with senior leadership
Locations
Head of Engineering in Lowestoft, Suffolk employer: Established Search
Contact Detail:
Established Search Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Engineering in Lowestoft, Suffolk
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to industry contacts, attend events, and connect with people on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their products and values, especially in personal care manufacturing. This will help you tailor your answers and show you're genuinely interested.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how your experience aligns with the role of Head of Engineering. Highlight your achievements in engineering leadership and continuous improvement to make a strong impression.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering in Lowestoft, Suffolk
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the key responsibilities and skills mentioned in the job description. Highlight your experience in engineering leadership, especially in personal care or FMCG manufacturing, to show us you’re the right fit for this role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Use your cover letter to tell us why you’re passionate about engineering in the personal care industry. Share specific examples of how you've driven operational efficiency and led successful projects, so we can see your potential impact on our team.
Showcase Your Achievements: Quantify your achievements where possible! Whether it’s improving uptime or leading a successful capital investment project, numbers speak volumes. We want to see how you’ve made a difference in your previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Established Search
✨Know Your Engineering Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your engineering principles, especially around high-speed production lines and Lean methodologies. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've improved efficiency or uptime in previous roles.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role is all about leading a multi-disciplinary team, so come prepared with stories that highlight your leadership style. Think about times when you've mentored others or driven a team towards a common goal.
✨Understand the Business
Familiarise yourself with the personal care manufacturing industry and the specific challenges it faces. Being able to speak knowledgeably about trends and how they impact engineering will set you apart from other candidates.
✨Prepare for Project Discussions
Since you'll be owning capital investment strategies and managing projects, be ready to discuss your experience with project delivery. Have examples of past projects where you managed timelines, budgets, and vendor relationships.