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-volume manufacturing setting with strong visibility to senior leadership.
- 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
Head of Engineering in Lowestoft 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
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the personal care manufacturing industry. Attend events, join relevant groups, and don’t be shy about asking for introductions. We all know that sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company inside out. Understand their products, values, and recent news. We want you to show them that you’re not just another candidate, but someone who genuinely cares about their mission and can drive engineering excellence.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your leadership stories! You’ll need to demonstrate your experience in leading teams and driving continuous improvement. We suggest using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses and make a lasting 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 take the initiative to engage directly with us. Let’s get you on board!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Engineering in Lowestoft
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 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 personal care manufacturing. Share specific examples of how you've driven engineering excellence and operational efficiency in your previous roles.
Showcase Your Achievements: Quantify your successes! Whether it’s improving uptime or leading successful projects, we want to see numbers that demonstrate your impact. This will help us understand the value you can bring to our team.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates during the process!
How to prepare for a job interview at Established Search
✨Know Your Engineering Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge related to high-speed production lines, Lean methodologies, and continuous improvement. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've led and how they improved efficiency or reduced costs.
✨Showcase Leadership Skills
Prepare examples of how you've successfully led and developed engineering teams in the past. Highlight your experience in mentoring and collaborating with cross-functional teams, as this role requires strong leadership and partnership skills.
✨Understand the Company’s Vision
Research the personal care manufacturing industry and the specific company you're interviewing with. Understand their products, market position, and any recent news. This will help you align your answers with their goals and demonstrate your genuine interest.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
Expect questions that assess your problem-solving abilities and how you handle challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses, especially when discussing past experiences related to compliance, safety, and project delivery.