Project Engineer

Location: Lightbody, Hamilton

Shift: Monday to Friday

Salary: Competitive + Benefits

Due to growth, we have a new opportunity for a Project Engineer within our Engineering Team who would be based at our Lightbody in Hamilton, which forms part of our Scottish Cluster. 135 years of craft baking skills lie behind the quality of the special branded cakes, sweet snacks and slices we produce in Hamilton and 55 million products are produced each year. Lightbody’s is the UK’s largest supplier of celebration cakes to UK retailers, with Disney, Mars, Universal and Thorntons all within the portfolio of branded cakes made under licence. We also make a variety of supermarkets’ well-loved own-label cakes and in-store bakery bites.

This is a fantastic opportunity to further your career with one of the UK’s largest bakery businesses, along with great opportunities for growth and development. At Finsbury Food Group, we are passionate about investing in our teams and creating great development opportunities for everyone.

Reporting to the Site Engineering Lead, the Project Engineer's key focus will be to lead on the site’s CI function within the Engineering department, working on projects that further improve the reliability and profitability of the company. The successful candidate will have worked in a similar engineering and continuous improvement position within a fast-paced environment previously. This role requires project management experience, good communication and influencing skills, and the ability to work cross-functionally with stakeholders across various levels.

This is what you’ll actually do!

• With a strong engineering background and a proven record in programme delivery, the successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing capital projects across our Lightbody site with a firm focus on safety, quality, and compliance.
• This role involves working closely with the wider engineering team and the operational management team to define project objectives, procedures, data collection methods, and performance standards in line with company policies.
• The Project Engineer will be responsible for preparing project updates and analysing resource needs, including labour and equipment.
• They will keep all stakeholders informed of any changes to schedules and will foster open and transparent communication throughout the project lifecycle.
• The role also includes the management of budgets, critical paths, and timelines, with regular reporting to project leads to ensure full visibility of progress and emerging issues.
• Full compliance with Health, Safety and Environmental standards is essential, particularly in managing third-party contractors and ensuring adherence to Finsbury Food Group’s contractor control procedures.
• A strong focus on quality control and assurance is also fundamental to this role.

The ideal candidate will hold a qualification in engineering and possess experience in project management, project engineering, or project planning. A sound understanding of CDM regulations, contractor control, and statutory requirements in an industrial environment is essential. Experience in change management, leadership, and stakeholder communication is also required. Proficiency in engineering design software such as AutoCAD and CAD/CAM Circuit Design is expected. Knowledge of compliance and quality assurance in the food industry, along with a history of delivering large-scale manufacturing projects over £250k, is highly advantageous.

Success in this role depends on a strong alignment with Finsbury Food Group’s core values: Great Communication, Ownership, Honesty, Respect, and Teamwork. The Project Engineer must be confident, resilient, and capable of working under pressure. They should be able to challenge existing practices constructively and think creatively to drive continuous improvement. Strong interpersonal skills are critical, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels and build effective networks both within and outside the organisation.

This is a self-managed role with no direct reports, operating independently within defined project scopes. The role is responsible for managing capital projects with values ranging from £50,000 to £5 million. Delegated authority will be defined during the project initiation phase, and decision-making will follow the project’s RACI framework and agreed stakeholder protocols.

Based at our Lightbody site, the Project Engineer will support both Celebration Cake and Small Cake manufacturing operations.

Ideally this is you!

• Time served apprentice trained ideally to a degree standard.
• PLC/HMI programming knowledge across a range of manufacturer’s equipment.
• A thorough and detailed approach to maintenance work.
• You must be able to work as part of a team.
• Strong communication and IT skills.
• Highly numerate with the ability to understand how to make improvements which influence company profitability.
• Knowledge of planned and predictive maintenance techniques and CMMS systems.
• Engineering qualifications/experience.
• 18th Edition Certificate.
• FMCG Experience.
• Mentoring/Coaching experience or willingness to undertake specialist training.
• Strong self-management and prioritisation of time.
• Excellent timekeeping and attendance.

What’s in it for you?

• Enhanced Maternity & Paternity Leave to allow quality time with your new arrival!
• Enhanced Pension Scheme for our employees.
• Death in Service Benefit.
• Free Employee Assistance Programme (open to colleagues and their families).
• Retail discounts accessible via our Benefits Hub platform!
• Company shop available at sites (heavily discounted, yummy products!).
• Refer a Friend Scheme (up to £300 per referral – t&cs dependent).
• Employee Recognition Awards.
• Extensive Learning & Development opportunities (including opportunities for sponsored professional memberships and our own in-house development course!).
• An opportunity to be part of a fantastic, growing organisation.

Our vision is to be the leading specialty bakery group in the UK and we want the best people in place to achieve this. Our continued success is built entirely on the talented people who work here, so employee development is important to us because everyone is a valued member of the team, and we want every individual to have the skills and capabilities to achieve both your own personal goals and our business goals. We want good people to join our company, to help our company continue to go from strength to strength. If this sounds like you, please get in contact to learn more!