At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead engineering planning and support for heavy maintenance projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Company: Join a leading rail service provider committed to safety and performance.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days annual leave, pension scheme, and travel benefits.
- Other info: Collaborative team culture focused on continuous improvement and engineering excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on safety and reliability in the rail industry.
- Qualifications: Minimum Level 3 in Engineering and experience in project engineering or heavy maintenance.
The predicted salary is between 44657 - 44657 £ per year.
Project Engineer – Heavy Maintenance
Are you an experienced Project Engineer who thrives on solving complex engineering challenges? Do you take pride in delivering high-quality work that keeps vital rail services moving across the UK? Are you ready to contribute to projects that have a real, visible impact on safety, performance, and reliability? If so, this could be the perfect next step in your engineering career.
The Opportunity
- 12-month secondment opportunity
- 37.5 hours per week (Monday–Friday)
- Starting salary: £44,657.57 (increasing upon full competency)
- Location: Crewe depot
This is an opportunity to join a high-performing engineering environment where your work directly supports the delivery of critical heavy maintenance projects across a modern and diverse fleet.
About the Environment
Working within a busy depot, you’ll be part of a collaborative and safety-focused team delivering heavy maintenance, overhaul, and upgrade programmes on rolling stock and associated assets. The environment is fast-paced and delivery-driven, where engineering excellence, clear communication, and structured processes are critical to ensuring that vehicles return to service safely, reliably, and on time. You’ll interface daily with production teams, planners, materials, and project stakeholders—playing a central role in ensuring projects run smoothly from concept through to completion.
The Role
Reporting to the Heavy Maintenance Manager, you’ll take ownership of engineering planning and project support activities across assigned workstreams. Your focus will be on ensuring that all project documentation, instructions, and engineering inputs are in place to enable efficient and compliant delivery of maintenance activities. You’ll not only support delivery but actively look for opportunities to improve processes, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance overall project performance.
Key Responsibilities
- Project Planning & Engineering Support
- Develop and maintain detailed Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) and production plans
- Create and manage heavy maintenance block cards, job packs, and technical work instructions
- Ensure all engineering documentation is accurate, up-to-date, and accessible to production teams
- Operational Delivery
- Support day-to-day production activities, ensuring alignment with project plans and timescales
- Ensure all start-of-shift and end-of-shift processes are followed consistently
- Lead and facilitate daily production meetings, tracking progress and resolving blockers
- Technical & Problem Solving
- Act as a key point of contact for technical queries, raising and closing them with internal teams and customers
- Work closely with materials and supply chain functions to resolve availability, obsolescence, or substitution issues
- Provide hands-on engineering support in resolving complex maintenance challenges
- Process Improvement & Compliance
- Ensure adherence to heavy maintenance procedures and governance requirements
- Identify opportunities to drive continuous improvement across engineering and production processes
- Support updates to engineering process documentation and standards
- Communication & Leadership
- Deliver toolbox talks and single-point lessons linked to project risks, learnings, and changes
- Build strong working relationships across production, planning, and management teams
- Support the Heavy Maintenance Manager in delivering projects safely, on time, and within scope
What You’ll Bring
- Minimum City & Guilds / BTEC / NVQ Level 3 in Engineering
- Proven experience in a project engineering or heavy maintenance environment
- Strong understanding of traction and rolling stock systems
- A proactive, problem-solving mindset with strong attention to detail
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced operational setting
- A full, valid UK driving licence
- Experience gained within heavy maintenance environments across rail, HGV/PSV, or other comparable engineering sectors with transferable mechanical and diagnostic expertise would be highly beneficial.
What Success Looks Like
- Projects delivered safely, on time, and to required quality standards
- Strong collaboration between engineering, production, and materials teams
- Clear, structured documentation enabling efficient workshop delivery
- Continuous improvements identified and implemented across processes
- A positive, solutions-focused presence within the depot team
Benefits
- 25 days annual leave plus UK bank holidays
- Pension scheme
- Life assurance and healthcare cover
- Travel benefits
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Retail discount platform
Why Apply?
This is more than just a Project Engineer role—it’s an opportunity to work at the heart of heavy maintenance operations, where your decisions and input directly influence performance, safety, and reliability. You’ll be joining a team that values:
- Doing the right thing
- Taking pride in quality work
- Making a real difference through engineering
Locations
Engineer - Project Engineering in Cheshire, Crewe employer: Ford & Stanley Talentwise
Contact Detail:
Ford & Stanley Talentwise Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Engineer - Project Engineering in Cheshire, Crewe
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the engineering field. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out to professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising common project engineering questions. Think about your past experiences and how they relate to the role. We recommend doing mock interviews with friends or using online resources to boost your confidence and refine your answers.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your problem-solving skills! During interviews, share specific examples of challenges you’ve faced in previous roles and how you tackled them. This will demonstrate your proactive mindset and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
✨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 genuinely interested in joining our team. So, get your application in and let’s make some engineering magic happen!
We think you need these skills to ace Engineer - Project Engineering in Cheshire, Crewe
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV reflects the skills and experiences that match the Project Engineer role. Highlight your engineering qualifications and any relevant project experience to show us you’re the right fit for the job.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you’re passionate about heavy maintenance and how your problem-solving mindset can contribute to our team. Keep it concise but impactful!
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to deliver high-quality work. We love to see how you’ve made a difference in previous roles, especially in fast-paced environments.
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 Ford & Stanley Talentwise
✨Know Your Engineering Stuff
Brush up on your knowledge of traction and rolling stock systems. Be ready to discuss specific engineering challenges you've faced in the past and how you solved them. This will show that you not only understand the technical side but can also apply it practically.
✨Showcase Your Project Management Skills
Prepare examples of how you've developed and maintained Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) or managed production plans. Highlight any experience you have with creating job packs and technical work instructions, as this is crucial for the role.
✨Emphasise Communication and Collaboration
Since you'll be interfacing with various teams, be ready to talk about how you've built strong working relationships in previous roles. Share instances where clear communication helped resolve issues or improved project outcomes.
✨Demonstrate a Continuous Improvement Mindset
Think of examples where you've identified inefficiencies and implemented improvements in processes. This shows that you're proactive and committed to enhancing overall project performance, which is key in a fast-paced environment.