Engineering Manager in Surrey, Woking

Location: Woking (Site-Based)

Direct Reports: 2 (Maintenance/Engineering roles)

Employment Type: Full-time (Standard hours, with on-call/weekend rota participation)

Role Overview

We are seeking a proactive and hands-on Engineering Manager to lead the site engineering function at our client’s GMP pharmaceutical facility in Woking. This role will oversee both Capital Projects (Capex) and Maintenance, ensuring equipment reliability, regulatory compliance, and the successful delivery of engineering improvements that support safe, efficient site operations. The ideal candidate will bring strong engineering leadership experience within the GMP pharmaceutical sector, with sterile/aseptic exposure being especially desirable. This is a role for someone who leads from the front—comfortable managing people, writing technical documentation, and picking up tools when required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership & Management
  • Lead, develop, and support a small engineering team (2 direct reports), creating a strong culture of ownership, safety, and continuous improvement.
  • Provide coaching, guidance, and performance management to ensure high-quality delivery.
  • Act as the site’s engineering authority and trusted advisor to senior stakeholders.
• Project (Capex) Management
  • Own and deliver the site’s Capital Expenditure (Capex) programme, from concept and scope definition through to installation, commissioning, and handover.
  • Manage contractors, suppliers, and external engineering partners, ensuring safe and compliant working practices.
  • Prepare and maintain project documentation, including URS, risk assessments, validation support, timelines, and budgets.
  • Ensure projects align with GMP, safety standards, and business priorities.
• Maintenance & Reliability
  • Oversee the site maintenance strategy, ensuring equipment uptime, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
  • Manage preventative and reactive maintenance across utilities, facilities, production equipment, and critical assets.
  • Troubleshoot technical issues and support hands-on engineering work when required.
  • Ensure all maintenance activities comply with GMP documentation standards, including work orders, deviations, and change control.
• Compliance & GMP
  • Ensure engineering operations meet all regulatory, quality, and safety standards, including MHRA and EU GMP expectations.
  • Support audits, inspections, and quality investigations as the engineering subject matter expert.
  • Maintain engineering documentation to GMP standards (SOPs, logs, calibration/PM records, engineering drawings, etc.).
  • Drive continuous improvement in compliance, engineering controls, and equipment reliability.
• On-Call & Site Support
  • Participate in the site on-call rota, providing engineering support during weekends and outside normal hours.
  • Respond promptly to critical equipment issues to maintain safe and compliant operations.

Skills & Experience Required:

Essential

• Engineering degree or equivalent (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or related).
• Strong experience working in a GMP pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrable experience managing Capex projects and maintenance operations.
• Proven leadership or people management experience (small teams acceptable).
• Hands-on approach with willingness to:

• Write and review technical documents
• Support root cause analysis
• Pick up tools when necessary

Desirable

• Experience in sterile/aseptic pharmaceutical operations.
• Knowledge of utilities such as HVAC, clean steam, compressed air, and purified water systems.
• Understanding of validation activities and engineering change control within GMP.

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Opportunity to shape engineering direction within a growing GMP site
• Hands-on, varied role with both strategic and technical influence
• Supportive environment with strong cross-functional collaboration