Engineering Manager: RO & Water Systems Leader in Rochdale

Department: Technical

Location: Rochdale

Compensation: £60,000 - £65,000

About Salt Separation Services:

Salt Separation Services have been leading in desalination technology for over 35 years; specialising in the engineering, commissioning and servicing of reverse osmosis (RO) plants that provide drinkable water solutions across a variety of industries. Our systems are used in sectors including naval, oil, cruise ships, and more. We’re committed to designing reliable, high-quality RO and water filtration solutions that meet the unique demands of each industry and customer we serve.

Position Summary:

We are looking to bring a highly capable and forward‑thinking Engineering Manager to lead our Technical Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Process Engineering, and Commissioning Engineering teams. This will be the first time we have welcomed this role at SaltSep. Making key operational and tactical decisions that shape our technical output, engineering standards, and long‑term capabilities. You will own technical project prioritisation, engineering resource planning, technical governance, and risk management—while contributing to departmental strategy and the wider business roadmap. Operating with high autonomy, you will provide technical authority, ensure the delivery of robust engineering solutions, and drive excellence across the full product lifecycle from concept and design through manufacture, commissioning, and continuous improvement.

Your previous experience and vision will be a contributing factor to designing how this role will operate, interact and collaborate across departments.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Strategy
  • Lead and manage Design Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Process Engineers, and Commissioning Engineers.
  • Contribute to departmental and business‑wide strategy and provide technical leadership at a senior level.
  • Drive a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and innovation.
  • Manage engineering resource planning, capacity, recruitment, onboarding, mentoring, and performance.
  • Develop competency frameworks and personal development plans to build long‑term capability.
  • Provide regular performance, risk and KPI reports to senior leadership.
• Technical Governance and Compliance
  • Ensure full adherence to company policies, procedures, and statutory requirements.
  • Promote a safety‑first culture, embedding Design for Safety and risk‑reduction principles.
  • Ensure completion and documentation of Design Risk Assessments, FMEAs, and technical reviews.
  • Oversee creation, maintenance, and review of technical documentation, SOPs, and engineering standards.
  • Manage engineering change control processes (design and schedule changes).
  • Review SLAs and ensure high‑quality, timely technical deliverables.
• Design Technical Delivery
  • Lead the Technical Design Team to produce accurate, compliant, manufacturable designs aligned with customer requirements and internal standards.
  • Oversee drawing, modelling, calculation, and documentation approval.
  • Ensure seamless integration of engineering outputs with Epicor systems (BoM, BoO, resource planning).
  • Drive standardisation of components, design methodology, and best practice.
• Manufacturing, Process & Commissioning Engineering
  • Own the Manufacturing Engineering function, ensuring routing, tooling, fixturing, production methods, and documentation are optimised.
  • Own the Process Engineering function to deliver robust, repeatable, continuously improving processes.
  • Own the Commissioning Engineering function, ensuring equipment is installed, tested, and commissioned safely and in line with design intent.
  • Support production to resolve technical issues, non‑conformances, and process inefficiencies.
  • Drive DFMA principles and continuous improvement to enhance quality, reduce waste, and optimise cost and lead time.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Production, Projects, Quality, Procurement, and Sales to ensure successful project delivery.
  • Participate in LFE activities, project reviews, and 360° feedback processes.
  • Support communication, alignment, and problem‑solving across technical and operational teams.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Proven leadership experience in engineering management within a manufacturing or technical engineering environment.
• Strong technical background across product design, manufacturing engineering, process engineering, and/or commissioning.
• Excellent understanding of engineering standards, governance, and best practice.
• Skilled in managing multi‑disciplinary engineering teams and complex technical workloads.
• Strong ability to make operational decisions and manage competing technical priorities.
• Expertise in continuous improvement, DFMA, risk assessment, and engineering change control.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Proficient in ERP systems (Epicor advantageous) and digital engineering tools.
• Highly organised, analytical, and committed to driving safety, quality, and performance.

Why Salt Sep?

Benefits:

• A value at Salt Sep is family, and as such, we have designed benefits package which we believe give our people the very best support we can professionally, personally and for your future.
• Competitive employer matched pension scheme (Aviva)
• Company Bonus Scheme
• Employee Referral Scheme
• Free Employee Assistance Services; giving counselling, GP access, financial and wellbeing advice.
• Life insurance
• Income protection (after 5 yrs service)
• Early finish Friday (finishing at 1pm)
• Plenty of training and development
• Holiday buy-back
• Excellent team building, social and company events

At Salt Separation Services, you’ll have the opportunity to work on impactful projects in a dynamic environment, as part of a small family-owned business. We have some big goals on our horizon, we take pride in supporting our employees' own growth and provide a culture that values quality, communication, integrity, health and safety and family.

We'd love to hear from you! Apply now...

Interested candidates are encouraged to submit their CV and cover letter detailing relevant experience and qualifications.

The next steps

• Our team will help look into your application
• If successful, we’ll arrange a quick chat
• Initial Interview, will be with the hiring manager and there will be an element of demonstrating your skills.
• Final stage, a peer interview to meet some of the people you’ll be working alongside.
• Offer, and hopefully, acceptance!

Salt Separation Services is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is valued, we encourage all candidates from all backgrounds, and are very happy to facilitate any adjustment you might need.