Engineering Manager

Company Description

At Valeo Foods UK we bring together a family of much-loved UK food brands supported by the scale and ambition of a global investment partner. From Kettle’s bold crunch to Rowse’s natural sweetness, through to Matthew Walker and Barratt Sweets, our portfolio blends heritage, craft and category-leading innovation.

Alongside our branded portfolio, we are also one of the UK’s largest suppliers of private label products, partnering with major retailers to deliver quality and category expertise that meets the needs of millions of households every week.

As a business, we’re on a journey of transformation. We’re strengthening our operations, driving quality and investing in our people. It’s an exciting, fast-moving environment where heritage meets new thinking, and where every colleague contributes to shaping the future of food across the UK.

Join us and play your part in building the next chapter of some of Britain’s most loved brands.

Job Description

Engineering Manager

Gateshead

About the Role

At Valeo Foods, we're looking for an experienced and driven Engineering Manager to lead our engineering function at our Gateshead site. This is a pivotal leadership role where you'll be responsible for ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and continuous improvement of our manufacturing operation while developing a high-performing engineering team.

As Engineering Manager, you will shape and deliver the site's engineering strategy, driving operational excellence, asset reliability, safety, and compliance. Working closely with operational and cross-functional teams, you'll play a key role in supporting business performance, enhancing productivity, and delivering strategic improvement projects.

What You'll Be Doing

Engineering & Maintenance Leadership

• Develop and implement a robust engineering and maintenance strategy aligned to site and business objectives.
• Lead preventative and predictive maintenance programmes to maximise equipment reliability and minimise downtime.
• Ensure engineering resources are utilised effectively to support operational performance and customer requirements.
• Review and optimise asset management plans to improve equipment performance and longevity.

Safety, Compliance & Quality

• Champion a strong safety culture across the engineering function, ensuring full compliance with health, safety, environmental, and food safety standards.
• Conduct and review risk assessments, safe systems of work, and contractor management processes.
• Ensure all engineering activities meet regulatory and internal compliance requirements.
• Investigate and resolve equipment-related quality issues, supporting continuous improvement in product quality and operational standards.

Continuous Improvement & Project Delivery

• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reliability, and cost performance across the site.
• Lead engineering improvement initiatives and capital investment projects from concept through to delivery.
• Manage both CapEx and OpEx budgets, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to agreed specifications.
• Drive a culture of innovation and continuous improvement across the engineering team.

Financial & Resource Management

• Manage the engineering budget, ensuring effective control of labour, maintenance spend, spare parts, and contractor costs.
• Deliver value-driven procurement decisions while balancing operational requirements and long-term asset performance.
• Monitor performance metrics and use data-driven insights to support strategic decision-making.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a skilled engineering team, creating a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance.
• Set clear objectives and performance expectations aligned with site priorities.
• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings, performance reviews, and development planning.
• Support succession planning and talent development to build future engineering capability.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior engineering role , ideally within food manufacturing
• Strong knowledge of electrical and mechanical engineering
• Experience of leading site services (effluent, allergen and hazards)
• Experience managing maintenance strategies and project planning
• A track record of leading teams, driving performance, and managing change
• Experience in a fast-paced, evolving manufacturing environment
• Capital project management experience
• Familiarity with project management software

Additional Information

This is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You'll have the autonomy to shape engineering strategy, lead meaningful improvements, and develop a talented team while contributing to the continued success of a well-established food manufacturing business.