Maintenance Engineer
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Shift Engineers – Mechanical & Electrical (x3 vacancies!)
Burscough | Permanent | 4 on / 4 off Shift Pattern
Shift Pattern: 4 on / 4 off rotation — 2 × 12-hour day shifts (6am–6pm), 2 × 12-hour night shifts (6pm–6am), followed by 4 rest days (includes weekends and bank holidays)
Salary: 54,300.52
About the Opportunity
We are recruiting Mechanical and Electrical Shift Engineers to join our engineering team at our Burscough manufacturing site. This is an exciting time to join as we invest in improving asset reliability, strengthening engineering capability, and developing a truly multi-skilled maintenance function.
Our site operates high-speed manufacturing equipment in a fast-paced environment where engineering excellence directly impacts safety, quality, and operational performance. We are building a culture where engineers are trusted specialists — empowered to diagnose problems, drive improvements, and influence how work is carried out.
This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy hands-on problem solving, ownership of plant performance, and working within a supportive, forward-thinking team.
The Role
As a Shift Engineer, you will play a critical role in maintaining and improving the performance of production assets. Acting as a technical expert on shift, you will balance reactive maintenance with proactive reliability activities to minimise downtime and maximise efficiency.
You will be expected to work independently while collaborating closely with production teams to deliver safe, high-quality engineering solutions.
Key responsibilities include:
- Delivering planned preventative maintenance to ensure equipment reliability and longevity
- Rapid fault finding and repair across mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and PLC-controlled systems
- Supporting root cause investigations and implementing corrective actions
- Identifying and driving continuous improvement opportunities
- Ensuring all work complies with site safety standards and engineering best practice
- Communicating clearly with production and engineering colleagues during shift handovers
- Maintaining accurate documentation and maintenance records
- Supporting installation, modification, and commissioning of equipment when required
Working Environment
You will be working in a high-volume manufacturing setting where teamwork, accountability, and professionalism are essential. The engineering function is a visible and valued part of the operation, and engineers are encouraged to share ideas, challenge inefficiencies, and contribute to improvement initiatives.
We are committed to developing a modern, multi-skilled engineering team supported by structured training and continuous learning.
What We’re Looking For
We are seeking motivated engineers with strong technical foundations and a proactive mindset.
You should have:
- A time-served engineering apprenticeship or equivalent hands-on experience
- Mechanical or electrical bias, with willingness to develop broader multi-skilled capability
- Experience working in a manufacturing, production, or FMCG environment
- Strong diagnostic and fault-finding ability
- A safety-first mindset and commitment to engineering standards
- A practical, solution-focused approach
- Good communication and teamwork skills
- Pride in delivering high-quality workmanship
Most importantly, we are looking for engineers who take ownership, remain calm under pressure, and want to contribute to continuous improvement.
What We Offer
We recognise the importance of attracting and retaining skilled engineers and provide a competitive package that includes:
- Competitive salary with shift premium
- Overtime opportunities
- Company pension and life assurance
- Structured training and development pathways
- Opportunities to build multi-skilled capability
- Support for professional growth and progression
- On-site facilities and wellbeing initiatives
- A stable, supportive team environment
Why Join Us?
This is more than a maintenance role — it’s an opportunity to be part of a site investing in engineering excellence. You’ll be trusted to make decisions, encouraged to develop your skills, and supported by a team that values collaboration and professionalism.
If you are passionate about engineering, reliability, and improvement — we want to hear from you.
#LI-SP
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Emphasise your time-served apprenticeship or equivalent hands-on experience at the top of your CV; the advert explicitly requires this foundation.
🔧 Highlight specific equipment types you have maintained (mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, PLC-controlled systems) with concrete examples of faults diagnosed and resolved.
📋 Quantify your maintenance achievements: instead of "Performed preventative maintenance", write "Delivered 200+ planned maintenance tasks annually, reducing unplanned downtime by 25%".
🌐 Demonstrate multi-skilled capability: list both mechanical and electrical competencies separately, showing willingness to develop across disciplines.
🎯 Include examples of root cause investigations you have led and continuous improvement initiatives you have driven, as the advert values proactive problem-solvers who challenge inefficiencies.
Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Can you walk us through a recent fault you diagnosed on a PLC-controlled system? What was your diagnostic approach and how did you resolve it?
- ›Describe your experience with planned preventative maintenance schedules. How do you balance PPM tasks with reactive maintenance demands during a shift?
- ›Tell us about a time you worked on pneumatic and electrical systems. How do you approach troubleshooting across different engineering disciplines?
- ›What experience do you have with equipment commissioning or modification work? Can you give a specific example?
- ›How do you document and communicate maintenance issues during shift handovers to ensure continuity and safety?
Behavioural
- ›This role requires working a 4 on / 4 off shift pattern with 12-hour shifts. How have you managed shift work in previous roles, and what appeals to you about this pattern?
- ›Tell us about a time you identified an inefficiency in a manufacturing process. How did you raise it and what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to work independently on shift while also collaborating with production teams. How did you balance autonomy with teamwork?
- ›Give an example of when you took ownership of plant performance or asset reliability. What impact did your actions have?
- ›How do you approach continuous learning and developing broader multi-skilled capability in your engineering practice?