Site Engineering Manager

Want to help us bring happiness to the world? Want to join an ambitious and fast growing global biscuits and confectionery business investing heavily in iconic global brands, infrastructure and people? Then this is the place for you.

As proud bakers and chocolatiers and custodians of iconic global brands, we don’t compromise on the quality of ingredients in our products or on the people we hire. We are looking for entrepreneurial spirits who share our passion for bringing happiness to our consumers and who embody our Winning Traits.

To succeed at pladis you need to be purpose-led ,
resilient and positive to succeed here because we expect pace and agility , we insist on collaboration and demand accountability. If that is your thing, then pladis offers global ambition, a clear Vision and roadmap for success, challenge, and unrivalled opportunities to learn and make an impact.

Location: Stockport

Working Pattern: Monday – Friday, 09:00-17:00

Established in 1917, our Manchester site in Stockport is one of pladis UK’s key manufacturing hubs—a place where tradition meets innovation. With a talented team of around 500 colleagues, we proudly produce some of the nation’s most iconic treats, including Jaffa Cakes in a variety of flavours, Chocolate Digestives (Dark, Milk, White and more), Penguin, Hobnobs, and soon, Club and Gold Bars.

Manchester’s rich heritage includes landmark moments such as the arrival of Penguin in 1969, the launch of its chocolate refinery in 1989, and the introduction of the first automated Jaffa Cake line in 1992. Celebrating its centenary in 2017 and earning the title of pladis Factory of the Year in 2024, the site continues to evolve—most recently with a £21 million upgrade.

It’s more than just a factory; it’s a community of passionate people working together to deliver joy through every bite, across the UK and beyond.

Our Manchester Bakery is experiencing an exciting period of growth, with over £20m invested in the past 18 months. We are looking for an inclusive and forward-thinking Site Engineering Manager to lead our Engineering team in enhancing asset reliability, improving operational efficiency, and fostering a world-class engineering culture. Working with some of the UK’s most loved brands, you’ll play a key leadership role in delivering the engineering element of our ambition to be The Home of Chocolate, while contributing to our overall site strategy as part of the leadership team.

• and empower our team of engineering managers and multi-skilled engineers, promoting a culture of belonging and inclusion.
• Deliver engineering KPIs in line with budget, including PM compliance, utilisation, technical breakdowns, and operational efficiency.
• Champion proactive reliability strategies through initiatives such as Condition-Based Monitoring.
• Support and develop your team, enabling everyone to reach their full potential.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Operational Excellence teams to drive continuous improvement across the site.
• Play an active role in shaping site strategy and ambition beyond engineering.
• Oversee energy efficiency and site services to manage costs effectively.
• Ensure compliance with engineering specifications, health and safety legislation, and facilities management standards.
• Lead capital planning and pipeline development for future site investment in infrastructure, sustainability, and efficiency.

• Ability to lead and inspire teams with an inclusive approach.
• BEng degree, apprentice-trained engineer,
  or equivalent experience
  .
• Experience in leading teams and delivering impactful change.
• Proven involvement in developing and implementing long-term strategies. Experience of leadership in a unionised environment.

• Budget and cost centre management experience for R&M.
• Familiarity with capital project processes.
• Experience in FMCG engineering environments.
• Project management skills.
• Lean Six Sigma training.

• Stage 1: 30-minute competency-based interview via Teams, focused on our leadership style, values and your…