Maintenance Team Leader

Experienced Team Leader required for global manufacturer based at their site in Plymouth. As a key member of the Engineering function, this role will lead the site’s maintenance team to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of all machinery, manufacturing, and facility equipment. Combining hands-on technical support with people leadership, the role focuses on planning and executing Planned Maintenance (PM), developing team capability, and driving asset reliability. This position is critical to maintaining production continuity, supporting continuous improvement, and strengthening collaboration between Engineering and Operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Safety & Compliance

* Lead by example, ensuring all maintenance work is completed safely, following site and regulatory requirements.

* Promote a proactive safety culture through engagement and near-miss reporting.

* Ensure maintenance team members understand and follow all EHS procedures and safe systems of work.

* Support risk assessments, safe work permits, and escalation processes when required.

Leadership & Team Development:

* Lead, support and develop a team of Maintenance Engineers, providing coaching, mentoring, and regular performance feedback.

* Plan daily priorities, allocate resources effectively, and ensure appropriate skills coverage across shifts.

* Foster a collaborative and accountable team culture focused on reliability, quality, and continuous improvement.

* Identify training needs and support skills development within the team to enhance capability and flexibility.

* Participate in recruitment and onboarding of new team members to ensure a strong, engaged team.

Planned Maintenance & Reliability:

* Plan, coordinate and oversee all PM activities across site, ensuring tasks are executed safely, on time, and to a high standard.

* Maintain the accuracy and compliance of the CMMS (Pirana), including scheduling, work orders, and completion reports.

* Monitor the effectiveness of PM routines and recommend improvements to optimise asset reliability.

* Manage the site’s critical spares portfolio to ensure key components are available and controlled.

* Support root cause analysis (RCA) and drive corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to prevent reoccurrence of issues.

Technical & Operational Support:

* Provide hands-on technical support during complex breakdowns, ensuring safe and timely resolution.

* Work closely with Production, Quality, and Engineering teams to address recurring issues and improve equipment performance.

* Support installation, commissioning, and handover of new equipment or automation projects.

Continuous Improvement:

* Analyse performance data (downtime, OEE, quality losses) to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.

* Drive structured improvement initiatives using CI tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone, or 6S.

* Encourage the maintenance team to actively contribute improvement ideas and take ownership of implementation.

* Support standardisation of maintenance processes, documentation, and reporting across shifts.

Communication & Reporting:

* Act as the primary link between the maintenance team and the wider business, ensuring consistent communication of priorities, performance, and issues.

* Provide clear updates during daily and weekly meetings, including equipment status, maintenance backlog, and improvement actions.

* Ensure effective shift handovers, maintaining visibility and continuity across 24-hour operations.

Essential Qualifications, Skills, Experience & Candidate Attributes Required:

Time-served Engineer or HNC (or equivalent) in Mechanical, Electrical or Multi-skilled Engineering.

Proven experience leading or supervising maintenance teams within an injection moulding / manufacturing environment.

Strong technical background with hands-on experience in fault finding and root cause analysis.

Experience working with CMMS systems such as Pirana, SAP, or equivalent.

Solid understanding of injection moulding, automation, and supporting manufacturing systems.

Strong leadership and communication skills with the ability to engage, motivate and develop others.

Experience in a Continuous Improvement or TPM-led environment.

Knowledge and understanding of EHS practices, including risk assessment and permit-to-work systems.

A calm, structured approach under pressure with a focus on problem-solving and prevention.

A leadership style that balances accountability, support, and team growth.

A proactive mindset, driving improvements in reliability, safety, and team performance.

A genuine commitment to developing people and fostering a culture of ownership and pride.

The successful candidate will be required to work a static day shift comprising of Monday to Thursday 08:30 to 17:00 and Friday’s 08:30 to 14:30.

If you are an experienced Senior Maintenance Engineer with leadership experience, or Maintenance Team Leader & are currently looking for a new challenge, then please submit an up-to-date CV by using the ‘apply’ button below

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