Multiskilled Maintenance Engineer
Low Carbon Materials
Location: Seaham – Jade Business Park
Reports to: Production Manager
Salary: £40,000 – £50,000 depending on experience
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9–5
Direct reports: Maintenance Technician(s)
About us
Low Carbon Materials (LCM) is an award-winning, science-led company on a mission to decarbonise construction. We make additives for concrete and asphalt that make these everyday materials far more sustainable and better for the planet, cutting the carbon of some of the world's most widely used products. We were a finalist in the 2022 Earthshot Prize (Fix Our Climate category), the world's most prestigious environmental award, founded by Prince William. Not many companies can say they've had Prince William in their labs making concrete.
We operate materials handling equipment which processes an abrasive material – this imposes challenges for uptime and availability. As the process develops, automation and lean / continuous processes will become more important.
About the role
We're scaling our production to meet growing demand. Initially this role is focused on maintaining our pilot line maximising uptime, while you play a key part in designing and building our new commercial line. It's a hands-on, build-phase role. You won't just keep existing kit running, you'll help design, commission and develop (competence, skills and processes) the maintenance function for a much bigger operation.
We need someone multiskilled (electrical including experience in 415V isolations & mechanical), qualified, and comfortable with both the hands-on work and the paperwork. You'll set up preventative maintenance from the ground up, manage the technician(s), and be a safety-first manager who has high standards of safety, housekeeping and standardisation of processes.
This is a hands-on role for an experienced engineer who still will do the maintenance, not step back from it. You'll carry out the reactive and preventative maintenance yourself, with the support of the maintenance technician, and set up the regimes, schedules, asset registers and records that go with it, building a maintenance function that can grow as we scale our production.
What you'll do
- Keep safety and process standards high across everything the team touches.
- Be fully hands-on across the pilot line and support build, install and commissioning of the new commercial line.
- Design and implement preventative maintenance (PPM / TPM) regimes, schedules and asset registers.
- Install control panels for new and existing equipment.
- Diagnose and fix electrical and mechanical faults on motors, conveyors, mixers and production line equipment, minimising downtime.
- Manage and develop the maintenance technician(s), setting priorities and standards.
- Keep maintenance records, RAMS, permits to work, LOTO and all compliance paperwork up to date and in order.
- Work with production and ops to plan maintenance around throughput and improve equipment reliability and OEE.
- Manage spares, critical parts and supplier/contractor relationships.
Essential criteria
- Time-served apprenticeship plus a recognised qualification in electrical engineering (e.g. NVQ/City & Guilds Level 3 or equivalent).
- Multiskilled with a strong electrical bias and solid mechanical capability.
- 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671).
- Proven, demonstrable experience maintaining motors, conveyors, mixers and production lines in a manufacturing environment.
- Strong grasp of electrical fault-finding, control systems and 3-phase systems.
- Solid pneumatics experience (fault-finding, maintenance and repair on production equipment).
- Confident producing and working to RAMS, permits to work, risk assessments and LOTO.
- Working knowledge of relevant regs and standards (PUWER, LOLER, and general H&S).
- Track record of setting up or running preventative maintenance regimes.
- Well organised with the paperwork, records and compliance side.
- Expectations to work additional hours when needed to cover breakdown and overhaul tasks.
- Full UK driving licence.
Desirable criteria
- Recognised safety qualification (e.g. IOSH / NEBOSH).
- Experience commissioning new lines or scaling production capacity.
- Experience managing or supervising maintenance staff.
- PLC fault-finding / programming
- Mechanical qualification alongside the electrical one.
- Continuous improvement / Lean / Six Sigma exposure.
- Hydraulics and instrumentation experience.
Pay: £40,000.00-£50,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: In person
