Date: 2 Sept 2026
Location: Belfast, GB
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Company: Hovis
Welcome to Hovis. We are the proud guardians of over 130 years of baking experience that make up our iconic and much-loved brand. We produce bread and bakery products created with Hovis goodness at the heart of each. We deliver around 1.3million loaves, every day of the week throughout the UK and Ireland, where we also make Mothers Pride and Ormo products.
We are 2,800 people working within 8 bakeries, 1 flour mill, and 2 regional distribution centres across the UK. Our success is a result of the hard work of our people; they are experts in their field whether it’s baking, manufacturing, logistics, engineering, or the many departments within the central functions team based in our head office in High Wycombe. We are a values-led business and expect our colleagues to live, breathe, and embed Quality, Accountability, and Trust into their ways of working.
ROLE PURPOSE
A qualified mechanically biased multi-skilled engineer to work on shifts as required providing breakdown and maintenance cover on a varied range of process plant, equipment and ancillary services throughout the site.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Prevent machine failure during your shift and in later shifts
Carry out preventive maintenance tasks as scheduled during the shift to required standard
Conduct continuous machine observation and measurement during the shift, identifying potential failure or deterioration in output, waste or quality performance from machine standards
Determine cause of potential failure or performance deterioration, and either complete remedial work during shift or brief subsequent shift and Maintenance Manager on issue, cause and recommended solution
Train apprentices and new engineers.
Prevent losses (equipment damage), accidents or injuries through use or maintenance of equipment
Conduct continuous machine observation during the shift, identifying potential safety risks and taking necessary actions to remove the hazard
Conduct risk assessment prior to any maintenance work and ensure conclusions are implemented prior to start of work to remove hazards
Ensure equipment is handed back to production in 100% safe condition
Be aware of incident reports and work with operational managers to promptly implement solutions to prevent re-occurrence.
Complete corrective actions during shift to return equipment to standard output, quality and waste levels
Respond immediately to equipment failures during your shift
Conduct systematic, rigorous and accurate fault diagnosis
Determine most effective solution to the fault
Effect the solution, and report on nature of fault, cause and solution via computerised maintenance system.
Identify, recommend and implement machine and process improvements
Regularly observe the operation of all equipment
Identify causes of reduction in output per hour, or yield losses
Develop and recommend solutions to improve output rate per hour or materials yield.
Observe and understand non-productive activities such as product changeover and hygiene cleaning.
Identify opportunities to reduce the time taken for these activities.
Develop and recommend solutions to improve the time taken.
Essential Criteria
Apprentice trained
Multi skilled
Able to read & understand Pneumatic drawings / systems
Experience with using computer based preventative maintenance systems
Read mechanical drawings
Experienced with conveyor systems
Worked with chain, sprocket, belt driven machinery
IT Skills
Arc welding
Desirable Criteria
TIG Welding skills
Fabrication experience
Food Manufacturing Experience
MEWP Trained
Forklift driver trained
First Aider
Basic Food Hygiene trained.
17th Edition
Why work for us and our benefits:
At Hovis, we understand the importance of looking after our colleagues, so we provide a variety of benefits in addition to their salaries. The benefits we provide at Hovis are as varied as the people who receive them but they are offered with the intention of creating value to them personally over and above their salaries
There is a range of colleague benefits available, which individuals can select based on their needs.
Our benefits scheme is called Hovis Choice, which offers a variety of savings and cashback offers on day to day living and much more including eyecare vouchers, and a healthcare scheme to suit everyone. It also includes our Cycle to Work scheme where you can obtain a brand new bike at a significant saving
We offer competitive annual leave entitlement and flexibility where possible in order to create a healthy work-life balance
We celebrate loyalty with our generous long service and colleague recognition schemes
We offer three levels of pensions
Hovis values diversity and is committed to promoting equal opportunities in the workplace. Every job applicant, employee or worker will be treated fairly and equally with dignity and respect regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, social class, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious belief, union membership, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic.
