Manufacturing Engineer – Night Shift

Location: Colchester

Salary: £45,000–£48,000 per annum (inclusive of night shift premium)

Overtime: Paid at a fixed rate of £22.70 per hour

Hours: 45 hours per week, working 9:30 PM–6:30 AM

About the Role:

A well-established food manufacturing business is looking for a hands-on Manufacturing Engineer to support and improve night shift operations. You’ll help keep production lines running efficiently, reduce downtime, and maintain high standards of food safety and quality.

This is a fast-paced, shop-floor-based role where you’ll work closely with operators and team leaders, taking ownership of machinery performance and shift operations during the night shift. A UK driving licence and access to a vehicle are essential due to the site location.

If you are a hands-on engineer who enjoys solving problems, taking ownership and working as part of a close-knit team, we would like to hear from you.

Benefits:

• 33 days annual leave, 3 days reserved for Christmas shutdown
• Enhanced sick pay after one year of service
• Night shift health & wellbeing support
• Staff discount on products
• Employee discount platform
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and HR support
• Free onsite parking
• PPE provided
• Family-owned business with a strong culture and clear values
• Varied role with responsibility and autonomy
• Call-out and overtime opportunities available
   

Key Responsibilities:

• Respond quickly and effectively to equipment breakdowns, diagnosing and resolving electrical and mechanical faults.
• Carry out planned preventative maintenance activities.
• Support production teams in achieving shift performance targets.
• Maintain and improve equipment reliability.
• Assist with continuous improvement projects and equipment upgrades
• Ensure engineering work is completed safely and in line with food manufacturing standards.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records and shift handovers.
• Act as the primary engineering contact during the night shift.
• Work closely with the Manufacturing Shift Manager to ensure the factory operates safely, efficiently and delivers the production plan.

Requirements:

• Food/FMCG Industry Experience highly desirable: Minimum 2–3 years of engineering experience within food manufacturing, high-speed packaging, or Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG).
• Hands-on Mechanical & Electrical Skills: Good understanding of both electrical and mechanical systems with confident troubleshooting PLC-controlled systems, automated conveyors, and pneumatic machinery on the factory floor.
• Root Cause Analysis: Proven ability to quickly diagnose mechanical failures and implement long-term preventive actions.
• SME Mindset: Highly adaptable, self-motivated, and comfortable wearing multiple hats in a fast-paced, smaller business environment.
• Local Commute: Ability to reliably commute to the factory site in Essex.

Desirable:

• Apprentice trained or recognised engineering qualification, electrically biased with mechanical maintenance capability, Formal training in HACCP principles or food hygiene.
• Experience in configuring dispersion tables, radial feeders, and pool/weigh hoppers for maximum throughput.
• Experience in diagnosing and fixing jaw-seal issues, back-seal alignment, and gas-flush settings on modern bagmakers (e.g., Ishida Inspira or Atlas series).