Maintenance Manager

Maintenance Manager – Manufacturing

Do you thrive in fast-paced, safety-critical environments where reliability, people leadership, and continuous improvement really matter?

Are you motivated by building high-performing teams while keeping complex sites running safely, efficiently, and compliantly?

As Maintenance Manager
, you’ll lead all maintenance activities across our Darwen manufacturing sites, covering mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, utilities, and facilities. You’ll work closely with Production, Engineering, HSE, Finance, and external contractors to ensure equipment reliability, safe operations, and continuous improvement.

You’ll know you’re succeeding when downtime is reduced, safety standards are uncompromising, your team is engaged and developing, and engineering performance consistently supports production and business goals.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing all site maintenance activities, including preventive and predictive maintenance strategies

• Managing asset reliability, minimising unplanned downtime, and leading root cause analysis on failures

• Owning the maintenance budget, spares strategy, contractor costs, and CAPEX delivery

• Supporting new equipment installation, commissioning, and factory upgrades

• Leading, coaching, and developing a multi-disciplinary maintenance team and external partners

• Ensuring full compliance with UK health, safety, and environmental legislation (including PUWER, LOLER, COSHH, DSEAR, ATEX)

• Driving engineering KPIs aligned to business strategy and embedding 6S as part of the engineering culture

• Acting as a visible leader within site safety culture and audit readiness

We’re focused on capability and experience rather than a long wish-list.

The essentials are:

• Proven experience in an engineering or maintenance management role within (ideally) manufacturing

• Engineering degree/Engineering Apprenticeship with equivalent practical experience

• Strong leadership, influencing, and delegation skills

• NEBOSH Certificate (or equivalent H&S qualification) preffered though not essential

• Experience managing budgets, costs, and engineering performance

• Strong planning, analytical, communication, and presentation skills

You’ll be someone who leads by example and takes pride in both your work and your team. You’re confident challenging existing practices, open to new ideas, and comfortable leading change in a structured, people-centred way.

You’ll succeed here if you:

• Create a culture where teams feel empowered, supported, and accountable

• Communicate clearly and honestly, including when conversations are difficult

• Champion continuous improvement and operational excellence

• Balance high standards with a pragmatic, customer-focused mindset

• Build trust, collaboration, and mutual respect across teams

• Act as a positive ambassador for Crown Paints and our brands

If you’re ready to take ownership of engineering performance, safety, and people development in a critical manufacturing role, we’d love to hear from you.