Head of Maintenance

You know what a well-run maintenance department looks like.

Clear priorities.
Planned work that actually gets completed.
Mechanical, electrical, automation and planning working as one team.
Production and Maintenance pulling in the same direction.

That is where this business wants to get to.
 
As Head of Maintenance, you will take responsibility for a large, complex maintenance function within a 24/7 heavy manufacturing environment.
The foundations are there, there are experienced people, strong technical knowledge and a business that understands maintenance needs to change.
 
What it now needs is a Head of Maintenance who can bring the whole function together.
You will lead across mechanical, electrical, automation, shift maintenance and planning, creating greater structure, clearer accountability and a stronger balance between reactive and planned maintenance.
 
You will not sit behind a desk reviewing spreadsheets and asking why the numbers have not moved.
 
As Head of Maintenance, you will need to understand what is happening on the plant.

Why are the same breakdowns happening again?
Where is maintenance planning falling down?
What is getting in the way of preventive maintenance?
What support do the supervisors and engineers need to perform properly?

You will work closely with Operations to agree site priorities, improve equipment uptime and reliability, strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance, and make better use of the information already sitting within the maintenance system.
 
As Head of Maintenance, you will bring Mechanical, Electrical, Automation, Planning and Shift Maintenance together as one function.
That will mean:

Creating and delivering a clear maintenance strategy.
Improving the balance between reactive, preventive and predictive maintenance.
Reducing repeat failures through stronger root cause analysis.
Improving MTTR, MTBF, planned maintenance compliance and equipment reliability.
Strengthening maintenance planning, schedules and shift handovers.
Developing supervisors, engineers and apprentices.
Improving how CMMS data and maintenance history are used.
Managing budgets, contractors, critical spares and external suppliers.
Supporting Operations through major breakdowns, outages and critical incidents.
Leading a safe and compliant maintenance function within a demanding industrial environment.

You will also be joining at an important point for this established business.
 
A number of experienced engineers are approaching retirement, while the business is planning to develop more apprentices and less experienced engineers.
There is a lot of knowledge within the maintenance team. The challenge is making sure it is captured, shared and used to develop the next generation.
 
As Head of Maintenance, developing people and creating a structure that works for the future will be just as important as improving today's reliability figures.
You will already have led a sizeable maintenance function within heavy manufacturing, metals, foundry, casting, rolling, steel, aluminium, process manufacturing or another demanding 24/7 environment.
 
You will understand mechanical and electrical systems, automation and controls, maintenance planning and reliability: more importantly, you will understand the reality of supporting live production.
 
You will know when to challenge, when to listen and when to get everyone around the same table to agree what matters most, because the strongest maintenance functions are not built through systems and KPIs alone.
 
They are built through trust, consistency, clear expectations and people who understand the part they play.
 
What is in it for you?
This Head of Maintenance role comes with a highly competitive six-figure basic salary, with some flexibility for an exceptional candidate.
 
You will also receive:
 
A substantial performance-related bonus linked to company and individual performance.
A monthly car allowance.
A strong employer pension contribution.
Private medical insurance.
Life assurance.
A generous holiday allowance, including bank holidays.

There is flexibility within the working pattern, but this is a senior operational role in a 24/7 manufacturing business.
 
When there is a major breakdown, outage, operational emergency or critical project, the Head of Maintenance needs to be available.
That may occasionally mean providing support outside normal hours, at weekends or on public holidays.
It will not be the everyday expectation, but it is an honest part of carrying responsibility for a site of this scale.
 
This search is being handled confidentially & should you be selected you will be asked to sign an NDA.
 
If you are already working as a Head of Maintenance, Engineering Manager or senior Maintenance Manager and have built, improved or transformed a maintenance function, I would be interested in speaking with you.
This role is exclusive to Marshall Harmony, you won't be contacted by any third parties. If you'd like more info or want to talk it…