Equipment Engineer

Equipment Engineer

Location:

Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham

Contract Type:
Permanent / Full Time

Closing Date:
Jun 12th, 2026

:
1673853

Wolviston Management Services are proud to be supporting our client in the appointment of an experienced Equipment Engineer to join their advanced manufacturing operation. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a highly technical, fast‑paced environment supporting state‑of‑the‑art compound semiconductor processing equipment. The successful candidate will play a key role in maximising equipment reliability, driving continuous improvement, and supporting the introduction of new technologies critical to ongoing business growth.

You will work closely with Engineering, Operations and Process teams to ensure high levels of machine availability, process performance and operational efficiency across a cutting‑edge manufacturing facility.

As Equipment Engineer, you will be responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable and efficient performance of complex manufacturing equipment across multiple production and process areas. You will take ownership of preventative and corrective maintenance strategies, support equipment upgrades and modifications, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives focused on reliability, yield improvement and cost reduction. This role requires a proactive, hands‑on engineer with strong analytical skills and a passion for technology and innovation.

• Support equipment performance across all manufacturing and process areas
• Develop and implement preventative maintenance schedules and procedures
• Carry out root cause analysis on equipment failures and implement corrective actions
• Support machine start‑up, shutdown and recovery procedures
• Design and coordinate equipment modifications and improvement projects
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to Equipment Technicians and Process Engineers
• Manage spare parts, consumables and critical stock levels
• Identify second‑source suppliers to support cost reduction initiatives
• Analyse equipment performance data to drive continuous improvement
• Ensure equipment capability meets process and production requirements
• Support the specification, procurement and acceptance testing of new capital equipment
• Deliver training in line with ISO
  9001 standards and site procedures
• Support compliance activities including COSHH assessments, risk assessments and CDM requirements
• Develop and implement best practice engineering methods across operations
• Liaise with external contractors and equipment vendors on upgrades and improvements
• Contribute towards scrap reduction, yield improvement and operational efficiency targets
• Support a dynamic manufacturing environment operating at the forefront of semiconductor technology

• Review equipment performance and downtime data to identify recurring issues
• Lead fault finding and breakdown recovery activities
• Mentor and support Equipment Technicians to ensure minimal downtime
• Work collaboratively with Process Engineers to improve process capability and equipment performance
• Contribute towards departmental KPIs focused on reliability, uptime and efficiency

To be successful in this role, you will have previous experience working within a manufacturing or highly automated engineering environment, ideally within a multi‑disciplined engineering function with an electrical or electronic bias. You will be a proactive and adaptable engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems and working within a fast‑moving production environment.

• Minimum HNC qualification in an Engineering discipline
• At least 5 years' experience within a manufacturing environment
• Strong background within electrical, electronic or multi‑disciplined engineering
• Experience supporting complex automated production equipment
• Proven fault‑finding and problem‑solving capability

Experience in some or all of the following areas would be advantageous:

• Robotics
• High vacuum systems
• Gas control systems
• Pneumatics
• PLCs and control systems
• Software integration and automation
• Calibration
• Electronics
• Control & Instrumentation

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Hands‑on engineering approach
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Self‑motivated with a strong work ethic
• Ability to adapt and respond within a fast‑changing environment
• Committed to continuous improvement and operational excellence