Senior Maintenance Engineer

Senior Maintenance Engineer (known internally as Maintenance Lead)
Pontefract (Home of Butterkist Popcorn) 

Shift: Monday - Friday, 07:30 - 16:00

Join our snack-loving team
We’re looking for a Maintenance Lead to join us at KP Snacks. If you’re ready to bring your ideas to the table, grow your skills and be part of a team that values what makes you, you – this could be your next big move.

Who are we?
We’re KP Snacks, part of the Intersnack family. Across more than 30 countries, over 15,000 of us work together to make the snacks people love – from Hula Hoops to McCoy’s. In the UK, we’re a team of around 2,400 colleagues, based across seven sites and our Slough HQ. We’re proud of our close-knit culture, where we speak up, celebrate differences and push boundaries together.

About the role

As part of our three-person Line Structure Management Team, you'll play a key role in improving equipment reliability, reducing losses and driving performance across one of our production lines. Working within our Intersnack Work Systems (IWS), you'll lead our Progressive Maintenance programme, using data, problem-solving and technical expertise to eliminate recurring issues and deliver sustainable improvements.

This is a hands-on role that combines technical leadership, continuous improvement and coaching. You'll work closely with Operations colleagues and Equipment Owners to build capability, improve asset performance and create a culture of ownership and reliability. If you enjoy solving complex engineering challenges, influencing teams and making a visible impact in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, we'd love to hear from you.

What is IWS?
Intersnack Work Systems (IWS) is our structured approach to continuous improvement in manufacturing. Rooted in the principles of zero losses and 100% employee ownership, IWS empowers teams to deliver consistent, sustainable performance by identifying and eliminating inefficiencies at every level.

What’s in it for you?
We believe in rewarding our colleagues and helping them thrive. Here’s a flavour of what we offer:

• Annual salary of £49,890, plus an annual bonus (targeted at 5%)

• KP Pension Plan with up to 7% matched contributions

• 25 days holiday, with the option to buy up to five additional days for more flexibility

• Comprehensive healthcare support including Health Cash Plan, Digital GP and Employee Assistance Programme

• KP4ME benefits platform with discounts, cashback, wellbeing tools and everyday savings

• Enhanced family-friendly policies to support colleagues at every stage of life

What will you be doing?

• Leading the Progressive Maintenance programme by owning maintenance strategy, driving reliability improvements and reducing breakdown and maintenance-related losses across the line

• Driving continuous improvement activities through root cause analysis, loss elimination and problem-solving techniques to address recurring equipment and process issues

• Partnering with Operations and Equipment Owners to improve line performance, build strong cross-functional relationships and deliver shared performance goals

• Coaching and developing colleagues to increase technical capability, embed maintenance best practice and encourage a culture of ownership and accountability

• Using data and performance insights to identify opportunities, prioritise improvements and support the delivery of safety, quality, cost and productivity targets

We’d love to hear from you if you can bring:

• A strong engineering background supported by a Level 3 qualification in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, City & Guilds, NVQ or equivalent

• Proven maintenance and fault-finding expertise with the ability to diagnose issues, implement solutions and improve equipment reliability

• Experience of Continuous Improvement methodologies such as Lean, TPM, IWS or similar approaches, with a track record of delivering measurable improvements

• Leadership and coaching skills with the ability to influence, support and develop colleagues in a manufacturing or production environment

• Experience within manufacturing, food production or FMCG environments would be advantageous, although candidates from other engineering sectors with transferable skills are encouraged to apply

• A proactive and collaborative approach with a passion for continuous improvement, teamwork and delivering results

Our purpose
At KP Snacks, we're passionate about creating happy snacking moments through our great tasting snacks and iconic brands. Every day, millions of people enjoy our products, including Hula Hoops, McCoy's, KP Nuts, Tyrrells, Skips, POM-BEAR and Butterkist, making us one of the UK's leading snack manufacturers.

For decades, we've been delighting consumers by combining well-loved favourites with exciting innovations that reflect changing tastes and expectations. We're equally passionate about our people and committed to creating a workplace where everyone can grow, develop and make a real impact.

As part of the Intersnack Group, one of the world's leading snack manufacturers, we combine global expertise with a shared commitment to creating happy snacking moments every day.

We’re committed to inclusion
We’re building a workplace where everyone belongs. If you don’t tick every box, we’d still love to hear from you – your unique perspective could be just what we need. And if there’s anything we can do to make the process easier for you, just let us know.

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