Engineering Manager

Facilities Engineering Manager – Chemical Processing & Industrial Utilities Employment: Full-Time | Permanent | On-Site Sector: Industrial Manufacturing / Chemical Processing The Opportunity Links Partners is working with a large manufacturing organisation ito recruit an experienced Facilities Engineering Manager to oversee critical plant infrastructure, chemical handling systems and industrial utilities. This is an opportunity to take responsibility for a modern manufacturing facility spanning approximately 1 million square feet , with complex chemical processing infrastructure, automated systems and significant ongoing investment in its operations. We are particularly interested in speaking with engineering and facilities leaders who have worked in chemical manufacturing, specialty chemicals, semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceuticals or other process-intensive industrial environments . The successful candidate will lead a multidisciplinary facilities team of approximately 40 employees, taking responsibility for the safe operation, maintenance and continuous improvement of the site’s infrastructure. With the current Facilities Engineering Manager approaching retirement, there will be an opportunity for a structured handover, allowing the incoming manager to gain a detailed understanding of the facility’s equipment, processes and longer-term engineering requirements. Key Responsibilities The Facilities Engineering Manager will be responsible for ensuring the safety, reliability and performance of critical infrastructure supporting manufacturing operations. Responsibilities will include: Chemical Handling & Distribution: Oversee the safe operation, maintenance and reliability of chemical storage, handling, transfer, dispensing and distribution systems. Process Safety: Ensure chemical processing infrastructure operates in accordance with relevant safety standards, environmental requirements and operating procedures. Industrial Utilities: Manage critical plant utilities, including chillers, cooling towers, boilers, HVAC, compressed air and associated mechanical infrastructure. Water & Wastewater Treatment: Oversee industrial water treatment, wastewater management and high-purity water systems supporting manufacturing processes. Facilities Leadership: Lead approximately 40 facilities personnel, including maintenance technicians, technical specialists and supervisors, establishing clear expectations around safety, reliability and operational performance. Reliability Engineering: Develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, using FMEA, root cause analysis and other reliability techniques to reduce equipment failures. Chemical & Gas Systems: Maintain the safety and reliability of process gas distribution systems, chemical delivery infrastructure and associated monitoring equipment. Maintenance Management: Oversee CMMS activities, maintenance scheduling, equipment inspections, contractor coordination and long-term asset management. Capital Projects & Commissioning: Support facility expansions, infrastructure improvements, equipment installations and commissioning activities. Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve process safety, equipment availability, operational efficiency and long-term facility performance. What We’re Looking For We’re looking for someone who combines strong technical knowledge of industrial chemical systems with proven facilities engineering leadership experience . Ideally, you will have at least seven years of experience in industrial facilities engineering, utilities management or maintenance leadership, with direct exposure to chemical processing or hazardous material handling environments. Experience managing chemical storage and distribution infrastructure is particularly important, alongside a strong understanding of the industrial utilities required to support continuous manufacturing operations. You should be comfortable leading a large technical team while remaining involved in engineering decisions, equipment reliability, troubleshooting and improvement projects. We would be particularly interested in candidates with experience in: Chemical manufacturing and processing: Specialty chemicals, industrial gases, chemical production, semiconductor fabrication, pharmaceutical manufacturing or similar environments. Process safety and compliance: Chemical handling procedures, hazardous materials management, FMEA, Process Safety Management and industrial safety standards. Critical facilities infrastructure: Industrial chillers, cooling towers, water treatment, wastewater systems, HVAC, compressed air and process utilities. Engineering leadership: Supervising multidisciplinary maintenance and engineering teams, managing contractors and developing long-term maintenance strategies. An engineering qualification or equivalent technical experience would be advantageous. Why Consider This Opportunity? This is an opportunity to take responsibility for a substantial manufacturing facility, with the scope to influence how critical infrastructure is maintained, operated and improved. The organisation is looking for someone who can build on the systems already in place while bringing fresh ideas around equipment reliability, process safety and maintenance performance. The successful candidate will benefit from a structured transition with the outgoing manager, providing valuable insight into the facility’s engineering systems and operational requirements. The position also offers the opportunity to contribute to future capital projects, facility improvements and operational development. A competitive compensation package, annual performance bonus and employee benefits are available. Interested? If you’re currently working as a Facilities Engineering Manager, Utilities Manager, Maintenance & Engineering Manager, Plant Engineering Manager or Facilities Director within a chemical or process manufacturing environment, we’d be interested in speaking with you.