Maintenance Engineer

About the role

We are seeking an experienced Maintenance Engineer to join our busy maintenance team in Whitstable. The role involves hands‑on work to keep manufacturing equipment and site facilities running smoothly, covering preventive maintenance, breakdown repairs, and continuous improvement projects.

Key responsibilities

• Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM) on machinery, plant and site facilities.
• Diagnose and repair electrical and mechanical faults, including hydraulic, pneumatic and PLC‑controlled equipment.
• Respond promptly to breakdowns to minimise production downtime.
• Use the CMMS system to schedule tasks, prioritise work and keep accurate records.
• Support condition‑based monitoring and identify reliability improvement opportunities.
• Install, test and maintain control panels, electrical and mechanical installations.
• Interpret engineering drawings, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic schematics.
• Assist with new equipment installations, site improvement projects and sustainability initiatives.
• Coordinate with contractors, review RAMS and issue permits to work.
• Maintain engineering tools, source spare parts and process purchase orders.
• Support facilities maintenance, including buildings, utilities and infrastructure.

Required profile

• NVQ Level 3 in an engineering discipline or equivalent.
• GCSE Grade 5 (or equivalent) in Maths and English.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a maintenance engineering role.
• Strong electrical and mechanical fault‑finding abilities.
• Experience with hydraulic, pneumatic and electrical systems.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and schematics.
• Good IT skills and experience using maintenance management systems.
• Proactive, organised and solutions‑focused approach.

Required skills

• Electrical fault‑finding
• Mechanical fault‑finding
• Hydraulic system maintenance
• Pneumatic system maintenance
• PLC‑controlled equipment
• CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) usage
• Interpretation of electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic schematics
• Installation and testing of control panels