Engineering Shift Manager

Date: 14 Jan 2026

Location: Leek, GB, ST13 5SP

Company: Ornua Co-operative Limited

Engineering Shift Manager

 

Job title:          Engineering Shift Manager

Reports to:     Maintenance Manager               

Location:        Leek, Foods UK                

Salary:             £64,000 per annum

Hours:             4 on, 4 off shift pattern                    

Benefits:          Free onsite parking, Generous annual leave entitlement increasing with length of service, Matched Company Contribution Pension up to 8%, Subsidised Staff Canteen, Company shop offering discounts on Ornua products, Sports & Social Club, Staff Lottery, Discount on Bikes & Tech Scheme, Confidential Employee Assist Programme               

Ornua (meaning “new gold”) is Ireland’s largest exporter of Irish dairy products, proudly bringing the unique taste of Irish dairy to the world for over 55 years.

Are you an experienced engineering leader looking for the challenge of taking a mission driven organisation to its next level of success? 

Ornua is actively seeking an Engineering Shift Manager to join our Engineering department as we continue our growth trajectory.

Our vision is to be the best at what we do, be a great place to work and a business future generations can be proud of. To achieve this, it is important that we are set up for success within our teams. Our Engineering Shift Managers use their technical expertise, problem solving and people leadership skills to achieve high levels of equipment availability and provide support to the wider team. Our engineering team are proactive and forward thinking in their approach to ensure that production continues to run with maximum efficiency, enabling our clients’ needs to be met.

Why Ornua?

  • Ornua operates from 10 business units worldwide, including 12 production facilities, and has sales and marketing teams working in-market across all four corners of the globe.
  • The Group is structured across two divisions: Ornua Foods and Ornua Ingredients.
  • Ornua Foods is responsible for the marketing and sales of Ornua’s consumer brands including Kerrygold, Pilgrims Choice.
  • Ornua Ingredients is responsible for the procurement of Irish and non-Irish dairy products and for the sale of dairy ingredients to food manufactures and foodservice customer across the world.
  • Our co-operative ethos lies at the heart of how we do business as a purpose and values-led organisation, creating value for Irish dairy farming families.
  • Our Values lie at the core of everything we do. Our five values encourage us to Seek and Embrace New Ideas, Make It Happen, Be Our True Selves, Show You Care, and Achieve Great Things Together.
  • We invest in our people and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
  • Career Progression including Global Mobility opportunities.
  • Comprehensive Benefits with regional specific offerings.

 

Why This Role Is Valuable:

As our Engineering Shift Manager you will be responsible for;

 

  • Actively support plant production plan attainment goals by executing an effective maintenance strategy to maximise plant availability
  • Ensuring the Ornua facility meets its statutory obligations as it pertains to production assets, by proactive engagement with the relevant functions
  • Develop knowledge, skills and behaviours of the engineering team
  • Shift team performance as measured by cascaded KPI’s
  • Ensure adequate training and supervision is delivered to shift team, by ensuring adherence to the engineering skills matrix
  • Ensure efficient utilisation of your team
  • Follow and ensure compliance to the Ornua Engineering Manual
  • Ensure adherence to contractor control process
  • Ensure personal and team compliance to processes and procedures

What You Bring To The Role:

 

  • L3 or equivalent qualification in Engineering
  • Experience of managing a team of engineers
  • Base knowledge of food production lines/process machinery
  • PC competent (MS Word/Excel/Teams/Outlook)
  • Experience in trouble shooting and fault-finding diagnostics
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Demonstrate team skills with a positive attitude and professional approach

 

Our interview process is designed to be thorough yet supportive. This process includes a first stage via Teams to allow us to get to know you better and to understand your skills and experiences and, if successful, a second stage face-to-face interview that will build upon the first stage and give you the opportunity to get a feel for Ornua and the environment in which you will be working.

Ornua has ambitious growth plans and we’re building a team to help enable and accelerate that growth. We are looking for people who share our values, are curious, forward-looking, take ownership and work together to build a future for themselves and Ornua.

Would you like to make an impact?

To learn more, please visit Ornua at www.ornua.com

 

Ornua values diversity and inclusion and welcomes applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We also strongly encourage women and other underrepresented groups in the manufacturing industry to apply. Your unique perspectives and experiences are highly valued and will be instrumental in driving our company’s continued success. Join us in shaping a more innovative, inclusive, and sustainable future.

 

Ornua is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace. We will make every effort to provide for any reasonable accessibility needs you may have during your employment with us. If you require accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know - we’re here to support you.

 

 


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