Maintenance Engineer

PSM Recruitment is currently recruiting for an experienced Maintenance Engineer based in Ramsgate to join a busy manufacturing environment supporting the safe, reliable and efficient operation of injection moulding machinery, production equipment, robotics and ancillary systems.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on engineer who enjoys fault finding, preventative maintenance and continuous improvement, and who wants to play a key role in reducing downtime and improving equipment reliability.

As a Maintenance Engineer, you will be responsible for maintaining, repairing and improving a range of manufacturing equipment. You will use your electrical, electronic, mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic skills to diagnose faults, identify root causes and return equipment to safe and reliable operation as quickly as possible.

You will work closely with Production, Quality, Tooling and Engineering teams to support production targets, quality standards, health and safety and continuous improvement objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Diagnose, fault find, repair and maintain electrical and electronic systems, including PLCs, sensors, safety circuits, drives and control equipment, within your level of competence.
• Diagnose and repair hydraulic and pneumatic systems associated with injection moulding machines, robots and ancillary equipment.
• Carry out mechanical maintenance, repairs, adjustments and fabrication on injection moulding machines, conveyors, granulators, material handling systems and other production equipment.
• Complete planned preventative maintenance (PPM), condition checks and routine inspections, identifying potential defects before they result in breakdowns.
• Respond promptly to production breakdowns and maintenance requests, prioritising safety, production requirements and equipment criticality.
• Support the installation, commissioning, modification and improvement of new and existing plant and machinery.
• Fault find and maintain injection moulding ancillary systems, including dryers, chillers/cooling systems, pumps, compressors, vacuum systems and material conveying equipment.
• Maintain and support robotic systems and associated production equipment.
• Accurately record breakdowns, repairs, PPM activities, parts used and follow-up actions using the maintenance/CMMS system.
• Support root-cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives to improve machine reliability, OEE, energy efficiency, safety and maintenance performance.
• Apply safe systems of work, including isolation/lock-off procedures, risk assessments and permit-to-work requirements.
• Escalate any work outside your level of competence or authorisation.
• Maintain high standards of 5S, housekeeping, tool control and workshop organisation.
• Liaise effectively with Production, Quality, Tooling, Engineering and external contractors to resolve issues and support maintenance projects.
• Monitor engineering spares and report critical parts requirements to the relevant manager.
• Undertake relevant training and development to maintain technical competence and address skills gaps.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties consistent with the role.

Skills & Experience

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous experience in a maintenance engineering role within a manufacturing or production environment.
• Strong electrical and mechanical fault-finding skills.
• Experience working with PLC-controlled machinery, sensors, drives and control systems.
• Good knowledge of hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
• Experience with preventative and reactive maintenance.
• A structured approach to fault finding and root-cause analysis.
• Experience working with production machinery, ideally including injection moulding equipment, robotics or associated ancillary systems.
• The ability to work safely under pressure and prioritise breakdowns according to risk and production requirements.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• A willingness to undertake further training in the fundamentals of polymer processing and injection moulding where required.
• The ability to accurately record maintenance activities and use a CMMS or maintenance management system.

Competitive Salary depending on experience 

Hours are Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm