About this role
About Us:
Established in 2000, Extons Foods are now one of the UKs largest independent cheese processing companies supplying sliced, grated, block and continental cheese to wholesalers, retailers, and sandwich manufacturers. We have continually grown and we’re not slowing down! A Family Run business with a friendly hands-on approach.
Role Description:
Extons Foods is going through an exciting period of change as we work towards achieving World Class manufacturing standards, and our Engineering team is right at the heart of that journey. We're looking for a skilled and self-sufficient Multiskilled Engineer to join our team, keeping our production lines running reliably through a mix of planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and responsive breakdown support.
You'll work a 4-on-4-off pattern, covering two 12-hour early shifts (5:45am–6:15pm) followed by two 12-hour night shifts (6pm–6am). Weekend shifts involve lone working, so we're looking for an experienced engineer who is confident, capable, and comfortable making sound decisions independently.
This is a genuinely exciting time to join Extons Foods. As we push towards World Class standards, our engineering team's ethos is built around fix it first time, continuous improvement, and delivering "100-year fixes". If you take pride in doing a job properly and want to be part of a team shaping how engineering excellence looks at Extons Foods, we'd love to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities:
• Complete scheduled PPM tasks across production line machinery and site equipment, ensuring compliance with maintenance plans
• Accurately record all PPM activity, identifying and reporting any emerging issues before they become breakdowns
• Contribute ideas and observations to help refine and improve PPM schedules over time
• Respond promptly and effectively to breakdowns, minimising production downtime
• Diagnose mechanical and electrical faults accurately, applying a "fix it first time" mindset
• Where a breakdown reveals a recurring or underlying issue, contribute to identifying a permanent "100-year fix" rather than a temporary workaround
• Communicate clearly with production teams and shift management on progress, timescales, and any ongoing risks
• Work independently and confidently during weekend lone-working shifts, managing your own priorities and workload
• Use sound judgment to assess situations, escalating appropriately when specialist support or additional resource is needed
• Actively support the site's journey towards World Class manufacturing standards
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime, and enhance maintenance processes
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and share knowledge with colleagues across shifts
• Support root cause analysis following significant breakdowns, helping prevent recurrence
The ideal candidate must have:
• Recognised engineering qualification
• Proven experience as a Multiskilled Engineer, ideally within food manufacturing or another fast-paced production environment
• Demonstrable experience of lone working, with the confidence and judgment to work effectively and safely without direct supervision
• Experience completing PPM schedules and responding to breakdowns under time pressure
Personal Attributes:
• Strong problem-solving skills with a logical, methodical approach to fault-finding
• Highly organised, able to manage PPM schedules alongside reactive breakdown demands
• Self-motivated and confident working independently, particularly during lone-working shifts
• Clear communicator, able to liaise effectively with production and engineering colleagues
• Calm and decisive under pressure, especially during breakdown situations
Working Hours:
• 4-on-4-off (2x day shifts – 5:45am-6:15pm, 2x night shift – 6pm-6am, followed by 4 off)
• Site based
Benefits:
• Free parking, within proximity to all major travel networks.
• 28 days holiday, inclusive of bank holidays, increasing with service.
• An extra day off for your birthday.
• Health cash plan (Medicash), after 3 months.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave pay.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Company pension scheme – employer 4% and employee 5%.
• Company paid events throughout the year.
• Fruity Tuesday.
• FREE pack of cheese every week.
• Discounted staff cheese shop.
• Doughnut Fridays.
£58,097.18