Reliability Engineer

Howdens is looking for a Reliability Engineer to join our Engineering team at the Runcorn site. With major investment underway to expand and upgrade our cabinet and panel manufacturing operations, it’s a great time to come on board and be part of our exciting growth journey.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong technical skills, a passion for continuous improvement, and a desire to help shape our proactive maintenance culture. As Reliability Engineer, you’ll play a key role in improving equipment reliability and availability while supporting the development of Maintenance Excellence across the site.

Reporting to | Mill Maintenance Manager

Contract | Full Time – Permanent

Shift | Days-based role - supporting business operations which may involve a requirement for weekends/late/nights on occasions.

What You’ll Be Doing:

As a Reliability Engineer, you’ll support the development and implementation of initiatives that improve manufacturing safety, quality, productivity, and efficiency. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams and provide coaching to help drive a proactive maintenance culture.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Leading reliability and availability improvements across plant equipment.
• Supporting and executing the Maintenance Excellence Strategy.
• Leading FMECA activities and delivering root cause analysis (RCA) for chronic issues.
• Planning and coordinating maintenance activities, including shutdowns—this may include occasional weekend work.
• Collaborating with the Planning team to align activities with plant priorities.
• Coaching and mentoring technicians to strengthen problem-solving capabilities.
• Acting as a key liaison between Engineering and Operations to ensure effective communication and performance improvements.
• Standing in for the Mill Maintenance Manager when required.
• Promoting a culture of continuous improvement and health & safety compliance.

What You’ll Need to Qualify:

• Time-served Engineer with a minimum of 5 years’ post-apprenticeship experience.
• HNC in Engineering (or equivalent demonstrable experience).
• Strong technical background in a high-speed manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience in applying Maintenance Excellence tools and techniques (e.g., FMECA).
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to coach and motivate teams.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Confident working knowledge of health, safety, and environmental regulations.
• Strong IT skills, including use of maintenance systems such as Shire CMMS.

What can we offer you as a Reliability Engineer:

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme
• Excellent pension scheme (company contribution of up to 12%)
• 25 days holiday + bank holidays per year & opportunity to buy extra holidays.
• Free lunch at the onsite canteen
• Free parking
• Share save scheme.
• Exceptional reward and recognition events

About Howdens

Howden Joinery is the UK’s number one trade kitchen supplier, offering thousands of products across kitchens, joinery, and hardware. With over 900 depots throughout the UK and Europe, we are the first choice for more than 460,000 loyal trade professionals. Our ambitious and credible growth plan builds on last year’s £2.2 billion in sales. Howdens offers a fast-paced, commercial environment with a strong entrepreneurial ethos, competitive salaries, development opportunities, and exciting rewards, making it one of the 10 Best Big Companies to Work For.

How to Apply:

We are building a future where world-class service, innovation, and sustainability are embedded within our DNA. If Howdens sounds like the kind of place where you can build and develop your career, then we are keen to hear from you.

When you apply for this role, you will need to activate your account. Please check your email carefully to ensure that you have completed this step. We are unable to view your application if you have not activated your account.

Howdens is founded on the principle of being Worthwhile for ALL concerned. We’re working hard to ensure we provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. We will do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, please email recruitmentteam@howdens.com with the job title and location, and we will be happy to help you.

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