Vacancy Name
Group Project Engineering Manager

Employment Type
Permanent

Country
United Kingdom

Location
Liverpool

Business Area
Operations

Workplace Type
Hybrid

About Princes
The Princes Group has over 7,000 employees with offices and production sites in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France and Mauritius. Princes manufactures 350 different food and drink products responsibly sourced and enjoyed by consumers every day. None of this would be possible without striving to be an employer of choice, where our colleagues are proud to represent our business.

Role Description

Group Project Engineering Manager
Liverpool

Princes Group PLC is a leading force in the food and drink manufacturing industry, renowned for its rich heritage and unwavering commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability. As Group Engineering Project Manager, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our operations and delivering exceptional value to millions of customers.

You will lead the planning, execution, and governance of capital engineering projects across Princes multi-site manufacturing network. The role ensures projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to consistent engineering standards, supporting operational efficiency, sustainability, and long-term business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Capital Project Delivery

• Lead end-to-end delivery of engineering projects across multiple sites, from concept to commissioning.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, and risk assessments.
• Ensure projects align with the Group's capital investment and commercial strategies and operational priorities.
• Manage contractors, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to ensure high-quality outcomes.

Engineering Governance & Standards

• Drive standardisation of engineering specifications, processes, and documentation across all sites.
• Ensure compliance with safety legislation, CDM2015 regulations, and internal governance frameworks.
• Implement best-practice project management methodologies and continuous improvement principles.

• Coordinate project delivery with site operations to minimise downtime, disruption and operational Integration
• Support commissioning, handover, and post-implementation reviews to ensure asset performance meets expectations.
• Collaborate with engineering and operations teams to embed new technologies and processes.

Strategic Contribution

• Support long-term engineering strategy, including automation, digitalisation, and sustainability initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for efficiency, cost reduction, and asset optimisation across the Group.
• Provide expert input into commercially lead initiatives & capital planning prioritisation.

Technical Competencies:
Project Management

• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-site engineering projects.
• Skilled in project planning, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management.
• Proficient in structured methodologies (e.g., Prince2, APM, or equivalent).

Engineering Expertise

• Strong understanding of manufacturing engineering, ideally within food, beverage, or FMCG environments.
• Knowledge of automation, process equipment, utilities, and infrastructure projects.
• Familiarity with asset lifecycle management and reliability principles.

Safety & Compliance

• Deep knowledge of CDM2015 regulations, PUWER, and relevant engineering legislation.
• Ability to lead safe systems of work and ensure robust contractor management.

Commercial Acumen

• Ability to evaluate business cases, negotiate with suppliers, and manage project budgets.
• Experience delivering cost-effective solutions without compromising quality or safety.

Behavioural Competencies:

Leadership & Influence

• Able to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Skilled at influencing stakeholders at all levels, from site teams to senior leadership.
• Confident decision-maker with strong accountability.
• Excellent communicator who builds strong relationships across operations, engineering, supply chain, and finance.
• Able to translate technical concepts into clear business language.
• Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to diagnose issues and develop practical solutions.
• Comfortable managing ambiguity and balancing competing priorities.
• Drive for Results.
• Delivers projects to agreed timelines and standards.
• Demonstrates resilience, urgency, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Change Management
Experienced in leading engineering-driven change in operational environments.

• Able to support teams through transitions and embed new ways of working.

Role Requirements

Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

Essential:

• Qualification in a relevant or related engineering discipline.
• Significant experience in asset management, reliability engineering, or maintenance leadership.
• Demonstrated engineering leadership within food manufacturing or FMCG, with a proven track record of improving asset performance across multi-site industrial environments.
• Strong understanding of statutory compliance, mechanical integrity, and safety standards.
• Experience implementing predictive maintenance technologies and digital tools.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Financial acumen with experience in budget management and ownership.

Desirable:

• Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage CMMS/EAM tools and analytics platforms to improve asset performance and maintenance efficiency.
• Background in manufacturing, processing, utilities, or heavy industry.

Benefits:

• Cash car allowance
• 25 days annual leave plus your birthday off
• 14.5% pension - 5% employee opt in / 9.5% employer
• Hybrid and flexible working - 4 days in office / 1 day WFH
• Flexible holiday option - buy 5 additional days
• Enhanced family friendly & carers policies
• Life assurance cover
• Private medical insurance
• Critical illness cover
• Learning and development opportunities.

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