Lead Shift Engineer

Lead Shift Engineer

Kinnerton Confectionery, Fakenham NR21 8AF 

Kinnerton is seeking a skilled and motivated Lead Shift Engineer to join our team at the Fakenham site. This is a key role within our engineering function, responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of engineering maintenance support for a specific shift in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

Position type: Full time, permanent

Hours: 40.25 per week.

Shift Pattern: 4 on 4 off days (6am-6pm) & nights (6pm-6am) 

Pay range: £26.00/hourly (£54,418.00/annual equivalent) 

Key Benefits: Healthcare cash plan via paycare (Dental, Optical, Chiropody, Professional Therapy, Counselling) with a value over £400 each year.

Closing Date: 23/01/2026

As Shift Lead Engineer, you will be the single point of contact for engineering on your shift. You’ll report to the Asset Manager, and be responsible for:

• Delivering daily and weekly engineering plans in collaboration with production and operational teams.
• Supervising a team of up to 4 engineers, including performance, holidays, and absence management.
• Allocating the right resources to the right tasks to ensure maximum efficiency and minimal downtime.
• Driving the completion of PPMs and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensuring accurate handovers and effective communication across shifts.
• Supporting strategic projects and enabling Asset Managers to focus on critical workstreams.

• Electrical and mechanical qualifications - ideally multi-skilled.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience in managing teams and engineering operations in a manufacturing environment.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• The ability to influence and collaborate across departments.

• 23.5 days annual holiday entitlement
• 4% employer and 5 % employee pension plan
• Life assurance plan x4 basic salary
• Various salary sacrifice schemes including pension payments, cycle to work and electric car (subject to meeting minimum criteria)
• Healthcare cash plan via paycare (Dental, Optical, Chiropody, Professional Therapy, Counselling) with a value over £400 each year

Our Fakenham site operates across three key production areas - Novelty, Nut, and Moulding. The site is a 11,000m² facility producing over 8,500 tonnes of confectionery annually, including NOMO – the UK’s #1 free-from chocolate brand. With advanced technology and a nut-safe promise, we supply major retailers and co-manufacture for some of the world’s biggest confectionery brands. Our Engineering team is the backbone of our operations, ensuring that production runs smoothly, safely, and efficiently. They drive continuous improvement, support innovation, and keep our equipment performing at its best, helping us deliver high-quality confectionery products to millions of customers.  

Please apply online via our careers portal: create your account, upload your CV, and answer all requested questions. You will then be contacted by our Talent Acquisition team and, if progressed, enter a two-stage interview process at our Fakenham site, including a factory tour and the opportunity to meet the team.

Kinnerton Confectionery is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Please let us know if you require any special arrangements or adjustments to be made for your interview by speaking with the Talent Acquisition team at application stage.