Job Description

Brue Valley Farms is looking for an experienced

Facilities & Engineering Manager

to lead all engineering, maintenance, and infrastructure activity supporting our growing butter production operation.

This is a key leadership role, responsible for ensuring plant reliability, food safety compliance, and continuous improvement across production, utilities, and facilities. Working closely with operations, technical teams, and external contractors, you will drive preventative maintenance programmes and deliver engineering excellence in a hygiene-critical food manufacturing environment.

As we are a busy food manufacturing site, some out-of-hours working will be required to support machinery servicing, breakdowns, and new equipment installations.

About Brue Valley Farms

Brue Valley Farms is a family-run dairy business based near Glastonbury in Somerset. We specialise in artisan, traditionally churned butter, made in small batches using high-quality cream from trusted regional suppliers.

In recent years the butter business has grown significantly, with new products including flavoured butters and pastry plaques. This newly created role is a key part of our exciting growth strategy.

We supply a number of leading food retailers including Aldi, Riverford, Waitrose, Abel & Cole, Marks & Spencer, and Delamere. Our craft and quality were recently showcased in the national M&S Farm to Foodhall advertising campaign featuring Tom Kerridge alongside members of the Clapp family.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Maintenance Leadership

Lead, manage, and develop the site engineering and maintenance function Foster a strong safety-first and continuous improvement culture Maximise uptime and reliability of butter production and packaging equipment Develop and implement preventative and predictive maintenance strategies Troubleshoot complex mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automation issues
Facilities & Utilities Management

Oversee all facilities supporting food production, including buildings, refrigeration, boilers, water treatment, compressed air, and waste systems Ensure all facilities remain food-grade and audit-ready at all times Work with Directors on site layout, infrastructure, and fabric improvements
Food Safety, Quality & Compliance

Ensure full compliance with food safety standards (BRC, SALSA, Red Tractor, HACCP) Support technical and QA teams during audits, investigations, and corrective actions Ensure engineering activities meet hygiene, allergen control, and contamination prevention requirements
Projects & Continuous Improvement

Support CAPEX projects from concept through installation and commissioning Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce energy use, minimise waste, and control costs Drive continuous improvement using Lean, TPM, or similar methodologies
Health, Safety & Environmental

Champion health and safety across engineering and facilities Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation (PUWER, LOLER, COSHH, electrical safety, confined spaces) Manage contractor safety and permit-to-work systems
Additional Responsibilities

Manage and oversee external contractors and service providers Control spare parts inventory and ensure availability of critical spares

Skills & Experience

Essential:

Proven experience in an engineering or facilities management role within food manufacturing (dairy experience strongly preferred) Engineering qualification (mechanical, electrical, or multi-skilled) or equivalent experience Experience working in a hygiene-critical environment Strong knowledge of food safety, hygiene engineering, and regulatory compliance Excellent problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills
Desirable:

Experience with food processing and packaging equipment Knowledge of refrigeration, CIP systems, and dairy utilities Project management experience and involvement in site upgrades Exposure to sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
Personal Attributes

Hands-on, proactive, and solutions-focused Strong leadership presence on the manufacturing floor Calm and decisive under pressure High attention to detail with a practical, pragmatic approach
What We Offer

Competitive salary package A key role in a growing, quality-driven dairy business Supportive leadership team with a commitment to engineering excellence The opportunity to make a real impact on site performance, safety, and future development
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

Bereavement leave Casual dress Employee discount Free parking Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking
Work Location: In person