Senior Mechanical Engineer

About the job Senior Mechanical Engineer


1.1 Job Scope Summary

The Mechanical Engineer is responsible for the engineering integrity, reliability, and lifecycle management of the plants mechanical systems.

The role provides technical leadership for mechanical equipment across the facility and ensures that maintenance strategies, inspection regimes, and engineering solutions support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operation.

The Mechanical Engineer leads the planning and delivery of major outages, shutdowns, and complex maintenance activities from an engineering perspective, ensuring technical scope definition, risk assessment, and engineering standards are maintained.

This is an engineering role and does not involve direct supervision of maintenance technicians or craft personnel.

1.2 Job Responsibilities

Plant Engineering and Reliability

• Act as the technical authority for assigned mechanical systems and equipment across the facility.
• Monitor mechanical system performance and identify opportunities to improve reliability, availability, and efficiency.
• Investigate equipment failures and recurring defects and lead root cause analysis to identify and implement permanent solutions.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards and technical procedures for mechanical equipment and systems.

Provide technical support to operations and maintenance teams in diagnosing and resolving complex mechanical issues.

Maintenance Strategy and Asset Management

• Develop and optimise preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance strategies for plant mechanical systems.
• Review maintenance performance data and identify improvements to maintenance practices and inspection intervals.
• Define critical spare parts strategies and support lifecycle management of key equipment.

Ensure mechanical equipment maintenance aligns with OEM recommendations, statutory requirements, and industry best practice.

Planned Shutdowns and Major Maintenance

• Develop the engineering scope for major planned outages and shutdowns.
• Define inspection requirements, intrusive maintenance activities, and equipment overhaul strategies.
• Prepare technical specifications and engineering work scopes for major mechanical maintenance activities.
• Provide technical oversight and support during shutdown execution, particularly for critical or complex works.

Participate in post-outage reviews and incorporate lessons learned into future outage planning.

Engineering Improvements and Modifications

• Identify and develop engineering modifications that improve plant reliability, safety, or performance.
• Lead or support Management of Change (MoC) processes for mechanical modifications.
• Review and approve engineering drawings, technical documentation, and modification proposals.

Support implementation of plant improvement projects and engineering upgrades.

Technical Support and Contractor Coordination

• Provide engineering input for specialist contractor works and major equipment servicing.
• Review contractor technical proposals, methodologies, and risk assessments for major mechanical activities.

Ensure contractor work complies with plant engineering standards and safety requirements.

Compliance and Safety

• Ensure mechanical systems comply with applicable engineering standards, statutory inspection requirements, and safety regulations.
• Support plant safety initiatives and ensure engineering solutions prioritise safe plant operation.
• Participate in risk assessments and hazard reviews related to mechanical systems and major maintenance activities.

The above job duties and responsibilities are intended to describe the general nature of the work and are not intended to be an inclusive list of all responsibilities. Duties and responsibilities may change or vary depending on the specific needs of the business.

• 1.3 Educational/Professional Qualifications/Training Certifications
• Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent degree
• HSE accredited training qualifications

Chartered Engineer status or progress towards professional accreditation is desirable.

1.4 Job Experience

• Minimum 5-10 years of experience in heavy industry, power generation, energy-from-waste, or similar industrial facilities.
• Experience with large industrial mechanical systems such as turbines, pumps, pressure systems, conveyors, boilers, rotating equipment, or balance-of-plant systems.
• Experience supporting major plant outages or shutdowns in an engineering capacity.

Experience conducting failure investigations and reliability improvement initiatives.

1.5 Required Skills and Competencies

Safety Focus:

• Encourages and supports the team to be safe while at work and ensuring team adheres to workplace safety, regulations, standards, and practices.

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of mechanical engineering principles applied to industrial plant equipment, including rotating machinery, piping systems, valves, pressure systems, and mechanical auxiliaries.

Analytical Problem Solving

Ability to diagnose complex equipment issues, conduct root cause analysis, and develop robust engineering solutions.

Asset Management Mindset

Focus on long-term equipment performance, reliability improvement, and lifecycle management of critical plant systems.

Planning and Organisation

Ability to develop engineering scopes and technical plans for complex maintenance activities and outages.

Communication

Ability to communicate technical information clearly to operations teams, maintenance personnel, contractors, and management.

Collaboration

Works closely with operations, maintenance, planning, and HSE teams to support safe and reliable plant operation.

Ability to provide clear instruction and train others in the performance of various tasks and jobs

Excellent communication (read, write and verbal) skills in English Language