Engineering Director

Engineering Director

Macclesfield UK

About our Operations Team

Our ambition is to deliver more medicines to patients—faster and more affordably—while maintaining our commitment to excellence and innovation. Everything we do is driven by our promise to accelerate growth for AstraZeneca and improve people’s lives globally.

The Opportunity

We’re seeking an experienced Engineering Director who will be responsible for maintaining and improving over 20 assets in our Global Packing Centre and Tablet Manufacturing Facility. This role demands strategic and technical leadership, and excellence in both operations and project delivery. You will thrive in a fast-paced environment, leveraging innovative thinking and a hands-on, supportive approach to team engagement, problem solving and continuous improvement.

Your Impact

As Engineering Director, you will:

Devise and execute an engineering strategy that ensures full compliance with regulatory, legal, and company standards, maximizing equipment uptime and fostering continuous improvement through the use of data and insights.

Lead and inspire a diverse, high-performing team of Maintenance Managers, Automation Engineers and Technicians—actively engaging with team members, understanding their perspectives, developing technical skills, and fostering a collaborative environment to maximize productivity and meet operational demands in an increasingly digital environment.

Act as the Senior Engineer and Duty Holder, providing expert technical guidance for daily operations and capital projects, overseeing planning, budgeting, solution development, and supplier/contractor relationships.

Champion change management, guiding your team through periods of transformation and process improvement, building consensus, and clearly communicating goals and expectations to facilitate the successful rollout of new systems, technologies, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Set the direction and standards for the Engineering Team, establishing KPIs that support production goals, including OEE, MTBS, MTBF and  spares management.

Apply problem-solving skills and an innovative mindset to challenge existing processes, champion new technologies, and implement transformative improvements in a constantly evolving, fast paced manufacturing setting.

Essential Skills & Experience:

• BEng/MEng Degree in a relevant Engineering discipline (or equivalent experience)

• Expertise in production equipment maintenance

• Experience in leading a large multidisciplinary team of Engineering professionals creating a culture of continuous improvement

• In-depth knowledge of Safety, Health & Environment legislation (including Safe Systems of Work)

• Full understanding of Good Manufacturing Practice legislation (including Change Control)

• Proven ability to develop and implement business strategy for maintenance, obsolescence, and spares management

• Budget management experience

• Proven expertise in project and change management, especially in engaging teams to drive and embed operational transformations

• Demonstrated ability to leverage digital tools and data analysis to boost equipment reliability including CMMS

• Demonstrated Lean Leader with experience of TPM and significant practical experience with problem solving tools.

Desirable Skills & Experience:

• Experience with Tablet Batch Processing and Tablet/Device Packing Lines

• Chartered Engineer status

• Previous experience of working in a unionised environment

Why AstraZeneca?

We are determined to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market and continually seek innovative ways to deliver medicine to patients. Resilience, positivity, and a dedication to progress define our workplace. At AstraZeneca, your ideas are valued and your contributions are rewarded.

If you are ready to break new ground and leave a lasting legacy, now is the time to take ownership and help reshape our ecosystem—driving technological advances and ethical standards in everything we do.

Ready to make a difference?

Apply now to join our dynamic Operations team and help transform the future of healthcare manufacturing at AstraZeneca.

Date Posted

26-Sept-2025

Closing Date

10-Oct-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.