Maintenance Engineer | £45,000 + monthly uplift (£3,000/yr) | Littleborough

If you enjoy figuring out why things go wrong and then making sure they stay fixed, this role will suit you. Machines here run hard, breakdowns happen, and you will be the go‑to person when something needs attention. The environment is practical and hands‑on. The short‑term focus will be reacting and resolving issues. Over time you will build processes and systems so the site becomes proactive rather than reactive.

You will work solo as the Maintenance Engineer, but closely with a small team of three experienced Setters. They will raise issues early, and you will diagnose and resolve them. A lot of faults look mechanical at first, but many turn out to be electrical, so strong electrical fault finding will be key.

What you will do:

• You will be the site’s core maintenance engineer working alongside setters and reporting to the Production Manager.
• You will maintain and improve injection moulding machines and related plant such as driers, chillers, and heaters.
• Most of the work will involve electrical fault finding, with plenty of mechanical involvement too.
• You will help define and improve the PPM (planned preventive maintenance) schedule, so it becomes more effective over time.
• Technical support from machine suppliers is available when needed.

Why this could be a good move:

• You want responsibility and ownership of your maintenance patch.
• You like working independently but can bring others with you when needed.
• You prefer results over bureaucracy and a straightforward work culture where decisions are practical and changes happen quickly.

Pay and perks:

• £45,000 base salary.
• Monthly uplift worth around £3,000 per year, reflecting occasional out‑of‑hours work or staying late when needed.
• Standard hours are 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, but flexible start and finish times are available so you can avoid peak traffic (some start at 7 and leave at 3).
• 23 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Work at a stable, growing SME in plastics manufacturing with a straightforward, supportive culture.

About the company:

AMS Technical Plastics Ltd is a UK‑based specialist in technical injection moulding, producing complex plastic components across industries including automotive, defence and industrial. The business is part of the Accuratio Group and has built a strong reputation for quality moulded parts and engineering expertise.

Interested?

If you’re looking for a role where your experience matters and where you’ll genuinely improve maintenance performance, this could be worth a look.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a full CV ready to go.  Just a short overview of your qualifications, work history and a few key achievements will do the trick.

So you’re aware, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager directly.

Mechanical Design Engineer – Bespoke Automation

📍 Rochdale | £55,000–£60,000 | On-site

We’re looking for an experienced Mechanical Design Engineer to join a specialist machine builder in Rochdale. You’ll be working on bespoke automation projects from concept to completion, including robotics, conveyors, and end-of-arm tooling.

What you’ll be doing

• Designing bespoke machinery using SolidWorks (3D to 2D for manufacture).
• Full project lifecycle: concept, calculations/FEA, design, supplier and customer liaison, through to commissioning.
• Working across multiple projects — from major automation lines to smaller modifications.
• Collaborating with electrical, controls, and project teams.

What you’ll need

• Around 10+ years’ experience in automation, robotics, conveyors, or special-purpose machinery.
• Strong SolidWorks (or equivalent CAD) skills.
• Proven experience delivering projects cradle-to-grave.
• Knowledge of mechanical calculations and FEA.
• Ideally a degree in a mechanical or engineering related subject
• Clear communication, and a willingness to work in a team.

What’s on offer

• Salary £55,000–£60,000.
• Flexi working hours.
• Supportive, close-knit engineering team.
• Varied projects across pharma, food, packaging, automotive and more.

👉 Apply now with your CV and portfolio to be considered. No CV? Still feel free to get in touch and we can sort that out later!

What if your next move let you truly own your projects, build systems from scratch and work somewhere people stay because they enjoy it, not because they’re managed into it?

If you’re a Control Systems Engineer who wants more trust, more variety and more autonomy, this could be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

You’d be joining a close and friendly team, led by someone who’s been there for twenty-five years and still genuinely loves coming in every day. It’s a place where engineers are simply trusted to get on with real engineering in a way that feels natural and uncomplicated.

The company grew for years purely through word of mouth, but demand has now outpaced the team. They work across food and beverage, pharmaceutical and a mix of other sectors, designing and delivering control systems that keep production moving. Robotics is something they’ve never tackled because the internal expertise hasn’t been there, so if that’s something you bring, there’s real room to steer where things go next.

Your work would be proper end to end controls engineering, programming PLCs from scratch and delivering systems you can genuinely take ownership of. If you’ve got around five years of experience and you’re confident with Siemens, Allen Bradley or Mitsubishi, you’ll fit in comfortably.

Flexibility is genuinely part of the culture. Remote work wasn’t something they’d done before, but they hired someone who lived further away and found it worked perfectly well. Salary will fall somewhere between £50,000 to £65,000 depending on your experience, along with a range of additional benefits that reflect the level you join at.

It’s a straightforward place to work. You’ll be trusted to get on with your job, treated like an adult and given the space to do good engineering without unnecessary noise. If you prefer a calm, steady environment where people look out for each other and the work speaks for itself, you’ll fit in well.

If you’d like to find out more, please reach out on 0161 250 5326 or eloisa@optima-cs.com.

Do you love taking projects from concept to completion? If you’re an experienced EC&I design engineer with a background in electrical engineering and a passion for innovation, this could be your next move.

We design and deliver advanced control and instrumentation systems for the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors. You’ll lead projects from design to delivery, provide technical input for tenders and estimates, and create detailed schematics and process drawings using AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN.

You’ll need around five years of EC&I design experience, ideally within pharma or biotech, along with a solid understanding of ATEX and UL standards.

In return, you’ll join a collaborative team that values integrity, teamwork, and excellence. Expect hybrid working, competitive pay, and the chance to work on cutting-edge projects that truly make a difference.

If this sounds like you, call 0161 250 5326 0161 250 5326 to find out more. Don’t worry if your CV isn’t up to date — we can sort that later.

Field Service Engineer
Home-based | UK-wide (mainly between Sheffield, Birmingham and Cambridge)
£60,000 OTE + paid travel + vehicle allowance + pension

You’ll know this kind of job. Field-based, hands-on, plenty of variety. What you won’t find so often is a version of the job that pays properly, lets you get on with things, and gives you a route to grow.

This is a service role supporting automated packaging used by major brands. You’ll be based from home, travelling across a patch that sits roughly between Sheffield, Birmingham and Cambridge. Pay starts the moment you walk out your front door. There’s some international travel if you want it. No office. No pointless commuting.

Why this one stands out:

• OTE between £50k and £70k, with door-to-door overtime paid at 1.3x 
• A manager who’s actively looking to develop all engineers with company growth
• Work that’s complex and rewarding, not routine or repetitive
• A tight-knit UK team with a global backing behind it
• Trusted to work independently, without red tape or hand-holding

What you’ll bring:

• Level 3 qualification in electrical or mechanical engineering (electrical bias preferred)
• Experience in field service or from a military engineering background
• Comfortable working solo, solving problems and dealing with customers
• Able to read control diagrams and get to grips with machinery fault finding quickly
• Full UK driving licence

Package:

• £40–44K base salary
• Regular overtime (c. 10 hours/week standard - usually whilst you're driving to site)
• Vehicle & Mileage allowance
• 5% matched pension
• Seasonal peaks (especially Nov/Dec), but hours otherwise managed sensibly

Interested?

No need for a glossy four-page CV. Just a short overview of your qualifications, work history and a few key achievements will do the trick.  So you're aware, you’ll be speaking directly with the hiring manager rather than an agency.

Are you a Contract Electrical Controls Engineer looking for your next long-term project where you can take ownership of your work from design through to site implementation?

If that sounds like you, this opportunity might be right up your street.

This is a three-year utility project based in Liverpool, starting this August. You’ll be involved in everything from conducting site surveys and designing control panels to installing Ethernet cabling across dock areas. You’ll also be working with Siemens equipment and collaborating on field instrumentation design, so experience in these areas is essential.

You’ll need a solid background in electrical instrumentation with hands on experience in: PLC hardware, Fibre optic and Ethernet communications and Siemens.

Familiarity with Eplan software would be a bonus, and previous utility project experience will stand you in good stead.

You can work flexibly between the Warrington office and the Liverpool site. The contract is temporary for the project duration, and self employed contractors are encouraged to apply. We’re open to engineers at all levels, whether you’re early in your career or have years of experience under your belt – what matters is your ability to deliver quality work efficiently and safely.

If this sounds like the kind of project you want to get stuck into, send your CV and relevant experience to eloisa@optima-cs.com or pop me a call on 0161 250 5326.

Do you want a role where you can take full ownership of PLC programming projects, make key decisions, and see your solutions operating in the real world?

If so, and you have a strong background in PLC programming with Siemens and Allen Bradley FactoryTalk, this could be the ideal next step in your career.

Our client is a leader in designing and developing advanced control and instrumentation systems for the Pharma and Bio sectors. They’re looking for a Control Systems Engineer who can take full ownership of programming projects, from initial concept right through to commissioning.

In this role, you’ll be writing control programmes from the ground up, testing them, and commissioning them on site. It’s a hybrid position, so you’ll split your time between home working, office collaboration, and site visits as needed.

What’s interesting about this opportunity is that while the company works extensively in ATEX and pharmaceutical environments, they’re completely open to candidates without specific sector experience. The priority is finding someone confident in PLC programming who enjoys delivering effective, reliable solutions.

The salary is open at this stage – it’s been over 12 years since this role was last recruited, so they’re keeping an open mind to attract the right expertise. They also pride themselves on their collaborative and supportive company culture, where your ideas and contributions are genuinely valued.

Interested in finding out more? Call me on 0161 250 5326 for an informal chat.

And don’t worry if your CV isn’t updated yet – we can sort that later.

Are you an expert in Siemens control systems, with a strong track record in PLC programming, HMI design, and electrical fault finding? Do you thrive in a flexible, hybrid working environment and enjoy a mix of remote and on-site work? If so, this could be the role for you!

We’re looking for a Control Systems Engineer who is proficient in Siemens technologies—specifically Step 7 Classic, TIA Portal, S7-1500 PLCs, S120 Servo drives, and WinCC Unified—to join a dynamic team with a focus on upgrading legacy systems and creating bespoke solutions. If you’ve got experience working on older platforms as well as modern ones, that’s a huge plus, especially when it comes to migrating older technologies to newer systems.

What You’ll Be Doing:

A large portion of your role (around 70%) will involve upgrading and migrating systems—think moving from old hardware/software to newer versions. Experience with legacy code is a must, as you’ll be dealing with both new systems and old, and you'll need to modify them to deliver enhanced functionality.

Flexibility is key, as you may be required to help with breakdowns, supporting on-site clients, and assisting in full turn-key installations.

We want someone who’s ready to hit the ground running ideally but could consider providing training and support to help you get up to speed with the technologies and systems if needed.

The Role

This will be a hybrid role, offering a blend of remote and some on-site travel required. The work will vary week to week, and you’ll be expected to travel to key customer locations around the UK, with occasional international opportunities. Locations include Workington, Carlisle, Washington (Sunderland), and Lockerbie—and potentially beyond for global projects. Travel will be shared fairly, and your family life is important to us, so we’ll aim for a balanced approach to site visits.

When working remotely, the hours are flexible—whether you want to work 15 hours in one day and 3 the next or follow a more structured schedule, we trust you to manage your time as long as it fits with the project deadlines and deliverables. The key is to maintain flexibility and productivity, with the possibility of adjusting hours on a rolling basis, depending on your preferences.

Who You Are

• Siemens experience is non-negotiable: You need to be comfortable working with Step 7 Classic, TIA Portal, S7-1500, and WinCC Unified.
• Electronics knowledge is a big bonus—whether it’s fault finding, repair, or even designing your own circuits.
• Experience in electrical design (ePlan, AutoCAD Electrical) and machine safety (EC marking, compliance testing) would be a big plus, but not essential.
• Client-facing skills are a must—you’ll be working in high-pressure environments, particularly when troubleshooting during breakdowns, and you’ll need to stay calm under pressure. Strong verbal communication is key.
• The flexibility to adapt to different systems and technologies, as well as a keen eye for detail and a strong work ethic, will make you a great fit.

Why This Role Could Be a Perfect Fit

• Training and support are available for those willing to learn and adapt.
• Flexible working hours and remote setup offer a great work-life balance.
• There’s plenty of opportunity for variety—from legacy system upgrades to cutting-edge electronic design.

If you’re excited by the prospect of working in a flexible, supportive, and varied role, then we’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to get in touch with Eloisa@optima-cs.com or call 0161 250 5326 to chat further.

• They’re actively looking for this person and have been for 8 months now
• They have actually hire (2 or 3 people) but they’ve left as in the interview they’ve played it as though they can do more than they actually can and one left to go back to his previous company
• Electrical design but if someone can do controls too then that’s a bonus
• Skillset and salaries have been the main issue really (people expecting more than what they can actually do)
• Electrical design: Eplan, design pneumatics, control panels, wiring diagrams, schematics, BOM, documentation, voltages etc
• Control systems: they use siemens
• Commissioning: all UK based (if electrical bias about 2 weeks per year) / (If controls bias it’d be more)
• Open to them being more software bias as they’d make the role suit the person and skillset
• They export their product around the world but this person wouldn’t need to go overseas
• Pharmaceutical industry- this person doesn’t need pharma experience (can be from any background as long as it’s automation)
• Mon/Tues/Thurs they’d be in the office near Liverpool airport
• Weds/ Fri from home
• They have one team of 6 engineers that are a mix of controls, elec design and duall skilled, apprentices etc
• They’d deal with technical sales, costing, design, specifications, testing, documentation, programming, commissioning through to client handover
• Open to years of experience – progression is deffo on the cards but depends on the persons goals
• 60-70k depending on experience
• Pension
• Hybrid
• £100 per night/ £150 for weekend / £200 for a Sunday ?
• Company car when travelling to site