Head of Engineering Planning & Governance
Hybrid, multi-site (UK-wide) | £57,000 – £73,000 + car allowance
About the Role:
We are seeking a Head of Engineering Planning & Governance to provide strong, independent oversight of engineering standards, safety, and compliance across their multi-site estate.
This is a highly influential role at the intersection of projects, maintenance, and specialist engineering, ensuring that good engineering practice is consistently applied — from early concept and specification through to project delivery, handover, and long-term asset performance.
Reporting to the Operations Support Director, you will act as the organisation’s engineering conscience: setting standards, auditing compliance, challenging plans where needed, and supporting teams to deliver safely, compliantly, and efficiently in complex, regulated environments.
Hybrid working is supported, with flexibility over base location (including home if preferred). The role requires regular travel to all company sites on an as-needed basis, and ad-hoc travel to non-company sites, both of which may include overnight stays as necessary.
What You’ll Be Responsible For:
Engineering Governance & Assurance
- Own and continually develop the organisation's engineering governance framework across all engineering disciplines
- Ensure compliance with statutory, ISO, regulatory, and internal engineering standards
- Provide an independent audit and assurance function across projects and operational engineering
- Maintain high-quality engineering documentation including Standard Operating Procedures, drawings, specifications, User Requirement Specifications, and handover packs
- Ensure engineering activities meet expectations for safety, quality, environmental protection, and data integrity
Projects & Strategic Oversight:
- Provide governance oversight for major capital and engineering projects, including turnkey and self-managed delivery models
- Operate at SteerCo and senior stakeholder level on complex programmes
- Shape early-stage project strategy — including delivery approach, specification, and readiness of maintenance and spares
- Oversee effective handover from projects into operations and maintenance
Cross-Disciplinary Leadership:
- Lead and coordinate a diverse team of specialist engineers covering:
- Mechanical, Electrical, Control & Instrumentation
- Reliability Engineering
- Asset assurance and pressure systems
- Act as a trusted technical authority across engineering, projects, maintenance, and operations
- Confidently challenge decisions and, where required, stop or reset activities that don’t meet engineering or safety standards
Safety, Risk & Regulation:
- Ensure statutory compliance across company's asset base, including high-hazard and process environments
- Lead engineering input to incident investigations and governance panels
- Maintain oversight of SHE, GMP/GxP, Data Integrity, and environmental controls
- Support engineering governance in environments involving hazardous or exotic materials
Leadership & Capability:
- Lead, develop, and resource a high-performing team of up to 10 direct reports
- Act as an internal consultant and mentor across the company's technology centres
- Support long-term engineering capability and succession planning
- Manage budgets, resource planning, and external contractor competence
About You:
You are a senior engineering professional who brings breadth, structure, and independence of thought rather than a single-discipline bias.
Your background could be mechanical, electrical, civil, or another engineering discipline — what matters is your ability to understand how complex engineering systems come together and to govern them effectively.
You’ll bring:
- Significant senior-level engineering leadership experience in regulated or safety-critical environments
- A strong understanding of ISO frameworks, quality systems, and engineering governance
- Confidence to influence and challenge senior stakeholders constructively
- Experience working across multiple engineering disciplines and translating between them
- A pragmatic, evidence-based approach to risk and decision-making
Desirable (but not essential):
- Experience in chemical, pharmaceutical, nuclear, defence, polymer, or emerging technology environments
- Awareness of public-sector funded or part government funded-style operating models, including procurement and governance complexity
- Exposure to pressure systems, process safety, or high-energy/hazardous plant
Why Join?
- A genuinely autonomous and influential senior engineering role
- Exposure to cutting-edge materials, pilot plants, and industrial-scale facilities
- Opportunity to shape future strategy, standards, and capability
- Flexible, outcomes-focused working culture
- Competitive salary (£57k–£73k), car allowance, and hybrid working
Location & Working Pattern
- UK-wide remit with multiple operational sites
- Home-based / hybrid working supported
- Travel to sites as required (car allowance provided)
- Flexible approach to working hours — focused on impact, not presenteeism