Engineering Manager

Lead a small, sharp team in a first‑of‑its‑kind pyrolysis operation turning waste into value.

What this role actually is

This isn’t a “keep the lights on” maintenance gig in a giant tier‑one.

You’ll be the Engineering Manager who takes a complex pyrolysis plant from commissioning through to reliable, safe, commercial operation, and shapes how it runs for years to come.

Day to day, you will:
- Own the technical integrity, safety and performance of a pyrolysis and mini gas plant – from rotary kilns to condensers and gas handling systems.
- Lead process design, optimisation and continuous improvement: PFDs, P&IDs, mass and energy balances, control strategies and all the nerdy bits you secretly enjoy.
- Be the go‑to for troubleshooting, RCAs and engineering change management when things don’t behave the way the model said they would.
- Drive data‑driven decision making using plant data, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance tools, not just “gut feel”.
- Build and run preventative, predictive and RCM programs, making full use of MEX to plan, schedule and track work.
- Manage maintenance planning and execution so uptime stays high and unplanned outages stay rare.
Set and manage critical spares strategies for those long‑lead, high‑pain components.
- Lead HAZOPs, HAZIDs, LOPAs and other formal safety and risk assessments for modifications and operations.
- Own compliance across WHS, Dangerous Goods, hazardous areas, and environmental and EPA requirements.
- Manage CAPEX and OPEX for engineering, maintenance and plant improvement projects, keeping a close eye on every dollar.
- Lead upgrades, expansions and contractor work so changes are safe, compliant and actually improve the plant.
You’ll be on site in Welshpool, close enough to see the impact of your decisions – not stuck in a corporate office reading dashboards from afar.

The team and the business

You’ll report to the Director of a small, family‑owned business that is self‑funding R&D and pushing hard to scale nationally.

It’s lean, entrepreneurial and grounded: every dollar matters, but so does doing things properly.

Alongside the Site Manager, who’s already juggling operations and logistics, you’ll be the person turning engineering theory into safe, reliable output.

Who this will really suit

You’re an Engineer who enjoys the intersection of process, mechanical and maintenance – and you like being close to the equipment, not just the spreadsheets.

You’ve done time in industrial, manufacturing, energy or chemical processing environments, and you’re comfortable with hazardous areas, flammables and a lot of “what if?” thinking.

You’ll bring:
- A degree in Chemical, Mechanical or Process Engineering.
- Around 5-10 years’ experience in industrial, manufacturing, energy or chemical processing.
- At least three years in a supervisory or engineering leadership position.
- Strong technical depth: thermodynamics, reaction engineering, heat transfer and mechanical systems.
- A track record leading HAZOPs and managing safety in hazardous environments.
- Proven experience building and running maintenance programs, CMMS and asset reliability strategies (MEX experience is a real plus).
- Confidence with budgets, CAPEX/OPEX and contractor management.
- A leadership style that mixes high standards with practical support – you coach, you don’t just criticise.
- If you like the idea of being “the engineering adult in the room” in a small, scaling business, you’ll be right at home.

Why this role is worth your attention
- Remuneration: $180 - $195k + super
- Build, then improve: Rare chance to join right before commissioning, influence how the plant is set up, and then stay to make it world‑class.
- Real waste‑to‑energy impact: Work on technology that turns waste into a product, not just optimise another widget line.
- Small business, big scope: Family‑owned, self‑funded, no layers of head office - you’ll see your decisions move the dial quickly.
- Grow with the business: As the client goes national, the intent is for this role to lead a larger engineering and maintenance team.
- Flex within the day: Flexible start/finish patterns in Welshpool so you can shape your day around plant priorities and your life.

How to explore it

Curious but not ready to apply blind?

Hit apply, and if you have the skills & experience our client is looking for, we will give you a call in total confidence to discuss in more detail. Go on, hit apply!