Job Title: Section Engineer - Mechanical (Cranes)
Location: Port Talbot, SA13
Salary: Competitive
Closing Date: 30th August 2026
Interviews to be conducted w/c 31st August 2026
We believe that our strength is not just in our steel but the diversity of our workforce. Our people make the difference.
The Role
We currently have an opportunity for a Mechanical Section Engineer to join our plant in Port Talbot.
In this role, you will lead the mechanical engineering function for production-critical crane assets, providing technical leadership to engineering and maintenance teams whilst ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the crane asset portfolio. You will be responsible for developing maintenance strategies, maintaining engineering standards, managing asset performance, and driving continuous improvement in reliability, availability, and compliance.
The role requires close collaboration with manufacturing, planning, asset improvement, and contractor teams to ensure maintenance activities are aligned with operational priorities and long-term asset management objectives.
Responsibilities with this position will include but not be limited to:
Engineering Leadership & Asset Performance
- Act as the lead mechanical engineer for production-critical crane assets.
- Provide technical leadership, coaching, and support to engineers, supervisors, and maintenance teams.
- Lead the management of asset performance, driving improvements in reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety.
- Provide engineering expertise during complex breakdowns, major repairs, and significant plant events.
- Support the development of engineering capability and promote engineering best practice across the organisation.
- Drive a strong safety culture and support the site's commitment to Zero Harm.
Maintenance Strategy & Technical Governance
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve maintenance strategies aligned to business risk and operational requirements.
- Utilise reliability techniques, including RCM and FMEA principles, to optimise maintenance effectiveness and asset performance.
- Review asset failures and maintenance trends, identifying opportunities to improve maintenance plans, inspection regimes, and maintenance standards.
- Ensure all engineering and maintenance activities comply with LOLER, PUWER, TSUK engineering standards, and site Safe Working Procedures.
- Develop, maintain, and approve engineering standards, maintenance specifications, Job Technical Descriptions (JTDs), and Safe Working Procedures (SWPs).
- Support planning engineers in developing SAP maintenance plans, task lists, and work management processes.
- Provide technical leadership during and engineering modifications Management of Change (MoC) activities.
Continuous Improvement & Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead root cause investigations into significant equipment failures and ensure sustainable corrective actions are implemented.
- Identify and deliver opportunities to improve safety, reliability, maintenance effectiveness, and cost efficiency.
- Support refurbishment programmes, equipment upgrades, asset life-extension initiatives, and improvement projects.
- Work collaboratively with manufacturing, planning, electrical, asset improvement, and contractor teams to deliver business objectives.
- Ensure maintenance activities remain aligned with operational priorities while minimising disruption to production.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and knowledge sharing throughout the maintenance organisation.
- Degree (BEng/BSc) in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, ideally supported by a recognised apprenticeship.
- Significant experience in a heavy industrial or manufacturing environment, with strong knowledge of cranes, lifting equipment, drive systems, gearboxes, brakes, and structural components.
- Strong understanding of maintenance strategy, reliability engineering, and continuous improvement methodologies, including RCA, RCM, and FMEA.
- Working knowledge of LOLER, PUWER, engineering standards, permit-to-work systems, and safe systems of work.
- Experience developing engineering standards, maintenance specifications, risk assessments, and safe working procedures.
- Knowledge of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance techniques.
- Experience using SAP or equivalent Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
- Ability to lead reliability, refurbishment, and asset improvement projects.
- Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience managing contractors and supporting Management of Change (MoC) activities.
- Ideally IOSH qualified.
The Candidate
Some of the key attributes we are looking for in applicants include:
Ready to make a difference?
For more information or for an informal discussion please contact: [email protected]
Please note: You may use AI tools to help prepare your application. However, all information must be accurate and based on your own experience. We value genuine, honest responses that reflect who you are.
What we can offer you
Tata Steel UK offers their employees significant benefits packages. For this role, you will benefit from:
- A market competitive salary
- 35 days holidays per annum
- Annual Pay Review
- Quarterly Bonus Scheme – subject to business performance
- Private Healthcare Scheme (Individual cover)
- One of the UK’s leading defined contribution pension schemes (10% employer contribution / 6% employee contribution)
We also have an extensive list of lifestyle benefits including free onsite parking at all of our sites, an employee assistance programme as well as Employee discount scheme for companies including Vodafone, Jaguar Land Rover and also various local services.
Why us?
Tata Steel is one of the world’s top 10 steel producers. The combined group has an annual aggregate crude steel capacity of more than 33 million tonnes with approximately 80,000 employees across four continents. We’re part of the Tata Group, one of the largest, most diverse conglomerates in the world with businesses in the UK including Tata Steel, Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley Tea.
Sustainability is at the very heart of what we do and we are dedicated to managing our operations responsibly and to continuously improving our performance. Innovating for tomorrow, making a positive impact today.
Tata Steel in the UK is committed to our ambition of reducing energy consumption and to becoming a carbon neutral steelmaker by 2045, to find out more about our journey click here Stoves cooking less carbon – YouTube
To learn more about who we are and what we can offer our future employees, please click on the link to watch the following video: Tata Steel – A place you can thrive – YouTube
Skills Required
- Degree (BEng/BSc) in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent, ideally supported by a recognised apprenticeship.
- Significant experience in a heavy industrial or manufacturing environment with strong knowledge of cranes, lifting equipment, drive systems, gearboxes, brakes, and structural components.
- Strong understanding of maintenance strategy and reliability engineering, including RCA, RCM, and FMEA.
- Working knowledge of LOLER, PUWER, TSUK engineering standards, permit-to-work systems, and safe systems of work.
- Experience developing engineering standards, maintenance specifications, risk assessments, Job Technical Descriptions (JTDs), and Safe Working Procedures (SWPs).
- Knowledge of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance techniques.
- Experience using SAP or equivalent Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
- Ability to lead reliability, refurbishment, and asset improvement projects.
- Strong leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience managing contractors and supporting Management of Change (MoC) activities.
- IOSH qualification.
What We Do
We produce high quality differentiated steel products for the construction, automotive, packaging and engineering markets While steel itself presents us with endless possibilities, these can only be unlocked through our people, who continually challenge the status quo while searching for further improvements by innovating, sharing and learning together with our customers. What we have in common is a deep sense of curiosity and a pioneering spirit, a combination which holds the key to our creativity and resourcefulness. More than any other steelmaker, we immerse ourselves in our customers’ and we actively engage with the communities in which we operate. We are passionate about preserving our planet and taking care of our communities, and we make sure we source our raw materials as well as producing and transporting our steel in a responsible and ever more sustainable way.
