Maintenance Manager

Synthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

Maintenance Manager

Join Synthomer and Help Shape the Future of Safe, Reliable Manufacturing

At Synthomer, we're a global leader in high-performance specialty chemicals, supplying innovative solutions to customers across industries worldwide. Our Harlow manufacturing site plays a critical role in delivering safe, reliable and efficient operations, and we're looking for an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead our engineering maintenance function.

This is an excellent opportunity for a technically strong engineering leader who is passionate about asset reliability, continuous improvement, safety excellence, and developing high-performing teams.

As Maintenance Manager, you will lead a team of 14 maintenance professionals and contractors, ensuring the safe, efficient and cost-effective delivery of maintenance activities across the Harlow site. You will play a key role in driving asset integrity, plant reliability and engineering performance while helping to shape the site's long-term engineering strategy.

What You'll Be Doing

Leadership & Safety

• Lead, coach and develop the Harlow Maintenance team, fostering a culture of safety, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure the highest standards of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) performance are maintained across all maintenance activities.
• Drive compliance with site procedures, engineering standards and legal requirements.
• Promote and embed Synthomer's Golden Rules and safe working practices throughout the engineering function.

Asset Integrity & Reliability

• Support the Site Responsible Engineer in developing and implementing the site's Asset Integrity and Reliability Strategy (AIRS).
• Drive reliability improvements and reduce equipment-related losses through proactive maintenance and root cause analysis.
• Ensure safety-critical equipment is effectively maintained and fully compliant.
• Utilise SAP CMMS to plan, schedule and control maintenance activities, ensuring statutory and preventative maintenance requirements are met.

Operational Excellence

• Lead the planning and execution of maintenance shutdowns and turnaround activities.
• Monitor and report key engineering KPIs, driving improvements in plant performance and uptime.
• Manage external contractors and supplier performance.
• Ensure engineering stores and critical spare inventories are effectively managed to support operational reliability.
• Collaborate closely with Production, SHE, Procurement and Engineering stakeholders across the site.

Developing Capability

• Build a highly engaged and capable maintenance team through effective coaching, performance management and succession planning.
• Identify training and development opportunities to enhance team capability and technical expertise.
• Drive a culture of ownership, continuous improvement and operational excellence.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Degree or formal qualification in an Engineering discipline.
• Proven experience leading an engineering maintenance team within a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Strong knowledge of preventative and predictive maintenance practices.
• Experience using Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), ideally SAP.
• Strong leadership, planning and organisational skills.
• Ability to analyse performance data and implement practical solutions to improve reliability and efficiency.

Desirable

• Experience within the chemical, process manufacturing or COMAH-regulated environment.
• Experience implementing asset integrity and reliability programmes.
• Knowledge of reliability-centred maintenance (RCM) and continuous improvement methodologies.

Why Join Synthomer?

At Synthomer, you'll be part of a business that combines global reach with local impact. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where our people can thrive, grow and make a meaningful contribution.

🌍 Global Benefits Overview

• 💰 Competitive, market-aligned compensation

• 🎯 Discretionary global bonus scheme

• 📈 Discretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – for senior positions

• 🚗 Company car or car allowance – varies by region and role

• 🩺 Healthcare – tailored to regional locations

• 👶 Parental leave and family support – maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)

• 🏡 Working options – flexibility where it matters, based on role and business needs

• 📚 Learning & development opportunities – training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offers

• 💙 Wellbeing support – employee assistance program (EAP), mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives

• 🌱 Retirement / pension contributions – plans vary by country

• 🤝 Culture of Inclusion – where everyone can thrive

• 🏆 Performance culture, global reward & recognition programmes