Project Engineer (Undergraduate Placement)

The Placement Project Engineer will support the project engineering team and manufacturing to deliver improvements to equipment and operations. You will be working on a variety of projects that add value to the business and can make a huge difference in every aspect of it, being given real responsibility to drive business improvement. Throughout the year, you will predominantly be working on leading and managing Capital Expenditure projects, such as introducing or upgrading equipment on site. As well as this, you will be involved in energy saving projects, and data analysis of key factory process operations. This role involves a balance of spending time in the factory - speaking to the team and evaluating current operations, as well as working in the office - holding discussions across departments, developing project specifications and business cases. From this placement, you will develop skills in Excel and data analysis, project management, equipment installation, and leading a team. You will have exposure to wider business functions including product development, manufacturing, distribution, and marketing and learn much about how a business operates.

Competitive Salary + Bonus + Benefits
apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, healthcare, and education settings. Our meals are expertly crafted by our dieticians and chefs, and then frozen to lock in the goodness. Wiltshire Farm Foods, our sister company, is the UK’s largest ready meal supplier cooking and delivering over 330 different delicious frozen ready meals across the UK. Many of our placement students have gone on to join the company as Graduates on completing their degrees.

Additional Responsibilities

• Work in a range of environments and gain experience in equipment specification and operation, managing contractors, leading meetings across departments with exposure to senior management, identifying and executing energy saving opportunities.
• Learn and develop skills in project management, contractor control and excel. Previous placement students have done PUWER training courses and Advanced Excel Courses.

Past Projects Include

• Capital investment in new equipment in excess of £100k
• Writing detailed project scopes and business cases.
• Researching potential suppliers & equipment available on the market.
• Managing structured tendering processes and evaluating quotations.
• Organizing installation of new equipment and training for staff.
• Food Waste Reduction Equipment Upgrade
• Analysing quantity of food waste from inefficient equipment.
• Researching alternative designs that minimise waste.
• Developing equipment specifications and supplier selection.
• Leading and coordinating the project for new equipment installation. Freezer Temperature Optimisation
• Identify areas for energy savings.
• Conducting trials to compare temperature of food and surroundings.
• Research available technologies.
• Installation of ‘food mimicking’ temperature probe covers to optimise freezer temperatures.
• Finger Food Bites
• Developed the process for manufacturing a new range of products aimed at patients with dementia.
• Understanding cycle times for each stage of the process to understand how to optimise this.
• Develop innovative engineering solutions to improve Health & Safety, Quality, Efficiency.
• Turned vision of Product Development team into a reality.

Qualifications

Essential

• Studying towards a degree in Engineering/Mathematics/Sciences related discipline with the expectation that you will receive a 2:1 or above and are looking to complete a year-long placement as part of your degree after you have completed your first 2 years in university.
• Excellent organizational, people management, and decision-making skills.
• Keen to get involved in a dynamic factory environment, excited to learn about the manufacture and distribution of food, and gain new skills and techniques ranging from project management to developing detailed specifications and knowledge on mechanical and electrical equipment.
• Comfortable being “hands-on” and talking to both the production operators and the management team. This ensures engagement and understanding of any projects which will be introduced.
• Confident to lead discussions and bring ideas together from different departments.

Desirable

Prior experience or knowledge in the following areas is desirable:

• Project Management
• 2D and 3D CAD modelling
• Working in a food production environment

Personal Qualities

• Passionate to learn and develop in manufacturing, specifically in food, aiming to deliver the best quality products for customers.
• Self-starter who prefers to be too busy rather than not busy enough.
• If you find something which doesn’t feel right, you will not ignore it but instead ask “why?” or “what can I do?”
• Happy to speak to teams on the shop floor to understand their problems and feed these up in order to resolve them.
• Work well in a team environment and have a structured approach to work.
• Feel comfortable working with staff at all levels, and communicate effectively in meetings, presentations, and written reports.

Additional Information

This role is not eligible for sponsorship under the skilled worker route as it does not meet the minimum requirements set out under the UK Immigration Rules.

Competitive salary - accredited Living Wage employer
25 days holiday per year, plus bank holidays
Option to purchase up to 5 additional days holiday per year
Discretionary annual bonus scheme
Pension scheme - employer matched contributions up to 4%
Life assurance scheme worth at least 1x annual salary
Subsidised canteen
Free parking
Free turkey or voucher at Christmas
Access to employee benefits including Perkbox with salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

As a family-owned business, we take great pride in being a company that makes a real difference and is dedicated to creating outstanding meals to be proud of. We develop a range of products designed to enhance health and well-being for all our customers. We are driven by a passion for service and dedicated to feeding some of the UK’s most vulnerable people. We proudly support British food and farming, focusing on using the best ethical and sustainable produce in alignment with our goal to reach Net Zero by 2040. Our ethical standards are recognized by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we're on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.