Senior EC&I Engineer / Lead EC&I Engineer

Salary: £60,000 - £80,000 + benefits
Location: Cheshire
Employment Type: Permanent
Sector: Chemical Manufacturing / COMAH
Ref: KPI - EC&I Lead

Overview

We're working with a leading chemical manufacturer operating a Top-Tier COMAH site in Cheshire, who are seeking a Senior EC&I Engineer / Lead EC&I Engineer to take technical ownership of electrical, control, and instrumentation systems across the facility. This is a key leadership role for a hands-on engineer who can combine technical expertise, project involvement, and site-wide maintenance leadership.

You'll be responsible for delivering a safe, compliant and efficient EC&I function-covering maintenance strategy, standards governance, instrumentation calibration, SCADA development, DSEAR compliance, and oversight of all EC&I activity undertaken internally or via subcontractors.

This role offers strong autonomy, visibility at senior level, and direct involvement in CAPEX, safety improvements, and operational performance across a complex chemical processing environment.

The Role

As Senior / Lead EC&I Engineer, you will:

Maintenance & Compliance Leadership

• Own the EC&I maintenance strategy across the site including proactive and reactive maintenance.

• Lead LOTO and electrical isolations, acting as the Responsible Person for HV/LV works.

• Ensure legislative compliance including DSEAR, COMAH, BS EN 61508 / 61511 SIL systems.

• Lead calibration, loop checking and verification across all instrumentation.

• Oversee continuous improvement of site EC&I standards and maintenance practices.

Technical Ownership

• Develop and maintain SCADA systems in collaboration with Automation and IT teams.

• Accept and verify EC&I design throughout all project phases-front end, detailed design, FAT/SAT, commissioning.

• Ensure correct documentation and asset data is captured for the site's CMMS.

Project & Stakeholder Management

• Act as EC&I technical lead on all new projects onsite.

• Liaise with contractors, suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure safe, timely and cost-controlled delivery.

• Provide regular progress reporting to senior management.

• Identify risks, delays or slippage and implement corrective actions.

• Support internal audits and HSE inspections; contribute to the COMAH team.

Operational Contribution

• Work daily with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering and Planning teams.

• Maintain KPIs linked to safety-critical maintenance and CMMS performance.

• Raise work orders and ensure accurate asset data for repeat-failure analysis.

• Suggest monthly improvements in safety and performance as part of the site's continuous improvement culture.

About You

You'll be an experienced EC&I Engineer with strong maintenance management capability, ideally from a chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, or other regulated process environment.

Key Skills & Experience

• Strong background in Electrical, Control & Instrumentation engineering within a high-hazard or COMAH environment.

• Excellent planning, organisational and problem-solving skills.

• Able to lead contractors and internal teams effectively.

• Knowledge of UK legislation and safe systems of work (HSWA, CDM, DSEAR).

• Confident with risk assessments, method statements and permit-to-work processes.

• Strong communication, stakeholder management and decision-making capability.

Education & Qualifications

Essential:

• Degree in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent experience).

• C&G 18th Edition

• C&G Electrical Installation

• DSEAR / COMPEX

Desirable:

• IEC 61508 / 61511 SIL knowledge

• Experience with Siemens S7

• SCADA development experience

• Understanding of COMAH

• Familiarity with CMMS systems

Package & Hours

• Salary: £60,000 - £80,000 depending on experience

• Hours: 8am-4pm Monday-Friday (flexibility required)

• Some UK and occasional overseas travel may be required.

Apply

If you're an experienced EC&I Engineer looking to step into a senior, influential role on a top-tier COMAH site, we'd love to speak with you.