Graduate Project Engineer

apetito; Trowbridge; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food supplier in Trowbridge seeks a Project Engineer. You will manage capital investment projects, contribute to energy-saving initiatives, and investigate new technologies. Essential qualifications include a degree in Engineering and strong organisational and leadership skills. The role offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional development within a collaborative team environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Discretionary annual bonus

Pension scheme

Subsidised canteen

Free parking

Qualifications

• Studying towards a degree with expectation to graduate by August 2025.
• Passion for food manufacturing.
• Ability to make rational and logical decisions quickly.

Responsibilities

• Manage Capital Investment projects from concept phase through to deployment.
• Investigate new technologies for net-zero commitment.
• Work across the business to identify downtime reduction opportunities.

Skills

Organisational skills

Time management

Data management

Team collaboration

Leadership

Problem-solving

Education

Degree in Engineering/Mathematics/Sciences

Tools

2D CAD modelling

Job description

Overview

You will be supporting 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 real difference, being given responsibility to drive business improvement. You will predominantly lead and manage Capital Expenditure projects, particularly involving manufacturing equipment. You will also be involved in energy saving projects and data analysis of key factory process operations. This role balances time on the factory floor—speaking to the team and evaluating current operations—with time in the office—developing project specifications and business cases across departments. You will develop skills in project management, leadership and data analysis, with exposure to wider business functions including product development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing.

With this role, you will develop skills in project management, leadership and data analysis. You will have exposure to wider business functions including product development, manufacturing, distribution, marketing and learn about how the business operates.

Who we are

apetito is the UK’s leading food supplier to the health and social care sectors serving more than 1,300 care homes, health care 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.

Responsibilities

• Manage Capital Investment projects from concept phase through to deployment.
• Contribute towards energy saving initiatives to drive forward energy reduction.
• Investigate new technologies to contribute towards net-zero company commitment.
• Work across the business to identify key opportunities for downtime reduction.
• Contribute to defining clear KPIs for projects you work on.
• Help us define how we bring innovation to apetito, from processes to tools, to continually improve the performance of the manufacturing facilities.
• Maintain accurate records, including writing specification documents and taking minutes in meetings.
• Build and maintain effective, collaborative working relationships.

Past Projects previously worked on by Graduates include:

• Capital investment in new equipment in excess of £100k
• Writing detailed project scopes and business cases
• Researching potential suppliers and 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 and researching alternative designs to minimise waste; developing equipment specifications and supplier selection; leading and coordinating the project for new equipment installation
• Freezer Temperature Optimisation: identifying areas for energy savings; conducting trials; researching technologies; installing temperature probe covers to optimise freezer temperatures
• New Boiler Installation: environmental permit applications; contact management; building design with architect support; installation and commissioning

As our factory runs 7 days a week, flexibility to support projects outside office hours, including evenings and weekends, will be required.

About you

Essential:

• Hold, or be studying towards, a degree in Engineering/Mathematics/Sciences related discipline with the expectation to receive a 2:2 or higher (graduating by August 2025).
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to make rational and logical decisions quickly.
• Able to make and keep accurate records.
• Strong attention to detail, including ability to manage data.
• Team player, able to work with others to achieve shared objectives.
• Able to collaborate with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Confident to lead discussions and bring ideas together from different departments.
• Passion for food manufacturing.

• Desirable: Project Management experience
• Confidence with 2D CAD modelling
• Experience working in a food production environment
• Experience taking minutes in meetings
• Understanding of project life cycles

Personal Qualities:

We are looking for someone who is passionate to learn and develop in manufacturing, specifically in food, who will be looking to deliver the best quality products for our customers. This role will require time on the shop floor to understand problems and engage with production operators and management to ensure understanding of projects and drive resolution. A self-starter who would rather be busy than not, who asks questions when something doesn’t feel right, and who can speak to teams on the shop floor to gather problems and feed them up to resolve them. The successful applicant will work well in a team, have a structured approach, and communicate effectively in meetings, presentations, and written reports.

Company Benefits

• 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
• apetito perks scheme including salary sacrifice options and retail discounts

Our Values

As a family-owned business, we take 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 recognised by the ETI and we are an accredited Living Wage employer. Learn more about apetito’s commitment to a more sustainable future. We embrace inclusion, empowering individuals from diverse backgrounds. Our commitment to making a real difference extends to customers, communities, and staff and we are on a mission to build an inclusive workplace where everyone reaches their full potential.