Head of Engineering - North East

ARRIVA Plc; North East; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transport services company is seeking a Head of Engineering to oversee the North East region. This pivotal role involves leading multiple depots with a focus on operational excellence and team engagement. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership and technical experience in fleet maintenance, drive performance improvements, and foster a culture of safety and continuous improvement. A competitive salary and excellent benefits are offered.

Benefits

Car allowance

Performance bonus

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven engineering leader with multi-site or regional management experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of fleet maintenance, including bus, coach, rail, or related sectors.
• Excellent people leadership and coaching skills to engage and develop teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple engineering sites.
• Ensure delivery of robust engineering standards, including vehicle safety.
• Drive performance improvements in productivity and cost efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Technical knowledge of fleet maintenance

Stakeholder management

Performance improvement

Communication skills

Job description

Location: North East Region (multi-site)

We’re looking for a commercially minded and people-focused Head of Engineering to lead our North East region, driving operational excellence, safety performance, and team engagement across a diverse engineering network.

This is a pivotal leadership role, overseeing multiple depots and a large workforce of engineers and technicians. You’ll play a key part in ensuring our fleet runs safely, reliably, and efficiently, supporting our commitment to providing excellent service to our customers and local communities every day.

What you’ll do

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple engineering sites within the North East region.
• Ensure delivery of robust engineering standards, including vehicle safety, reliability, and compliance.
• Drive performance improvements in productivity, cost efficiency, and asset utilisation.
• Develop and empower Depot Engineering Managers to build engaged, high-performing teams.
• Lead on fleet modernisation, sustainability initiatives, and new technology integration.
• Manage budgets, maintenance planning, and performance reporting in line with company KPIs.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and safety-first operations.
• Partner with Operations and Commercial teams to ensure engineering supports wider business goals.

What we’re looking for

• A proven engineering leader with multi-site or regional management experience.
• Strong technical knowledge of fleet maintenance (bus, coach, rail, HGV, or related sector).
• Excellent people leadership and coaching skills – able to engage, motivate, and develop teams.
• Commercially astute, with a track record of improving performance, cost control, and efficiency.
• Passionate about safety, quality, and customer service.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills at all levels.
• Opportunity to shape and modernise engineering operations across a key region.
• Collaborative culture that values innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Competitive salary, car allowance, and performance bonus.
• Excellent benefits package and ongoing professional development.

If you’re ready to lead from the front, inspire your teams, and make a lasting impact across the North East engineering network — we’d love to hear from you.