Project & Reliability Engineer

We have an exciting opportunity for a Project and Reliability Engineer to join our Engineering team at our manufacturing site in Loughton, Essex. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will play a key role in driving engineering improvement and asset reliability across the site. Working in a highly regulated and secure environment, you will lead engineering projects end-to-end while embedding a strong reliability culture to ensure critical production assets operate safely, efficiently, and with minimal downtime.

This is an opportunity to make a visible impact on performance, quality, and continuous improvement within a complex manufacturing operation.

Key Responsibilities

Project Engineering

• Lead end-to-end delivery of engineering projects, including scoping, budgeting, planning, installation, commissioning, and handover.
• Prepare project documentation including business cases, specifications, schedules, risk assessments, and proposed solutions.
• Ensure all project activities comply with De La Rue standards, regulatory requirements, and site security protocols.
• Support upgrades of legacy equipment and integration of new technologies to enhance process stability, efficiency, and security.

Reliability Engineering

• Analyse asset performance and develop reliability improvement plans for critical production and utilities equipment.
• Implement RCA, FMEA, and other reliability tools, driving sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
• Optimise maintenance strategies using data-driven decision-making.

Technical & Operational Support

• Provide engineering expertise to Operations, Maintenance, and Technical teams.
• Support breakdown investigations and complex engineering interventions.
• Identify opportunities for automation and process optimisation.

Contract type: Permanent

Working hours: Days: 09:00 to 17:00 Mon- Fri with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break each day (37.5 hours per week)

Base Location: Loughton, Essex

About De La Rue

De La Rue is a leading supplier of currency solutions and a long-standing trusted partner to central banks and governments worldwide. Our products underpin the integrity of economies and trade, enabling businesses and citizens to participate securely in their respective economies.

With a heritage spanning over 200 years, we remain a global leader in advancing security and integrity for currency solutions, supplying 54% of the world’s central banks and manufacturing in the UK, Europe & Asia. We produce fully finished banknotes, polymer substrate, security and currency services.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing or related discipline.
• Experience in project or reliability engineering within manufacturing or regulated industries.
• Strong knowledge of RCA, FMEA, RCM, and reliability tools.
• Proven ability to deliver engineering projects safely, on time and within budget.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Experience with CMMS systems.
• Experience in high-security or regulated environments (desirable)
• Knowledge of lean, Six Sigma, or CI methodologies (desirable)
• Familiarity with automation and control systems (desirable)
• Professional accreditation (IEng/CEng) or working towards it (desirable)

Benefits

• Eligibility for our annual incentive scheme
• 26 days annual leave + bank holidays
• Contributory pension scheme (De La Rue pay 1.5x the employee’s contribution – employee contributions up to a maximum of 6%, with employer contributions up to a maximum of 9%)
• Private health insurance – No cost for single cover, subsidised rates for additional dependant cover
• Life assurance - 4x your annual salary
• Chance to buy or sell holiday as part of our Annual Leave Flexibility Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Subsidised Gym Memberships
• Various other perks and Employee Assistance packages
• Enhanced family friendly policies (e.g., four weeks paid paternity leave)

Please note that applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and therefore interviews may be held prior to the closing date for this vacancy.