Regional Head of Engineering
Company Overview: The Airedale Group are the leading market design, installation, and maintenance provider for commercial kitchens in the UK hospitality and food service industry. We work alongside clients from the initial designs through to bespoke fabrication and installation. Coupled with the largest body of professional maintenance engineers in the country, we offer the complete end-to-end solution to our extensive client base. We have long-standing relationships with many of the biggest multi-site brands in the UK.
Job Overview: The Regional Head of Engineering is responsible for leading, managing, and developing regional engineering operations across refrigeration and catering equipment services The Airedale Group comprises seven subsidiaries, and this role will oversee field service operations across two of our businesses: Flowrite Services and Airedale Technical Care. This role ensures safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of planned and reactive maintenance, while driving performance, customer satisfaction, and commercial results.
Beyond operational delivery, The Regional Head of Engineering will be a visible, hands-on leader who actively mentors and develops Engineering Managers and Supervisors. Raising standards of leadership, accountability, and behaviour across the field service teams. Taking full accountability for engineering standards, people management, health & safety, and operational excellence across the region.
With a strong focus on engagement, morale, and professionalism, this role—working in close partnership with the second Regional Head of Engineering—will drive a culture where people feel supported, challenged, and motivated to perform at their best.
Location: Field-based / Remote
This vacancy is available at two locations. Applicants should note that there is one position in the North and one position in the South.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, and develop Engineering Managers, Supervisors, and Engineers across the region.
- Build a high-performance, safety-first culture with clear accountability and engagement.
- Ensure effective resource planning, succession planning, and skills development.
- Manage recruitment, onboarding, performance reviews, and disciplinary processes where required.
- Address any performance issues confidently and fairly, supporting managers with difficult conversations and performance management procedures
- Oversee regional delivery of refrigeration and catering equipment services, including reactive repairs & PPMs
- Ensure service level agreements (SLAs) and KPIs are consistently achieved or exceeded.
- Drive standardisation of engineering processes, documentation, and ways of working.
- Support projects, mobilisations, and key customer contracts.
- Handle escalations professionally, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
- Act as regional lead for health, safety, and statutory compliance.
- Ensure full compliance with F-Gas regulations, food safety standards, electrical safety, and company H&S policies.
- Investigate incidents, near misses, and non-conformances, ensuring corrective actions are implemented.
- Promote behavioural safety and safe decision-making at all levels.
- Own regional engineering budgets, cost control, and productivity targets.
- Support pricing, margin protection, and cost-to-serve optimisation.
- Identify opportunities for growth, upselling, and service improvements.
- Contribute to tender support, contract reviews, and customer retention strategies.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across safety, quality, and efficiency.
- Use data and performance metrics to identify trends and improvement actions.
- Champion innovation, digital tools, and best practice within engineering operations.
Experience Required:
- Proven senior leader in field service engineering, with a background as a hands-on engineer, providing strong technical credibility.
- Experience of commercial refrigeration systems and commercial catering equipment is highly advantageous.
- Demonstrable experience managing large multi-site or regional engineering teams.
- Sound understanding of electrical safety, and H&S legislation.
- Proven success in coaching and developing engineering teams, maximising performance through strong motivational leadership and engagement.
- Strong commercial awareness and budget management experience.
- Experience of driving positive, sustainable change to support business growth and operational performance.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
- Relevant engineering qualifications (e.g. NVQ Level 3+, City & Guilds, or equivalent).
- Gas qualified (F-Gas OR COMCAT) would be highly beneficial.
- Experience working with national or multi-site customers.
The Airedale Group is expanding rapidly, employing over 700 people across multiple locations in the UK. This is a fantastic time to be joining the business with opportunities for career progression.
“The work that Airedale undertook from planning to completion was professional throughout. We are extremely pleased with the finished kitchen and the work that was completed. Their Account Manager advised, planned and updated us throughout and we found the process ‘stress free’. The catering team at Sandycroft are delighted with their new kitchen and really pleased that they were able to have input into the design and needs of their service provision. We have already engaged with Airedale for future planned projects following this investment and look forward to continuing our partnership.”
Newydd Catering & Cleaning
“We found Airedale to be wholly professional and willing to engage with us from the onset, listening to our own concerns and addressing these in a timely manner. We are very pleased with the overall project.”
Local Council
“We were hugely impressed with the professional presentation made by Airedale, their project sales manager had clearly done his research prior to our initial meeting and had a number of detailed, thoughtful solutions to our particular challenges. All of their staff were conscientious and the complex project was delivered within the strict timescale and budget allocated.”
Parker's Garden Centre
“Airedale have a great can-do attitude, are willing to help and have a great understanding of their trade and working on Heritage sites, meaning that that they are good and prompt at problem solving.”
Main Contractor
“The team at Airedale provided a reassuring sense of professionalism within our development. Their holistic considered approach meant that aspects that would not necessarily fall within their remit were identified and where required resolved prior to any issue or delay arising. Their willingness to share their experience and knowledge allowed the project to be delivered to the standard which exceeded our expectation.”
Langdale Estate and Spa
“Since the restaurant has opened there has been an increase in the staff footfall, with the well designed layout coupled with the use of the latest technology keeping queues down to a minimum. The whole installation despite its complexity was relatively pain free with the communication between Airedale’s Project Manager and ourselves being a key factor.”
Advanced Engineering Centre
“Our new catering facilities are second to none. As a primary provider of professional chef qualifications within the South West it was imperative to have a design which enabled excellent quality teaching and training. As a catering team we are extremely pleased with the final results; with the excellent support of Airedale it has enabled us to ensure first rate delivery of teaching in a first rate environment and will no doubt continue to aspire future chefs in future years.”
Petroc College, Barnstaple
“The Airedale Group were appointed because of their depth of knowledge and experience in delivering similar schemes. Their staff were very professional and on-hand to answer any queries we had whilst our Chef’s have commented that it is one of the best designed kitchens they have worked in.”
Acklam Hall
“We were continually impressed with Airedale’s performance on this scheme. They assisted us with value engineering options throughout the tender process; were very competitive commercially and managed the on-site works seamlessly. Further, following practical completion they have attended to the operator’s queries very quickly and held themselves professionally whilst working in a live hotel environment. ”
Main Contractor
