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Department Purpose and Contribution to Company Objectives
The engineering department at Oscar Mayer plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of all production and site service machinery. The team’s primary focus is maintaining machinery reliability and minimising downtime, which is critical to the company’s overall productivity. They provide 24/7 reactive support to address breakdowns, ensuring that production continues without delay. Additionally, the engineering team is heavily involved in overseeing and executing new projects, contributing directly to the company’s efforts to modernise and enhance its operations, ensuring long-term growth and success.
Team Culture and Dynamics
The engineering team thrives on open communication and collaboration across departments. Engineers work closely with operations, planning, and technical teams to ensure that everyone is informed and aligned on maintenance schedules, project progress, and any issues that arise. This collaborative approach helps to keep production running smoothly and reduces downtime. The culture is fast-paced, dynamic, and solution-focused, where every team member is encouraged to contribute their ideas. Engineers participate in daily operations reviews, which fosters a shared understanding of the team's priorities and keeps everyone on the same page.
A Day in the Life
A typical day in the engineering department is never dull. Engineers are tasked with managing both planned maintenance and unexpected breakdowns, ensuring that machinery always runs efficiently. The day could involve troubleshooting equipment issues, leading projects to improve or upgrade systems, or working closely with other departments to ensure their machinery needs are met. Given the demanding nature of the job, engineers must be flexible and ready to tackle a wide variety of challenges. However, this variety keeps the workday interesting and provides numerous opportunities for growth and learning.
Key Challenges
The engineering department faces several challenges, particularly in a high-speed manufacturing environment. Aging systems and machinery can pose significant hurdles, often requiring creative and quick solutions to keep operations running smoothly. With constant pressure to minimise downtime and ensure reliability, the team must work efficiently under tight deadlines. The rapid pace and high expectations can be demanding, but they also provide ample opportunities for engineers to sharpen their problem-solving skills and make a tangible impact on the company’s success.
Expectations from New Hires in the Engineering Department
New hires in the engineering department are expected to bring a strong problem-solving mindset and the ability to thrive under pressure. The role requires engineers to think on their feet, as they’ll often be tasked with finding solutions in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. In their first six months, new hires can expect to take on significant responsibilities, including troubleshooting and repairing machinery, as well as contributing to ongoing projects. While there will be support from experienced engineers, new hires should be prepared to hit the ground running, quickly adapting to the team’s expectations and helping drive forward the department’s continuous improvement efforts.