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A conveyor belt of apples

Food Maintenance Technician

Testing and maintaining heavy-duty machinery to keep food production lines going

How this role makes a difference

The packaged food we consume is made using heavy duty machinery – large scale mixers, blenders, friers, ovens, dispensers, and freezers. These machines are very carefully designed and programmed to make sure they produce food that is safe to eat and tastes good.

If any of the machines stops working, it blocks the whole production line. Regular tests and maintenance are required to stop breakdowns from happening. You could be the technician who takes care of this oversized kitchen equipment and keeps food production going.

The kind of work you’ll do

  • Monitoring the settings of machines to ensure food safety
  • Fixing and using high tech machinery
  • Supporting audits on health and safety standards
  • Helping to train others on the operation of machines
  • Controlling and moving stock
  • Supporting the development of new products
  • Integrating food production with packaging systems
Useful skills
Precise
Skills & attributes
Useful skills
Instructing others
Skills & attributes

What you can bring to the role

An interest in food and drink production.

The ability to work independently.

A responsible approach to following procedures carefully and accurately.

A natural ability to explain processes and show people how to do things.

A curiosity for discovering how things work and finding better solutions.

The confidence to try different tools and machinery.

You could also be right for this role if you have any of the following interests:

- food and drinks

- building, making, and fixing things

£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per year *
£ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 , 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Average salary per month *

Data powered by LMI for all
*according to ONS

Future career opportunities

If you’re most interested in the machinery part of the role, you could become a senior engineer who leads a team. If you’re more interested in how the ingredients in the machines behave, you could get involved in food innovation.

You’ll have the opportunity to work with big food manufacturers who send products all over the world, and may choose to specialise in a particular category of food or drink.

How to get into this role

There’s no perfect career path or ideal way into your dream job.

But if you’re interested in education and training options that could be relevant to this role, you might want to consider:  

Schools and colleges each have their own career guidance plan and can provide detailed information, advice, and guidance on options and next steps.

A little more about the role

Exciting features...

You’ll probably work for a large food or drink manufacturer, supporting the production of brands you see on the supermarket shelves every day and enjoy at home. You might get involved in taste testing of different products, particularly when new or improved recipes are being trialled.

Other job titles...

This role can also be known by some other job titles including:

Advanced Operators
Manufacturing Technician
Process Development Technician
Process Technician
Technical Operator

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technicians who
do this role

Ruel Garratt

Food Maintenance Technician

Ruel Garratt
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