Mechanical / Centrifuge Team Chargehand

The Company

Imerys is the world’s leading supplier of mineral-based specialty solutions for the industry with €3.4 billion in revenue and 12,300 employees in 40 countries in 2025. The Group offers high value-added and functional solutions to a wide range of industries and fast-growing markets such as solutions for the energy transition and sustainable construction, as well as natural solutions for consumer goods. Imerys draws on its understanding of applications, technological knowledge, and expertise in material science to deliver solutions which contribute essential properties to customers’ products and their performance. As part of its commitment to responsible development, Imerys promotes environmentally friendly products and processes in addition to supporting its customers in their decarbonization efforts.

Imerys is listed on Euronext Paris (France) with the ticker symbol NK.PA.

The Position

Mechanical / Centrifuge Team Chargehand

Job Summary

Mechanical / Centrifuge Team Chargehand
 

Location: St Austell, Cornwall
Salary: £37,002.70 – £39,459.80 DOE, plus a Chargehand payment of £3,156.05
Hours: Monday to Friday, 7.00am – 3.30pm (40 hours per week)
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Reporting to: Site Engineer

At Imerys, our maintenance teams play a vital role in ensuring our mineral processing operations run safely, efficiently and reliably. In return, we offer a comprehensive benefits package and long-term career stability.

This includes:

• Competitive base salary aligned to experience and role

• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays

• Pension, life assurance and income protection

• Private medical insurance and a range of wellbeing support

• Enhanced maternity, paternity and family-friendly policies

• Cycle to Work and salary sacrifice schemes

• Employee assistance programme, mental health support and wellbeing clinics

• Recognition awards and long service awards

You will also be supported through ongoing technical training and development, with opportunities to further your qualifications and progress your career within Imerys.

About the role
We are seeking a Mechanical / Centrifuge Team Chargehand to join our Performance Minerals maintenance team based at Drinnick Stores. This is a hands-on leadership role, responsible for supporting the safe and effective maintenance of critical processing assets across our Cornwall operations.
The role focuses on centrifuges, kaolin grinders and associated mechanical plant. You will lead day-to-day maintenance activities, supporting planned preventative maintenance, breakdown response and continuous improvement work, while maintaining high standards of safety, quality and compliance.
Working closely with engineering, operations, contractors and apprentices, you will play a key part in maintaining asset reliability and supporting site performance.

Key responsibilities

Maintenance and fault finding

• Plan and carry out planned preventative, routine, refurbishment and reactive mechanical maintenance

• Diagnose and rectify mechanical faults on centrifuges, grinders and associated equipment

• Support breakdown response to minimise downtime and maintain production targets

Leadership and coordination

• Provide day-to-day leadership to a specialist mechanical engineering team

• Coordinate maintenance activities with contractors and external suppliers

• Support and guide engineers and apprentices on site

Continuous improvement and projects

• Support installation of new equipment and process modifications

• Provide engineering input to capital and improvement projects

• Apply continuous improvement principles such as Lean, 5S and structured CI tools

Systems, safety and compliance

• Create, plan and close maintenance work orders using SAP

• Maintain accurate maintenance and compliance records

• Work in line with Imerys Safe Working Rules, Local Management Rules and site procedures

• Ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental legislation and ISO standards

• Maintain responsibility for engineering areas including workshops, stores and COSHH

• Test items for traces of NORM (naturally occurring radioactive materials) and handle as appropriate

What you will bring
Essential:

• NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) in mechanical engineering

• Proven mechanical maintenance experience within an industrial or process environment

• Strong fault-finding and diagnostic skills

• Experience using SAP or a similar maintenance management system

• Strong health, safety and environmental awareness

• Valid license to drive in the UK must be comfortable towing a trailer due to transporting of large centrifuge bowls etc.

Desirable:

• Experience working with centrifuges, grinders or mineral processing equipment

• Previous chargehand or supervisory experience

• Welding experience (MMA and/or TIG)

Why Imerys?
At Imerys, our people are central to how we operate safely and sustainably. We value practical engineering expertise, strong teamwork and continuous improvement. This role offers long-term security, development opportunities and the chance to build a rewarding career within a global industrial organisation.

Position Type

Full time

and

Permanent

Only technical issues will be monitored through the below inbox:

recruiting.support@ imerys.com

PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT RESUMES OR APPLICATIONS TO THIS EMAIL, AS THEY WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.

To ensure fairness and legal compliance in our recruitment processes, only applications received through the online application process will be considered.

IMERYS is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and it is our policy to not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws.