Maintenance Engineer

About us

Our purpose is simple: to save lives at sea. 24 hours a day, every day, RNLI lifesavers are ready to launch to the rescue. Our lifesaving crews operate in the most extreme conditions and depend on the lifeboats and equipment we provide them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We’re constantly looking at ways in which we can improve their performance, safety and reliability in a pragmatic, optimal and cost-effective way.

Some of the benefits

• Salary £34,893 - £41,050 (dependent on experience)
• Flexible working
• 26 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Competitive pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Health and dental cashplan option

Your role 

And that’s where you’ll come in, we’re recruiting for an Engineer (Maintenance) to join the Engineering team to support the maintenance of lifesaving assets by assisting in the development and upkeep of maintenance documentation, systems and practices. This role helps ensure assets are safe, available and reliable to save lives at sea.

As the Maintenance Engineer, you'll create and deliver new and improved maintenance documentation for operational assets on the coast.  You’ll seek to define better, more effective and efficient maintenance through data analysis, learning reviews and by collaborating  with colleagues across the RNLI in engineering and operational teams.

Whilst you will have a good understanding of current computerised maintenance management systems, typical equipment monitoring systems and fault diagnosis processes etc. you will also be eager to develop your experience and learn to harness the capabilities of developing technology.

As an Engineer (Maintenance) you will be tasked with focus on the following areas:

• Triaging amendment requests from coastal teams, updating documents accordingly, and notifying stakeholders once changes are complete.
• Creating documentation and plans to support both planned and reactive maintenance activities.
• Hands on testing of work instructions with the asset to ensure accuracy, clarity, and practical usability.
• Releasing documentation through the correct engineering change process, following established procedures for document control and version management.
• Liaising with internal stakeholders such as regional maintenance teams, procurement, and supply chain to ensure documentation aligns with operational and logistical requirements.
• Participating in learning exercises and root cause analysis to identify reliability issues and suggest improvements to maintenance practices.
• Taking responsibility for your own development and contributing to team learning and continuous improvement.

About you

With a completed HND or degree in a relevant engineering subject, you’ll have achieved, or have your sights firmly set on achieving, an Engineering Technician status. A strong leader able to engage with people at all levels, problem solve and think analytically whilst handling a demanding workload with changing priorities. 

Diligence, attention to detail and a commitment to producing high-quality work are essential. Your contributions will directly support the safety, reliability, and availability of our lifesaving assets.

Safeguarding

The RNLI is committed to safeguarding; protecting a person’s health, wellbeing, and human rights, enabling them to live free from harm, abuse, and neglect. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment and have a zero-tolerance approach. The suitability of all prospective employees and volunteers will be assessed during the recruitment process in line with this commitment. This will include relevant criminal record checks being carried out dependent on the eligibility of the role. (England & Wales; DBS check, Scotland; Disclosure Scotland PVG, Northern Ireland; Access NI, Republic of Ireland; Garda Vetting; International, International Child Protection Certificate process).

Diversity at the RNLI

Our staff and volunteers have been saving lives at sea without prejudice for 200 years. We respect and value diversity of background, skills and perspectives within our teams, and consider it essential to help us deliver a world-class lifesaving service. We are an inclusive organisation and welcome applications from everyone. In addition to having the skills needed for the role, we also look for applicants who share our commitment to living our RNLI values (trustworthy, courageous, selfless, and dependable), and helping us work towards Our Vision: To save Every One.