Life Sciences and Process Engineering Recruitment

Engineers for chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and process plant

Engineering recruitment for regulated process industries

Scotland’s life sciences sector employs around 42,500 people and the chemical sciences sector around 11,000, according to figures published on Scotland.org. Both depend on engineers to design, validate and maintain regulated process plant, from chemical manufacturing and pharmaceutical production to medical device assembly. Many sites run around the clock, so reliability and maintenance engineering carry as much weight as design and project work.

Grangemouth remains Scotland’s largest industrial complex even after crude oil refining there ended in 2025, and its chemical plants still need process, instrument and maintenance engineers. Life sciences manufacturing and research are spread across West Lothian, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow and the Inverness Campus, and process engineering skills are also in demand in water treatment, energy from waste, hydrogen and carbon capture.

The roles regulated industries find hardest to fill

Employers find it hardest to recruit process engineers with plant experience, validation and qualification engineers who understand GMP, instrument and control engineers, and maintenance engineers who can work within strict regulatory and safety systems.

Demand also comes from contract manufacturers and specialist equipment suppliers who serve these sites and need engineers able to work on client premises under the same rules.

Hiring in these industries usually involves more people than elsewhere, with quality, EHS and site leadership all having a say. We plan interview stages around that so strong candidates are not lost to a slow process.

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Life sciences and process roles we recruit

  • Process and chemical engineers
  • Validation and qualification engineers
  • Instrument, control and automation engineers
  • Maintenance and reliability engineers
  • Project engineers for plant upgrades and new lines
  • Quality and compliance engineers
  • Engineering and site managers

Search current vacancies on our engineering jobs board.

Engineer standing in a precision engineering laboratory

Where the work is

Process and life sciences roles cluster around Falkirk and Grangemouth, Edinburgh and West Lothian, Dundee, and Inverness, where the Inverness Campus hosts life sciences businesses. Every area we cover is on our engineering recruitment locations page.

Related sectors

Process skills are shared with food and drink engineering, hydrogen and carbon capture projects sit within energy and renewables, and plant maintenance overlaps with manufacturing and industrial work.

Next steps

Hiring for a process or validation role? See how we recruit for employers or tell us about the vacancy. Process and instrument engineers can search engineering jobs across Scotland, or view every engineering sector we recruit for.

Automated filling machinery on a production line

How we recruit for life sciences and process employers

Regulated environments

Work under GMP, COMAH or ATEX rules demands engineers who understand the paperwork as well as the plant. We establish which regulatory regimes each candidate has worked within before they reach you.

Plant experience that fits

Batch and continuous processes, cleanrooms and hazardous areas each call for different experience. We match engineers on the plant and processes they know, not just on their discipline.

Technical and people skills

Process and validation engineers spend much of their time working across production, quality and maintenance teams. We look for candidates who can explain technical decisions clearly as well as make them.

Life sciences and process engineering salaries in Scotland

Salary ranges in Scotland for the key engineering roles in this sector, from our Scottish Engineering Salary Guide 2026.

RoleSalary range in ScotlandWhat pays at the top of the range
Process Engineer£40,000 to £65,000Water and wastewater; semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing
Automation Engineer£50,000 to £65,000Siemens and Rockwell PLC design and commissioning
Controls Engineer£50,000 to £75,000HV protection and control; nuclear EC&I
Quality Engineer£38,000 to £65,000CMM and first article inspection in precision engineering; senior QA on energy and infrastructure projects
Maintenance Engineer£40,000 to £65,000Multi-skilled with food, drink or bottling hall experience, often on shifts

Basic salary for permanent roles, 2026. See the full salary guide for all 17 roles.

Recent engineering placements

Design Engineer, West of Scotland Fabrication Business How we placed a Design Engineer with an established fabrication and machining business in the west of Scotland, in 4 weeks. Maintenance Engineer, Central Belt Food Manufacturer How we placed a Maintenance Engineer with a Central Belt food manufacturer running high-volume production and packing lines, in 3 weeks. Estimating Engineer, Specialist Engineered Products Manufacturer How we placed an Estimating Engineer with a Central Belt manufacturer of specialist engineered products for marine, defence and energy projects, in 6 weeks.

See all case studies

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to fill an engineering vacancy?

Most engineering assignments take 4 to 6 weeks, depending on how complex the role is. Recent examples include a Maintenance Engineer placed in 3 weeks and a Quality Manager placed in 6 weeks. We give you an honest view of the likely timescale when we take the brief.

How do you screen engineering candidates?

Every engineer is interviewed by phone and on a Teams video call before you see a CV. Each CV comes with a written summary of the engineer's background, why they are looking and their salary expectations, so you only see people with the right skills, experience and motivation.

What are your fees and terms?

We agree terms for each assignment rather than publishing a standard rate, because the right structure depends on the role and how you want to hire. Terms include a free candidate replacement guarantee. Call 01698 464 099 to discuss your vacancy.

Which engineering roles do you recruit?

Quality, design, manufacturing, maintenance, estimating, project, electrical, mechanical, process, automation, civil and structural engineers, along with engineering managers and directors.

Which areas of Scotland do you cover?

All of Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Stirling, Falkirk, Perth, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Fife, West Lothian and Renfrewshire, from our office at Strathclyde Business Park, Bellshill.

How long has Engineering Recruit Scotland been running?

Engineering Recruit Scotland was set up in 2020. Our directors have spent 25 years recruiting engineers for employers across Scotland.

Tell us about your vacancy

Send us the details and a senior consultant will call you back to talk through the role, the market and how quickly we can find the right engineer.

Prefer to talk it through? Call 01698 464 099.

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Need to hire an engineer?

Call us or tell us about your vacancy, and we will give you an honest view of how quickly we can help.

Tell us about your vacancy Call 01698 464 099