Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering Recruitment

Engineers for fabrication, machining, automation and industrial plant

Engineering recruitment for Scottish manufacturers

We are a manufacturing recruitment agency in Scotland, recruiting engineers for Scottish manufacturers. Manufacturing remains one of the biggest sources of engineering jobs in Scotland. Beyond food and drink it covers fabrication and machining, pumps and flow control, industrial equipment, electronics, chemicals and building products. Scottish Engineering’s Q1 2026 review reported a clear improvement in fabrication and named skills gaps, compounded by approaching retirements, as the most frequent factor shaping employers’ workforce plans.

The industrial base is concentrated in the Central Belt. Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and the Glasgow business parks hold dense clusters of fabricators, machine shops and equipment manufacturers. The Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland next to Glasgow Airport is home to the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, and there are established manufacturing sites around Falkirk, West Lothian, Dundee and Fife.

Where manufacturers struggle to recruit

Employers most often struggle to recruit quality managers, design engineers who can take a job from concept to fabrication drawings, estimators who understand fabrication costs, and maintenance engineers who can keep older plant running while new automation is introduced.

Many Scottish manufacturers are privately owned SMEs where engineers are expected to cover more than one discipline. A design engineer may also run projects, and a quality manager may also look after health and safety, so we take time to understand how broad each role really is before we search.

View engineering jobs

Manufacturing engineering roles we recruit

  • Quality managers and quality engineers
  • Design engineers and CAD technicians
  • Estimating engineers for fabrication and machining
  • Mechanical engineering project managers
  • Manufacturing, production and process engineers
  • Maintenance and field service engineers
  • Operations managers, engineering managers and directors

Recent roles on our engineering jobs board include a Quality Manager for engineering and fabrication, an Estimating Engineer for fabrication, a Senior CAD Technician, a Design Engineer for general engineering and structural fabrication, and a Field Service Manager for industrial pumps.

Robotic arm in a manufacturing facility

Where the work is

Manufacturing engineering is concentrated in Glasgow and Renfrewshire, across Lanarkshire, around Falkirk and Grangemouth, and in Dundee, with further clusters in West Lothian and Fife. Every area we cover is on our engineering recruitment locations page.

Related sectors

Many manufacturers also supply food and drink producers, and the quality standards in aerospace and precision engineering are close relatives of general manufacturing. Automation work overlaps with electrical engineering recruitment.

Next steps

Manufacturers can read about our service for employers or contact us to discuss a role. If you work in fabrication, machining or plant engineering, look through our current jobs or compare the other sectors we recruit for.

Welder at work with sparks flying

How we recruit for manufacturers

Technical fit checked

We ask candidates about the materials, processes and standards they have worked to, whether that is structural steel, CNC machining, ISO 9001 or welding procedure qualification, so the shortlist reflects the work you actually do.

Leaders who have run a floor

For quality, operations and engineering management roles we look for evidence of results on a shop floor, such as reduced scrap, better on-time delivery or a passed audit, not just a senior job title.

Maintenance and service cover

Keeping plant running is often the hardest gap to fill. We recruit maintenance and field service engineers who can work unsupervised, fault-find across disciplines and represent you well on a customer site.

Manufacturing and industrial 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
Maintenance Technician£36,000 to £55,000Multi-skilled on automated production lines, with overtime
Maintenance Engineer£40,000 to £65,000Multi-skilled with food, drink or bottling hall experience, often on shifts
Manufacturing Engineer£40,000 to £60,000Senior roles in defence and shipbuilding; product development and test
Quality Engineer£38,000 to £65,000CMM and first article inspection in precision engineering; senior QA on energy and infrastructure projects
Quality Manager£45,000 to £65,000Aerospace, defence and regulated manufacturing
Design Engineer£35,000 to £70,000Offshore and subsea equipment design; electrical design for power and renewables
Engineering Manager£60,000 to £100,000Power and renewables; FMCG and process manufacturing site leads

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. Quality Manager, Central Belt Fabrication Business How we placed a Quality Manager with a welding and fabrication business in the Central Belt, in 6 weeks. Maintenance Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing Business How we placed a Maintenance Engineer with an advanced manufacturing business in central Scotland, part of an international group, in 5 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