
Senior Manufacturing Technician
Job Description
Senior Manufacturing Technician
Abbott Diabetes Care – Kilkenny
Build Your Future. Improve Lives. Grow with Abbott.
At Abbott, we don’t just manufacture products — we change lives.
Our Kilkenny facility is one of the most advanced manufacturing sites in Europe, producing FreeStyle glucose monitoring technology that supports millions of people living with diabetes worldwide. We are now expanding our team with high-impact Manufacturing Technicians who bring deep expertise, strong ownership, and the ability to drive real improvements in a fast-paced, automated environment.
The Role
As a Senior Manufacturing Technician, you will take ownership of equipment performance, technical problem-solving, and continuous improvement within a highly automated production environment.
This is a hands-on, high-impact role requiring deep technical expertise, strong autonomy, and the ability to influence both people and processes.
What You’ll Do
- Lead advanced troubleshooting and fault diagnosis across mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems
- Perform and optimise preventative maintenance strategies to improve uptime and reliability
- Drive root cause investigations using data, trends, and structured problem-solving methodologies
- Monitor and improve OEE, yield, cycle time, and equipment performance
- Use CMMS and equipment data to proactively identify and eliminate recurring issues
- Lead and implement continuous improvement initiatives across equipment and processes
- Support and influence equipment installation, validation, and upgrades
- Act as a technical point of contact, guiding and supporting other technicians and operators
- Train and certify manufacturing associates, elevating team capability
- Coordinate and oversee external contractors and technical interventions
- Ensure all activities meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards
What You’ll Bring
Core Technical Capability
- Level 6 qualification (or higher) in engineering or a related technical discipline
- Very high level of hands-on experience with automated manufacturing equipment
- Strong expertise across mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems
- Proven ability to work directly on complex, high-speed production equipment
Troubleshooting & Problem Solving
- Advanced, systematic troubleshooting capability
- Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing sustainable fixes
- Data-driven mindset with ability to interpret performance metrics and trends
Manufacturing Experience
- Demonstrated experience in industrial, high-volume, or regulated manufacturing environments
- Strong understanding of OEE, yield optimisation, and continuous improvement principles
Autonomy & Ownership
- Operates independently with full accountability for equipment performance
- Leads improvement initiatives and drives outcomes
- Comfortable making decisions in real-time production environments
Communication & Influence
- Clear, structured communicator across functions (engineering, quality, operations)
- Ability to influence, train, and elevate others
- Contributes beyond own role to improve team and site performance
What Success Looks Like
- Equipment runs reliably, efficiently, and consistently
- Problems are not just fixed — they are eliminated at source
- Improvements are identified, led, and delivered
- Team capability is stronger because of your contribution
What We Offer
- Competitive salary and shift allowance (where applicable)
- Family health insurance
- Excellent pension scheme
- Life assurance
- Ongoing training and professional development
- The opportunity to work in a world-class, high-tech facility
- Long-term career growth within a global healthcare leader
Important Information
Please note that any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a pre-employment medical examination, including drug and alcohol screening, conducted by a Company-designated medical practitioner.