Leading Automotive Recruitment
ATA Recruitment is a trusted and experienced automotive recruitment company delivering high-performing engineering and technical talent into the heart of the UK automotive sector. With more than 60 years of experience supporting the evolving needs of manufacturing, we understand the pace, precision, and quality demands unique to automotive.
Automotive is not just a sector, it’s a national engine of innovation and productivity. With over 182,000 people employed and £67 billion generated annually for the UK economy, the industry plays a vital role in global trade and technological advancement. The pressure to meet quality, sustainability, and safety expectations is intense, making the quality of recruitment a mission-critical factor.
At ATA, we are more than just recruiters, we are strategic partners. Whether you're a Tier 1 supplier needing a specialist Quality Engineer or an OEM looking for long-term leadership talent, we have the networks, industry insight, and recruitment frameworks to help you compete and grow.
ATA's Consultative Approach to Automotive Recruitment
Our success is built on a consultative approach. We don’t believe in generic CVs or keyword matches, we invest time in understanding your business, culture, and technical challenges. That includes site visits, process shadowing, market benchmarking, and feedback loops.
For our clients, this means less time wasted on misaligned candidates, and more focus on onboarding people who deliver from day one. For candidates, it means receiving opportunities that match their career goals, skillsets, and values.
Supporting Automotive Candidates
We provide automotive professionals with access to exclusive roles, career advice, and onboarding support. Many of our candidates return to us when they’re ready for their next challenge, a testament to the trust we build. Whether you’re seeking career progression or a new direction in automotive, we help you get there faster.
OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE
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Permanent Recruitment
Maintenance Engineer
Maintenance Manager
Project Engineer
Programme Manager
Design Engineer
Continuous Improvement Engineer
Health and Safety
Quality Engineer
Production Engineer
NPI Engineer
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Contract Recruitment
Maintenance Engineer
Maintenance Team Leader
Project Engineer
Design Engineer
Continuous Improvement
Health and Safety
Quality Engineer
Quality Inspector
NPI Engineer
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Interim Recruitment
Project Manager
Programme Manager
Maintenance Manager
Engineering Manager
Plant Manager
Operations Manager
Engineering Director
Technical Director
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ATA Search
Engineering Manager
Operations Manager
Quality Manager
Production Manager
Plant Manager
General Manager
Engineering Director
Technical Director
Operations Director
Managing Director
Latest Jobs In Automotive
Maintenance Technician
£50483 - 50483 per year Annual bonus, paid overtime, 18% Total pension contribution (6% employee, 12 % employer), life assur
Derby
Maintenance Technician, £50483, Derby Annual bonus, paid overtime, 18% Total pension contribution (6% employee, 12 % employer), life assurance, private healthcare, excellent company car scheme, 25 days + 8 days bank holiday with opportunity to earn 39 extra holiday hours, plus more. 3 shift patterns (Early, lates, Nights Days and nights rotation). Why join our client? Exciting growth plans with a new model being launched in 2026. World class training: Become multiskilled and gain the opportunity to learn PLC programming and more. Outstanding culture: A supportive employer with brilliant employee engagement. World class manufacturing: See cutting edge processes up close. Trust and empowerment: You will be given responsibility early in your journey. About the company Toyota, the world’s largest automotive manufacturer, is looking to recruit multiple Maintenance Technicians for its prestigious production shops at their Burnaston, Derbyshire plant. Home to the iconic Toyota Corolla—the world’s most popular vehicle—this state-of-the-art facility has been at the heart of the community since the early 1990s. Today, it employs over 2,000 dedicated team members, each playing a vital role in Toyota’s continued success. As Toyota’s flagship European site, the UK division is a critical part of the company’s global operations, contributing an impressive £3 billion to the group’s £210 billion annual turnover. TMUK is internationally renowned for its pioneering approach, consistently leading the way with cutting-edge technologies that give it a competitive edge. The site is home to five manufacturing shops—Press, Body, Paint, Plastics, and Assembly—each with its own nuances and unique challenges. From precision stamping in Press to final vehicle construction in Assembly, every shop plays a critical role in the production process. About the role Being a Maintenance Technician at Toyota is about more than just fixing machines—you’ll play a vital role in keeping operations running smoothly at the heart of production. Your responsibilities will include: PPM to minimise downtime and enhance efficiency Fault finding using various methods, including PLC diagnostics. Improving machine reliability through proactive maintenance and problem-solving. Project work focused on continuous improvement and innovation. About you To become a maintenance technician at Toyota you will need to be able to handle all that comes with working with a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You will need adopt a fix right first time mentality, a mindset for continuous improvement and an aptitude for working proactively. Multiskilled experience with either mechanical or electrical bias. Any manufacturing or fast paced environment. Apprentice trained & NVQ level 3 qualified. Happy to work on a shift rotation & complete overtime when required. The Benefits Joining TMUK will offer you a wide range of benefits. You'll take pride in working at one of the UK's most remarkable sites, where personal development and continuous improvement are central to everything they do. Personal development can take many forms, but here, it could include technical growth and progression into senior positions. You’ll be given the responsibility and empowerment to stretch your problem-solving abilities, satisfying the natural curiosity being a maintenance technician brings. If you feel like you are the right project Maintenance Technician for this role and would like to hear more about, please press apply, call Ashton on 07814905283 or email your CV too ashton.kenney@ata-recruitment.co.uk ATA Recruitment specialises in Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Civil, Transportation and general Engineering recruitment on both a permanent and contract basis – for more opportunities like this one, visit our website ATA is committed to creating a diverse workforce and is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation
Apply now
Maintenance Technician - Plastics
£50430 - 50430 per year Annual bonus, 33 Days holiday, pension up to 18%, life assurance, private healthcare, Company sick p
Derby
Maintenance technician - Plastic, £50,430, Derby, Shifts: Monday – Friday (Early, lates, nights) Package includes Annual bonus, 33 Days holiday, pension up to 18%, life assurance, private healthcare, Company sick pay, free workwear. ATA are working exclusively with Toyota Motor Manufacturing at their world class facility in Derbyshire. We are supporting them on a recruitment drive to add maintenance technicians to their team due to requirement to increase their workforce throughout 2025. The groups UK arm is a critical part in the company wheel and currently operates as their flag ship site in Europe accounting for an impressive £3B of the groups £210B annual turnover. The company are world renowned within its sector and often pioneers new technology which keeps them ahead of its competitors. This has recently included an investment of over £300million across both sites which will allow for a tremendous period of growth cementing their foothold within a marketspace they excel within. Plastics department TMUKs prestigious plastics shop is responsible for the manufacturing, assembly and spraying of the car’s bumpers, instrument panels and dashboards. The shop is known as a factory within the factory and act as a supplier to the main shop. What does a day to day of a maintenance technician within the plastic department look like? As a maintenance technician you will be responsible for maintaining a variety of PLC controlled injection moulding equipment. Responsibilities will include: Planned preventative maintenance. Reacting to breakdowns Electrical and Mechanical Fault finding Swapping components like for like. Completing continuous improvement activity What do the plastic department look for? As with all TMUKs departments, a mind set for Continuous improvement (Kaizen) and adopting a fix right first-time culture is essential. Toyota like their maintenance technicians to be comfortable working with a fast-paced environment and enjoy the buzz of a busy factory. Experience with injection moulding would be advantageous. It doesn’t matter if you are mechanical, electrical or multiskilled. Toyotas fantastic training program will aim to multiskill you. Experience with PLC fault finding. What’s in it for you? Working for TMUK you will be trusted and empowered to make decisions and to make you feel part of the team, you will be given you responsibility on day one. TMUK will give you the opportunity to develop and broaden your skills to help you thrive in a demanding fast-moving environment. This is underpinned by their fantastic training offering. During your first three months, they will assess your skills in each of the following areas: Electrical, Mechanical, Fluid power systems Toyota maintenance systems PLC programming Injection Moulding Robotics programming They will then tailor a training programme specific for you in the aim to get you competent in all these areas. TMUK provide a vessel for learning, not only will you receive the above fantastic technical training, but their maintenance technicians are also provided with the opportunity to further their career by receiving further qualifications. If you feel like you are the right maintenance technicians for this role and would like to hear more about, please press apply, call Ashton on 07814905283 or email your CV too ashton.kenney@ata-recruitment.co.uk ATA Recruitment specialises in Manufacturing, Infrastructure, Civil, Transportation and general Engineering recruitment on both a permanent and contract basis – for more opportunities like this one, visit our website ATA is committed to creating a diverse workforce and is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation
Apply now
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
"In the past we have struggled to recruit for critical roles in our engineering team and over time have worked with a number of agencies unsuccessfully. The team at ATA have been very different, they have tried to deeply understand our business, spending time on the shop floor, meeting managers and members of the team, which has enabled them to really understand our culture, the nature of the roles and the required skills.
This means they only provide candidates aligned to our needs. They provide data and advice enabling us to position ourselves better in the market and give us feedback on the experiences of the candidates we interview and hire supporting retention. They have really considered how they advertise and invest to do this well.
2023 has been our best year for recruitment. ATA Recruitment now genuinely feel like part of our team, not a supplier and we now work exclusively with them for technical recruitment."
Dan Jones, Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK
"IMKA continually return to using ATA because of the professional manner and results that are achieved. The correct calibre candidates are always shortlisted, removing hours of time from exploratory interviews and ensuring that the selection and recruitment process is efficient and sustainable with the candidates provided.
When there is an assignment, ATA Search conducts a full and concise review of the role, understanding what individual skills / traits / behaviours are needed to make recruitment as smooth and efficient as possible. With their knowledge of the culture and scope of our business, ATA Search then creates a shortlist of candidates which meet the criteria of the role and are ready to fit / work straight away into the organisation.
IMKA will continue to work directly with ATA Search for this professional, cost effective and dynamic recruitment process."
Operations Director, IMKA Automotive Ltd