Engineering and technical recruitment in Sunderland

YP Recruitment is a specialist engineering and technical recruitment agency placing engineers and technical professionals across Sunderland and Wearside. Sunderland's engineering identity is shaped by Nissan's manufacturing plant, the largest car factory in the UK and one of the most productive in Europe.

The Sunderland engineering and technical market

Nissan's plant employs thousands directly in manufacturing engineering, production, quality, and maintenance roles, and supports many more through its tier-one supplier base. The shift toward electric vehicle production is reshaping requirements, creating demand for electrical systems, battery assembly, and automation engineers alongside traditional powertrain skills.

The International Advanced Manufacturing Park at Washington is attracting new manufacturing inward investment, adding further engineering employment. The Port of Sunderland and a range of manufacturing, logistics, and utilities engineering businesses across Wearside extend the market beyond automotive.

Manufacturing and production engineers in Sunderland earn £34,000 to £49,000. Quality engineers and technical specialists achieve £36,000 to £49,000. Senior manufacturing managers command £48,000 to £62,000. Contract roles for plant shutdowns and capital projects run £260 to £420 per day.

The EV transition and what it means for engineers

Nissan's commitment to EV production at Sunderland is reshaping the local skills market. The Envision AESC gigafactory at the IAMP is creating demand for battery cell engineers, process automation specialists, and electrical systems engineers. These roles did not exist in Sunderland five years ago. Engineers with PLC programming, high-voltage systems, or battery manufacturing experience are in particular demand.

The construction sector in Sunderland is active. City centre regeneration, the new Riverside development, and housing programmes across Wearside sustain demand for site managers and project engineers. Several national contractors maintain project offices in the area for infrastructure work across the wider North East.

Roles we place in Sunderland

We recruit manufacturing engineers, production managers, quality engineers, maintenance engineers, automation engineers, EV battery engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, site managers, and technical sales engineers across Sunderland. Mid-level engineers earn £36,000 to £49,000. Senior engineers command £48,000 to £62,000. Automation and EV specialists can earn £42,000 to £55,000. Contract day rates for plant shutdowns and capital projects run £260 to £420. For a detailed breakdown, use our salary checker.

Key employers

Nissan Manufacturing UK anchors Sunderland's engineering market, supported by tier-one suppliers including Calsonic Kansei, Unipres, and Hashimoto. Envision AESC's gigafactory at the International Advanced Manufacturing Park is the newest major employer. The wider Wearside area hosts manufacturing, logistics, and utilities engineering businesses, and several construction contractors serve the region from local offices.

Sectors we cover in Sunderland

Our manufacturing recruitment team in Sunderland places production managers, quality engineers, and maintenance specialists across automotive and general manufacturing. Our engineering recruitment team covers mechanical, electrical, and automation roles. We also cover construction, property services, technical sales, and executive and leadership appointments.

Browse Sunderland roles

View current engineering and technical jobs in Sunderland, or register your CV to hear about roles before they are advertised. Sunderland sits within our North East region.