Maintenance Manager

Job Description – Maintenance Manager

Department: Engineering & Maintenance
Reports To: General Manager

Position Summary

Our client in the electrical engineering industry is looking for an experienced and proactive Maintenance Manager to lead all engineering and maintenance functions within a high-volume production environment. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and optimal performance of production equipment and plant facilities through the implementation of preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance programmes. This role requires a strong engineering background, proven leadership experience, and a commitment to continuous improvement, operational excellence, and food safety.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance Management

• Develop, implement, and manage preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance programmes.
• Ensure maximum uptime of production equipment, utilities, and plant infrastructure.
• Lead troubleshooting, fault diagnosis, and root cause analysis of equipment failures.
• Plan and coordinate scheduled maintenance shutdowns with production teams.
• Monitor equipment performance and implement initiatives to improve reliability and efficiency.
• Ensure maintenance work is completed safely, efficiently, and within agreed timelines.
• Develop and monitor maintenance KPIs to support continuous improvement.

Engineering & Technical Support

• Oversee the maintenance, repair, and optimisation of all production equipment, including mixers, dough processing equipment, ovens, proofers, slicers, conveyors, packaging machinery, refrigeration systems, compressors, boilers, and utilities.
• Diagnose and resolve electrical, electronic, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automation-related equipment faults.
• Coordinate equipment installations, commissioning, upgrades, and modifications.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, equipment histories, and engineering documentation.
• Provide technical support to production teams to ensure efficient manufacturing operations.
• Recommend equipment upgrades and process improvements that enhance productivity and reduce downtime.

Team Leadership

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop the maintenance team.
• Allocate daily maintenance activities and monitor work performance.
• Provide technical coaching and ongoing skills development.
• Ensure adequate staffing levels to support production requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.

Preventative Maintenance

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive preventative maintenance programme.
• Ensure compliance with planned maintenance schedules.
• Analyse equipment history to identify recurring failures and implement corrective actions.
• Introduce predictive maintenance techniques where appropriate to improve equipment reliability.

Spare Parts & Inventory Management

• Manage engineering stores and critical spare parts inventory.
• Forecast spare parts requirements to support uninterrupted production.
• Coordinate procurement of engineering materials and maintenance supplies.
• Maintain cost-effective inventory levels while ensuring critical components remain available.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve equipment performance and manufacturing efficiency.
• Reduce maintenance costs without compromising equipment reliability or product quality.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Participate in capital projects involving plant expansion, equipment upgrades, and process optimisation.

Health, Safety & Food Safety

• Ensure compliance with Occupational Health & Safety regulations and company safety policies.
• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP, and food safety standards.
• Promote safe working practices throughout the engineering department.
• Participate in internal and external audits and implement corrective actions where required.

Budget Management

• Prepare and manage the annual maintenance budget.
• Monitor maintenance expenditure and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Evaluate contractor performance and manage external service providers.
• Ensure maintenance activities remain within approved budgets while maintaining operational efficiency.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Plant equipment uptime
• Equipment reliability
• Preventative maintenance compliance
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
• Production downtime
• Maintenance costs versus budget
• Spare parts inventory management
• Health & Safety compliance
• Food Safety audit performance

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Professional Engineering registration or membership with a recognised engineering body will be an added advantage.
• Additional qualifications in Maintenance Management, Industrial Automation, Reliability Engineering, or Project Management will be advantageous.

Experience Required

• Minimum of 8–10 years' experience in a maintenance leadership role within a bakery, food manufacturing, FMCG, or related manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing maintenance teams in a high-volume production facility.
• Demonstrated experience implementing preventative and predictive maintenance programmes.
• Strong knowledge of bakery manufacturing equipment, industrial automation, PLCs, electrical systems, mechanical systems, and production machinery.
• Experience managing engineering budgets, maintenance planning, and contractor relationships.
• Proven track record of improving equipment reliability, reducing downtime, and increasing production efficiency.

Key Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical ability.
• Sound knowledge of electrical, mechanical, and automation systems.
• Strong planning, organisational, and project management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality, food safety, and operational excellence.
• Strong commercial awareness and cost management skills.

How to Apply

Apply using the following link: https://www.recruitmentmattersafrica.com/careers/?job_id=z5G7h3l6a1kMvyS65NP3c1pWTY91UmPRBOiGGhIdUa0=