Mechanical Engineer

Reports To : Engineering and Maintenance Manager

Purpose of the Role

The Mechanical Engineer is responsible for minimising plant downtime, maximising equipment reliability and extending the operating life of plant machinery and equipment through the implementation of effective asset care strategies.

The role focuses on maintenance optimisation, equipment reliability, project management, cost control, contractor management, statutory compliance and continuous improvement initiatives that support safe, efficient and reliable production.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership and engineering support to production and maintenance teams, ensure effective execution of planned, preventive and predictive maintenance systems, manage maintenance and capital projects, and support continuous improvement across the plants mechanical engineering and maintenance function.

This is a senior technical engineering role suited to a highly capable Mechanical Engineer with strong FMCG or continuous-process manufacturing experience, proven maintenance management exposure, strong reliability engineering capability, and the ability to lead technical improvement in a complex production environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Asset Care, Reliability & Maintenance Optimisation
  • Develop and implement asset care strategies to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime and extend the operating life of plant machinery and equipment.
  • Ensure all plant equipment operates effectively and efficiently through the use of planned, preventive and predictive maintenance systems and programmes.
  • Review, optimise and improve engineering and maintenance procedures, standards and systems.
  • Monitor key maintenance performance indicators and implement improvement plans where required.
  • Provide optimal mechanical support to production to minimise waste, downtime and equipment lifecycle costs.
  • Identify equipment reliability risks and develop medium- and long-term corrective action plans.
  • Support maintenance optimisation initiatives that improve plant availability, reliability and operating efficiency.
  • Ensure critical spare parts are identified, appropriately managed and aligned to operational reliability requirements.
• Root Cause Failure Analysis & Continuous Improvement
  • Analyse equipment failures and conduct root cause failure analysis investigations.
  • Implement and monitor RCFA processes and procedures.
  • Ensure corrective actions from failure analysis are properly defined, implemented and followed through.
  • Identify recurring equipment failures and drive practical engineering solutions to prevent repeat failures.
  • Use asset management data and maintenance performance trends to support reliability improvement.
  • Promote continuous improvement within the engineering and maintenance function.
  • Drive maintenance best practices aimed at improving MTBF, reducing MTTR and improving overall equipment performance.
• Engineering Projects & Capital Work
  • Plan, direct and coordinate engineering activities related to the construction, modification, continued performance and maintenance of plant equipment and machinery.
  • Deliver relevant capital and maintenance projects on time and within budget.
  • Prepare detailed specifications for equipment repairs, replacement or upgrades based on a total lifecycle cost philosophy.
  • Develop scopes of work for capital projects, major maintenance expenditure and equipment replacement requirements.
  • Ensure proposed vendors and contractors are technically capable, qualified and suitable to complete agreed work.
  • Provide technical input into procurement of engineering services, equipment, spares and project-related requirements.
  • Ensure project work is executed safely, effectively and to the required engineering standards.
  • Support plant improvement projects that strengthen reliability, efficiency, safety and operational performance.
• Maintenance Management, Technical Leadership & Support
  • Provide technical guidance and support to production and maintenance personnel.
  • Coach, develop and performance manage engineering and maintenance resources.
  • Identify employee development needs and performance gaps within maintenance teams and ensure these are discussed and corrected.
  • Support maintenance foremen, artisans, technicians and other engineering personnel with technical problem-solving and execution guidance.
  • Delegate effectively and empower subordinates by giving them clear responsibility, authority and accountability within defined boundaries.
  • Ensure maintenance resources are used effectively to support production availability and equipment reliability.
  • Maintain strong communication with Engineering, Production, Operations, Stores, Safety, Finance, Buying, HR, Training and external service providers.
• Statutory Compliance, Safety & GMR 2.7 Responsibilities
  • Fulfil responsibilities as the appointed GMR 2.7 where applicable.
  • Ensure compliance with all health, safety, environmental and legal requirements.
  • Ensure all statutory inspections are completed and that relevant documentation is updated, filed and maintained.
  • Promote a strong safety culture within the engineering and maintenance department.
  • Ensure engineering and maintenance activities are carried out in line with relevant legal, statutory and company requirements.
  • Ensure contractors comply with site contractor requirements and applicable contractor rules and agreements.
  • Verify that contractors meet the required standards, qualifications and safety requirements before work is performed.
  • Maintain high standards of safety, housekeeping, risk control and engineering discipline across areas of responsibility.
• Spares, Inventory & Working Capital
  • Ensure the correct type and quantity of critical spares are kept in stock to improve plant availability.
  • Balance spare parts availability with the need to reduce unnecessary working capital.
  • Review stock and spares items at least annually to identify redundant items.
  • Ensure redundant spares are scrapped or removed without unnecessary delay.
  • Work with stores, buying and maintenance teams to ensure critical spares support asset care and reliability requirements.
  • Provide technical input into spares selection, specification and lifecycle requirements.
• Budgeting, Cost Control & Financial Management
  • Manage and forecast maintenance expenditure relative to budget.
  • Develop and motivate maintenance and capital expenditure budgets annually.
  • Control maintenance expenditure and ensure costs are managed effectively.
  • Monitor the financial performance of maintenance and asset care activities.
  • Ensure maintenance and project expenditure supports reliability, lifecycle cost reduction and operational performance.
  • Provide financial performance updates, forecasts and corrective actions where required.
• Reporting & Performance Management
  • Submit monthly reports covering the performance of the asset care programme.
  • Report on asset management KPIs, corrective actions, known problems and improvement plans.
  • Provide medium- and long-term plans to correct known equipment or reliability problems.
  • Include summaries of financial performance to date and forecasts to year-end in monthly reporting.
  • Ensure reporting is accurate, practical and useful for decision-making.
  • Use reporting to drive accountability, performance improvement and reliability-focused maintenance action.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from a recognised university.
• Minimum of 10 years experience in maintenance and projects within an FMCG manufacturing plant environment.
• Minimum of 5 years experience in a maintenance management role.
• GCC Factories would be advantageous.
• Experience in tissue, paper, pulp, FMCG or continuous-process manufacturing environments.
• Strong knowledge of reliability engineering principles.
• Strong understanding of planned maintenance, predictive maintenance, maintenance planning and asset management systems.
• Solid understanding of engineering fundamentals across mechanical, electrical and instrumentation disciplines.
• Ability to read and develop mechanical, electrical and P&ID drawings.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, MS Projects and Visio.
• AutoCAD proficiency required.
• Sufficient technical expertise to develop drawings and specifications for equipment repairs.
• Strong knowledge of the legal requirements of the OHS Act, BCEA and other relevant legislation.

Knowledge, Skills & Technical Competencies

• Strong mechanical engineering knowledge within a manufacturing or continuous-process environment.
• Strong asset care, reliability engineering and maintenance optimisation capability.
• Strong technical problem-solving and root cause failure analysis skills.
• Strong understanding of preventive, planned and predictive maintenance systems.
• Strong project management capability across maintenance and capital projects.
• Strong ability to develop technical scopes of work, specifications and repair/replacement requirements.
• Strong contractor and vendor management ability.
• Good understanding of lifecycle costing and asset management principles.
• Strong maintenance cost control, budgeting and forecasting capability.
• Strong knowledge of statutory inspections, legal compliance and engineering safety requirements.
• Strong computer literacy across ERP, MRO, CMMS and MS Office systems.
• Ability to interpret and develop technical drawings, including mechanical, electrical and P&ID drawings.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with Production, Operations, Engineering, Stores, Safety, Finance, Buying, HR and external technical suppliers.
• Strong reporting ability with focus on asset care performance, maintenance KPIs, financial performance and corrective action plans.

Personal Attributes

• Self-starter who is energetic, highly motivated and proactive.
• Superior analytical capability and a strong desire to identify and solve problems.
• Strong communication skills with effective leadership qualities.
• Able to identify, visualise, articulate and deploy plant maintenance improvement solutions.
• High integrity and able to make decisions under pressure.
• Organised, structured and disciplined.
• Able to lead, coach, develop and performance manage maintenance and engineering resources.
• Able to delegate effectively and empower subordinates while maintaining accountability.
• Prepared to work outside normal working hours when operational requirements demand it.
• Prepared to perform management standby duties when required.
• Professional, neat and well organised.

Working Relationships

• Internal Stakeholders
  • Engineering and Maintenance Manager
  • Factory and Operations Managers
  • Plant Engineers
  • Maintenance Foremen
  • Mechanical Technicians and Artisans
  • Electrical Technicians and Artisans
  • Instrumentation Technicians and Artisans
  • Stores Personnel
  • Maintenance Planner
  • Safety and Risk Personnel
  • Administration and Finance Departments
  • Human Resources
  • Buying Department
  • Training Department
  • Production Teams
• External Stakeholders
  • Approved technical suppliers
  • External contractors
  • Appointed consultants
  • Engineering service providers
  • Equipment vendors
  • Project and maintenance contractors

Other Requirements

• Must be based in, or willing to work in, the Spartan / Kempton Park area.
• Must be comfortable operating in a high-volume FMCG or continuous-process manufacturing environment.
• Must be willing to work outside normal working hours when required.
• Must be willing to perform management standby duties when required.
• Must be able to support safety-critical, production-critical and reliability-critical engineering decisions.
• Must be able to operate with the accountability expected of a senior plant engineering role.

Benefits

• A competitive, market-related Total Cost to Company package aligned with the seniority and scope of the role will be offered.
• Opportunity to contribute to a high-volume FMCG manufacturing environment where asset care, reliability, safety and engineering performance are business-critical.
• Exposure to advanced production equipment, engineering systems, continuous improvement initiatives and capital project execution within a dynamic manufacturing operation.