Head of Engineering for Gauteng

SUMMARY:
Location: Springs, Gauteng Employment Type: Permanent Package: R1.9 Million CTC per annum + Performance Bonus
EE: Open to all South Africans
Our client, a leading high-volume manufacturing organisation within the FMCG sector, is seeking an exceptional Head of Engineering for the Gauteng region to lead engineering excellence across multiple manufacturing facilities in Gauteng.
This strategic leadership role requires an innovative and solutions-driven engineering professional who has built their career through the engineering ranks, progressing from Design Engineering, Project Engineering, Maintenance Engineering, and Engineering Management into senior or executive leadership.
The successful candidate will be responsible for driving engineering performance, plant reliability, production efficiency, capital projects, continuous improvement initiatives, and operational excellence across complex manufacturing environments.
This is a plant-based role located in Springs with regular travel to various manufacturing facilities throughout Gauteng.

POSITION INFO:
Key Responsibilities
Engineering Leadership
- Lead and develop a multidisciplinary engineering function consisting of Engineers, Artisans, Technicians, Maintenance Teams, and Engineering Support Staff.
- Establish and execute engineering strategies aligned with business objectives.
- Foster a culture of safety, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Mentor and develop engineering talent and succession pipelines.
Plant Reliability & Maintenance
- Drive world-class maintenance practices across multiple facilities.
- Ensure maximum equipment uptime and plant availability.
- Lead root cause analysis and problem-solving initiatives on critical plant failures.
- Develop and implement predictive, preventative, and reliability-centered maintenance program.
- Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and manufacturing efficiencies.
Capital Projects & Engineering Improvements
- Lead major capital expenditure projects from concept through implementation.
- Manage machinery installations, commissioning, upgrades, and plant expansions.
- Oversee engineering design reviews, project execution, budgeting, and contractor management.
- Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget.
Operational Excellence
- Identify opportunities to improve production throughput, product quality, and manufacturing efficiencies.
- Implement innovative engineering solutions to complex manufacturing challenges.
- Drive automation, digitization, and process optimization initiatives.
- Collaborate closely with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, and Executive Leadership teams.
Technical Problem Solving
- Provide expert technical leadership during critical breakdowns and operational challenges.
- Lead advanced fault-finding investigations on complex manufacturing equipment.
- Develop sustainable engineering solutions that deliver measurable business results.
- Present successful engineering case studies demonstrating innovation, cost savings, productivity improvements, or quality enhancements.
Compliance & Governance
- Ensure compliance with all engineering, safety, environmental, and statutory requirements.
- Drive engineering best practices and governance standards across all facilities.
- Manage engineering budgets, resources, and performance metrics.
Minimum Qualifications Needed:
- BEng or BSc Degree in Mechanical Engineering or Electrical Engineering (Essential).
- Honours and Masters in Engineering is highly advantageous
- GCC Factories are an advantage
- Pr.Eng is an advantage
- MDP or PMP or MBA is highly advantageous
Experience
- Minimum 15 years' engineering experience within:
o Food Manufacturing
o Beverage Manufacturing
o Packaging Manufacturing
o FMCG Manufacturing
o Or similar high-volume continuous manufacturing environments.
Technical Experience
- Extensive experience with high-speed, high-volume manufacturing machinery.
- Strong exposure to complex mechanical, electrical, automation, and process systems.
- Proven experience leading machinery installations, plant upgrades, and capital projects.
- Advanced fault-finding and root cause analysis capabilities.
- Experience managing multiple manufacturing sites would be advantageous.
Leadership Experience
- Demonstrated experience managing:
o Professional Engineers
o Maintenance Managers
o Artisans
o Technicians
o Engineering Support Teams
- Strong stakeholder management and executive communication skills.
- Managing outsourced suppliers and controlling their costs and their project deliveries