Maintenance Foreman – Leadership Development Program (Mechanical / Electro-Mechanical)

SUMMARY:
Are you a technically strong Mechanical or Electro-Mechanical Maintenance Foreman ready to take the next step in your career?

Our client, a leading multinational FMCG manufacturer, is seeking a high-potential maintenance professional to join its Leadership Development Program. This unique opportunity combines hands-on operational responsibility with structured training, executive mentoring, and leadership development, providing a clear pathway to future roles such as Engineering Manager, Maintenance Manager, or Business Unit (BU) Manager.

If you have a passion for engineering excellence, team leadership, and continuous improvement, this role offers the ideal platform to accelerate your career.

POSITION INFO:
Minimum Requirements South African citizen. Open to all South Africans BEng or BsC Mechanical or Electro-Mechanical Engineering. 2-6 years' post-qualification experience as a Maintenance Foreman, Maintenance Supervisor, or Senior Artisan in an FMCG, packaging, food and beverage, or high-speed manufacturing environment. Demonstrated experience leading maintenance teams and coordinating planned maintenance activities. Strong mechanical fault-finding and preventative maintenance expertise. Exposure to continuous improvement initiatives and plant optimisation. Excellent communication, planning, and leadership potential. Key Responsibilities Lead and supervise daily maintenance activities to ensure maximum plant availability and reliability. Coordinate preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance programmes across production equipment and utilities. Drive equipment reliability improvements through root cause analysis and proactive maintenance strategies. Support production teams by minimising downtime and responding effectively to breakdowns. Manage maintenance schedules, work orders, and resource allocation. Mentor artisans and technicians while fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. Ensure compliance with health, safety, environmental, and engineering standards. Participate in capital projects, equipment upgrades, and process improvement initiatives. Monitor maintenance KPIs and implement actions to improve equipment performance and maintenance efficiency. Collaborate with Engineering, Production, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to achieve operational excellence. Leadership Development Programme This position includes a structured development pathway designed to prepare high-performing individuals for senior leadership positions within the organisation. Participants will receive: Executive mentoring from experienced engineering and operations leaders. Formal leadership and management development. Exposure to strategic business planning and operational management. Financial and budget management training. People management and talent development coaching. Project leadership opportunities across manufacturing operations. Cross-functional business exposure. A defined succession plan toward Engineering Management and Business Unit leadership roles. Ideal Candidate Profile The successful candidate will be: A driven maintenance professional with strong leadership potential. Passionate about improving equipment reliability and operational performance. Comfortable managing teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. Analytical, proactive, and solutions-oriented. Eager to develop into a senior engineering and operational leadership role within a world-class FMCG organisation. Preferred Technical Competencies Preventative and predictive maintenance systems. Mechanical equipment troubleshooting and reliability engineering. High-speed manufacturing and packaging equipment. Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and failure investigations. Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement principles. Planned maintenance systems (CMMS experience advantageous). Asset management and maintenance planning. Team leadership and coaching. Project management and equipment upgrades. Strong understanding of safety and engineering compliance standards.