Maintenance Manager East Rand

SUMMARY:
MAINTENANCE MANAGER
Location: East Rand, Gauteng
Industry: Automotive Plastics Manufacturing (Injection Moulding & Extrusion)
Reporting To: Operations Director / Plant Manager
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Our client is a leading South African manufacturing group supplying high-quality plastic products to both the local and international automotive markets. With a strong commitment to operational excellence, quality, safety, and customer service, the business is seeking a hands-on Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance function and ensure world-class equipment reliability and plant readiness.
POSITION PURPOSE
The Maintenance Manager will be responsible for leading all maintenance activities across the manufacturing facility, ensuring maximum equipment uptime, plant reliability, and operational efficiency. This role requires a highly energetic, solutions-driven leader who is actively involved on the plant floor and works closely alongside artisans and maintenance teams.

POSITION INFO:
The successful candidate will have extensive experience within plastic injection moulding, extrusion, or automotive manufacturing environments and will possess a strong technical background as a qualified Millwright. The individual must be a proactive problem solver who thrives in a fast-paced production environment and can drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and technical excellence.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Maintenance Leadership & Plant Reliability

• Lead all maintenance activities across production, utilities, and supporting infrastructure.
• Ensure maximum machine availability and plant readiness to meet production targets.
• Develop and implement world-class preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance strategies.
• Drive Root Cause Analysis (RCA) initiatives to eliminate recurring equipment failures.
• Minimise downtime through effective planning, scheduling, and execution of maintenance activities.
• Ensure critical spares are identified, stocked, and managed effectively.
• Establish and monitor maintenance KPIs including:
• Machine Uptime
• Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)
• Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)
• Maintenance Costs
• Planned vs Reactive Maintenance Ratios

• Maintain a strong presence on the factory floor.
• Work alongside artisans and technicians during breakdowns and major maintenance interventions.
• Provide technical troubleshooting support on complex electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automation-related issues.
• Ensure rapid response to plant breakdowns and production-critical failures.
• Drive a culture of urgency, ownership, and problem-solving within the maintenance team.

• Lead, mentor, and develop maintenance teams including:
• Millwrights
• Electricians
• Fitters
• Technicians
• Apprentices
• Maintenance Assistants
• Coach and upskill artisans to improve technical capability and plant performance.
• Develop training plans and competency matrices for all maintenance personnel.
• Foster a high-performance culture built on teamwork, accountability, discipline, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance reviews and succession planning initiatives.

• Plastic Injection Moulding Machines
• Plastic Extrusion Lines
• Robotics and Automated Handling Systems
• Hydraulic Systems
• Pneumatic Systems
• Chillers and Cooling Systems
• Compressors
• Material Handling Equipment
• Conveyors
• Packaging Equipment
• Electrical Distribution Systems
• Plant Utilities

• Identify opportunities to improve equipment performance and manufacturing efficiency.
• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement initiatives.
• Support capital projects, equipment upgrades, and plant expansions.
• Participate in new equipment installations and commissioning activities.
• Lead maintenance cost reduction initiatives without compromising reliability.

• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and company standards.
• Maintain a safe working environment and drive a strong safety culture.
• Conduct risk assessments and ensure adherence to lockout procedures and safe maintenance practices.
• Support ISO, IATF, and customer compliance requirements where applicable.

• Develop and manage maintenance budgets.
• Control maintenance expenditure while ensuring operational reliability.
• Manage contractors and external service providers.
• Evaluate supplier performance and negotiate service agreements.

• Trade Tested Millwright – Ideally
• N6 Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (Advantageous)
• BTech Mechanical Engineering ( Advantageous )

• Minimum 8-10 years' maintenance experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in a Maintenance Management role.
• Proven experience within:
• Plastic Injection Moulding
• Plastic Extrusion
• Automotive Manufacturing
• High-volume production environments
• Strong exposure to automated manufacturing systems.

• Electrical fault finding
• Mechanical maintenance
• PLC troubleshooting
• Hydraulics
• Pneumatics
• Automation systems
• Preventative maintenance systems
• Root Cause Analysis methodologies
• CMMS systems
• Project management