Maintenance Manager

Sonder Executive; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonder Executive partners with a growing Australian FMCG business to appoint a Maintenance Manager who will lay the foundations of the function and shape the site’s future capability.

Reporting to the GM of Operations, you will lead a four‑strong maintenance team, implement CMMS, establish KPIs, and drive a proactive, reliability‑driven culture across the site. This is a hands‑on, on‑site leadership role in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading maintenance in manufacturing or FMCG settings.
• Strong mechanical and preventative maintenance capability.
• Interest in building systems, processes and maintenance maturity.
• Engineering degree in mechanical or electrical discipline preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of four fitters and specialist contractors.
• Build the site's preventive maintenance strategy, systems and KPIs.
• Implement a CMMS and strengthen maintenance planning and scheduling.
• Drive maintenance maturity and a proactive culture.
• Own the R&amp;M budget (<$1M) with scope to grow.
• Lead small CAPEX projects from concept to delivery.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Preventive maintenance

Team leadership

CAPEX exposure

Mechanical/Electrical knowledge

Education

Engineering degree (Mechanical/Electrical)

Job description

Our client is a growing Australian FMCG business with approximately 70 employees on site and significant investment underway to expand manufacturing capacity.

With new equipment and capability being introduced, the business is entering an exciting period of growth and transformation. They are now seeking a Maintenance Manager to build the foundations of the function and play a key role in shaping the site's future capability.

The Role

Reporting to the GM of Operations, this is an opportunity to take ownership of the maintenance function and build greater structure, capability and reliability from the ground up.

• Lead and develop a team of four Fitters, supported by contracted electrical, automation and project engineering specialists
• Build the site's preventative maintenance strategy, systems and processes
• Introduce maintenance KPIs and establish clear measures of reliability and performance
• Implement a CMMS and build greater structure around maintenance planning and scheduling
• Develop team capability and progressively bring greater technical expertise in-house
• Own the R&M budget, currently <$1M, with scope to grow alongside the business
• Lead small site CAPEX projects from concept through to delivery
• Drive change and establish a more proactive, accountable and mature maintenance culture

Your Background

This role will suit an experienced Maintenance Supervisor ready to take their first step into Maintenance Management, or an experienced Maintenance / Reliability Leader who enjoys building and improving functions.

• Experience in maintenance within a manufacturing or FMCG environment
• Strong mechanical maintenance and preventative maintenance capability
• A genuine interest in building systems, processes and maintenance maturity
• Ideally degreequalified in Engineering, ideally Mechanical, Electrical or related discipline.
• Ability to lead, develop and build capability within a small team
• Comfortable operating hands‑on in a low‑maturity environment and driving change
• Exposure to CAPEX, new equipment or commissioning will be advantageous

What's On Offer

This is a rare opportunity to build a maintenance function from the ground up within a growing FMCG business undergoing significant investment and expansion.

With the opportunity to introduce systems, establish KPIs, develop capability and shape the maintenance strategy, this role offers genuine ownership and the chance to leave a lasting mark on the site.