Lubrication Technician

McCain Foods; Timaru; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

McCain Foods is seeking a Lubrication Technician to join the Manufacturing team in Timaru. Reporting to the Maintenance Manager, you will develop and execute a lubrication program, inspect assets for deterioration, and support reliability initiatives to maximize equipment uptime.

You will work with maintenance, production, and engineering teams to ensure GMP and HACCP standards are met while maintaining CMMS records and inventories. Hybrid work considerations may apply for some roles.

Qualifications

• Mechanical aptitude with rotating equipment knowledge.
• Experience in industrial maintenance, lubrication, reliability, or condition monitoring is preferred.
• Ability to interpret equipment condition data and support proactive maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Complete lubrication routes with correct lubricant selection and recording.
• Apply precision lubrication practices to improve asset performance.
• Maintain lubricant inventories and equipment to support readiness.
• Conduct routine inspections of rotating equipment and plant assets.
• Capture and communicate equipment condition data for planning.
• Raise work requests for defects and support RCA, FMEA, shutdowns.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Lubrication

Preventive maintenance

Condition monitoring

Data analysis

Clear communication

Tools

CMMS

Job description

In every role, McCainers are ambitious, curious, and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences—together. With a customer-first mindset, we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role.

We are seeking a Lubrication Technician to join our Manufacturing team. Reporting to the Maintenance Manager, this role is responsible for developing, executing, and continuously improving the site’s lubrication program while carrying out routine condition inspections to maximize equipment reliability, minimize unplanned downtime, and support food safety standards.

Working closely with Maintenance, Production, and Engineering teams, you will play a key role in preventative maintenance activities, ensuring assets are correctly lubricated, inspected, and monitored for early signs of deterioration. Through your proactive approach, you will help improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), reduce maintenance costs, and extend equipment life.

What you'll be doing.

• Complete lubrication routes in accordance with site standards, ensuring correct lubricant selection, application, storage, and record keeping.
• Apply precision lubrication practices and identify opportunities to improve asset performance and lubrication strategies.
• Maintain lubricant inventories and lubrication equipment to support operational readiness.
• Conduct routine inspections of rotating equipment and plant assets, identifying developing mechanical defects and equipment issues.
• Capture, analyze, and communicate equipment condition data to support proactive maintenance planning.
• Raise high-quality work requests for identified defects and support reliability activities such as RCA, FMEA, shutdown inspections, and preventative maintenance development.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that enhance plant reliability and performance.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, contamination control requirements, and food-grade lubricant standards.
• Maintain accurate records within the CMMS and escape critical findings as required.
• Comply with all health and safety requirements, including LOTO, PPE, hazard reporting, and risk assessments.

What you'll need to be successful.

• Mechanical aptitude with an understanding of bearings, gearboxes, chains, and other rotating equipment.
• Experience in industrial maintenance, lubrication, reliability, or condition monitoring environments is preferred.
• Ability to identify potential equipment issues before failure occurs and recommend corrective actions.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality maintenance practices.
• Experience collecting and communicating equipment condition data to support planned maintenance activities.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to reliability improvement.
• Good computer literacy and experience working with maintenance management systems and digital tools.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with maintenance, production, and engineering teams.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to provide clear and actionable maintenance recommendations.

About the team.

This role is part of the Manufacturing function and reports directly to the Maintenance Manager. You will work closely with maintenance tradespersons, production teams, and engineering stakeholders to support reliability, food safety, and operational performance objectives.

About McCain.

At McCain, our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers, collaborate as a team, and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs, driving innovation, empowering people, and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

AI & Digital Capabilities.

At McCain, AI and digital capabilities are part of how we work and innovate. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the thoughtful, responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes as part of our future-ready culture.

The McCain experience.

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust, empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here, you'll find opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. Join us and experience why we're better together.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. We're big believers in the power of working together in person. It helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and grow as a team. At the same time, we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model, with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location, so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

#LI-AK1

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company, we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity, resilience, and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms), please let us know and we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Job Family:Manufacturing

Location(s): NZ - New Zealand : Canterbury : Timaru