Gift Packaging Head Technician

Sabenza IT & Recruitment; Howick; On-site; ZAR 480,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

Sabenza IT & Recruitment is partnering with a KwaZulu-Natal manufacturing operation to recruit a Gift Packaging Head Technician. This role owns line performance, maintenance, targets and continuous improvement.

You will design and set up production lines, drive efficiency and lead a team of technicians. You will lead preventive maintenance, oversee spares, and collaborate with Production, Maintenance, Finance and Procurement to keep output on spec and on time.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in a manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years machinery maintenance experience.
• 3+ years production line design or process improvement.
• 2+ years people management.
• Relevant technical or engineering qualification in Mechanical, Electrical, Production/Industrial Engineering or a recognised trade qualification.
• Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Matric English minimum C symbol.

Responsibilities

• Design, lay out and set up production lines using best manufacturing practices.
• Identify bottlenecks, waste and downtime — and eliminate them.
• Improve production flow, efficiency, ergonomics and throughput.
• Specify, source, install and commission new machinery and equipment.
• Create and maintain SOPs, work instructions and line standards.
• Take ownership of daily, weekly and monthly production targets.
• Monitor and report on output, efficiency and quality.
• Investigate production problems and drive root-cause analysis.
• Implement corrective actions when targets or quality standards aren't met.
• Keep waste and rework under control.
• Own the preventative maintenance plan for all machinery and equipment.

Skills

Lean manufacturing

Target management

People leadership

Root-cause analysis

Preventive maintenance

Production line design

Quality control

SOP documentation

Safety compliance

Excel & MS Office

Education

Mechanical Engineering

Electrical Engineering

Production/Industrial Engineering

Trade qualification

Tools

CMMS

Job description

Are you the kind of person who sees a production line and immediately thinks, "I can make this run better"?

Do you have the technical know-how to keep machinery running, the production mindset to hit targets, and the leadership skills to get a team moving in the same direction?

Then this could be the opportunity for you!

We’re looking for a Gift Packaging Head Technician to take ownership of production line performance, machinery maintenance, production targets and continuous improvement.

Production Line Wizardry

• Design, lay out and set up production lines using best manufacturing practices.
• Identify bottlenecks, waste and downtime — and eliminate them.
• Improve production flow, efficiency, ergonomics and throughput.
• Specify, source, install and commission new machinery and equipment.
• Create and maintain SOPs, work instructions and line standards.

Own the Numbers

• Take ownership of daily, weekly and monthly production targets.
• Ensure production volumes are achieved on time and to specification.
• Monitor and report on output, efficiency and quality.
• Investigate production problems and drive root-cause analysis.
• Implement corrective actions when targets or quality standards aren't met.
• Keep waste and rework under control.

Machinery & Maintenance

• Own the preventative maintenance plan for all machinery and equipment.
• Schedule and oversee planned maintenance.
• Diagnose, repair and restore machinery when things go wrong.
• Minimise those dreaded "the machine is down" moments.
• Maintain critical spares and manage machinery suppliers and service providers.
• Keep maintenance records, asset registers and service histories accurate and up to date.

Lead From the Front

• Lead, train and develop technical and production teams.
• Make sure machinery is operated correctly and safely.
• Champion continuous improvement and best-practice manufacturing.
• Promote a positive, energetic and team-focused working environment.
• Work closely with Production, Maintenance, Finance and Procurement teams.

Requirements

• Mechanical & electrical machinery maintenance
• Preventative maintenance
• Production line design and setup
• Production process improvement
• Manufacturing/production experience
• Machinery troubleshooting and repairs
• Root-cause analysis
• Lean manufacturing / continuous improvement
• Production target management
• Quality control and food safety
• People management and team leadership
• Machinery installation and commissioning
• SOPs and technical documentation
• Critical spares management
• Excel and MS Office
• Production and maintenance reporting
• Strong communication and teamwork

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years' experience in a manufacturing or production environment.
• 5+ years' experience in machinery maintenance.
• 3+ years' experience in production line design or process improvement.
• 2+ years' experience managing people.
• A relevant technical or engineering qualification in:
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Production/Industrial Engineering
• Or a recognised trade qualification
• Strong English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Minimum C symbol for English in Matric.