Maintenance Lead

Express Employment Professionals Midrand; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading staffing agency is seeking a Maintenance Lead for a food manufacturing company in Olifantsfontein. The ideal candidate will have 4-6 years of industrial maintenance experience, including team leadership skills. Key responsibilities include leading equipment maintenance, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and supervising technicians. This contractual position offers the opportunity to drive efficiency in a key operational role.

Qualifications

• 4-6 years of experience in industrial maintenance.
• At least 1 year in a supervisory or team lead role.
• Experience in food/snack manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the maintenance and repair of equipment.
• Execute and improve the preventive maintenance program.
• Supervise and mentor maintenance technicians.
• Ensure compliance with safety and hygiene standards.
• Monitor equipment performance and conduct root cause analysis.

Skills

Industrial maintenance experience

Leadership skills

Pneumatic systems knowledge

HACCP and GMP understanding

Education

Matric or relevant trade qualification

Tools

PLC troubleshooting

Electrical troubleshooting

Job description

Overview

At our client’s company, they’re not just keeping things running — they’re building for the future. That’s why they’re looking for a Maintenance Lead who takes ownership, solves problems fast, and keeps equipment and teams moving forward. Known for their commitment to quality, safety, and innovation, they rely on efficient operations to deliver products their customer’s trust. This is on a contractual basis and is based in Olifantsfontein.

Requirements

• Matric or relevant trade qualification (Mechanical/Electrical)
• 4-6 years of experience in industrial maintenance, with at least 1 year in a supervisory or team lead role
• Experience in food/snack manufacturing environments
• Proficient with pneumatic and hydraulic systems, PLCs, and electrical troubleshooting
• Strong understanding of HACCP, GMP, and food safety compliance

Key Responsibilities

1. Equipment Maintenance & Troubleshooting
   • Lead the maintenance and repair of equipment, including but not limited to - conveyors (belt & bucket), air compressors, seasoning machines, packaging machines, puffing machines, mixing machines, multi-head weighers, and forklifts
   • Respond quickly to machine breakdowns and coordinate timely repair to minimize production downtime
   • Conduct root cause analysis and implement permanent fixes for recurring issues
2. Preventive & Corrective Maintenance
   • Execute and improve the preventive maintenance program across all shifts
   • Monitor equipment performance data and initiate predictive maintenance when trends indicate potential failures
   • Maintain detailed logs and documentation of all maintenance work performed
3. Team Leadership & Coordination
   • Supervise and mentor maintenance technicians, including assigning tasks, providing technical guidance, and evaluating performance
   • Plan shift rosters to ensure full coverage of maintenance needs during production
   • Ensure compliance with safety, food hygiene, and regulatory standards at all times
4. Spare Parts & Tools Management
   • Ensure availability of critical spare parts and tools and raise procurement requests as needed
   • Monitor usage and work with the Maintenance Manager to optimize inventory levels and control costs
5. Collaboration with Production & Quality Teams
   • Work closely with production supervisors to prioritize maintenance activities based on production schedules
   • Collaborate with quality assurance to ensure that maintenance activities support food safety requirements
6. Reporting & Compliance
   • Report maintenance KPIs (Downtime, MTTR, PM completion rate, etc.) to the Maintenance Manager weekly

Ensure all safety protocols, lockout/tagout procedures, and hygiene practices are strictly followed