Maintenance Manager - (Wackys)

Pedros Chicken; KwaZulu-Natal; On-site; ZAR 480,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

Pedros Chicken in South Africa seeks a Maintenance Manager based at the Durban Head Office with travel to stores to drive preventative maintenance programmes and oversee service providers. You will lead a structured maintenance regime across all locations and ensure uptime through proactive planning and effective vendor management.

The role requires a degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent), CMMS familiarity, and the ability to manage budgets while maintaining safety and

Qualifications

• Requires a degree or trade qualification in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Proficiency with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Experience with CMMS or asset management software is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Establish ownership of maintenance across multiple stores and lead preventative maintenance programmes.
• Reduce downtime and repair costs through proactive planning and fault diagnosis.
• Manage external contractors with SLAs, quotes and workmanship quality.

Skills

Facilities management

Vendor management

Problem solving

Communication

Education

Mechanical or Electrical Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

CMMS

MS Office

Vehicle license

Job description

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. The Maintenance Manager is responsible for establishing dedicated ownership of maintenance across Wacky's as the business expands. This role drives preventative maintenance, reduces equipment downtime and repair costs, manages service providers and contractors, supports new store openings and equipment installations, and ensures all stores and equipment are properly maintained. This is a national role (based at Durban Head Office, with travel to stores)
2. Develop, implement and manage a structured preventative maintenance programme across all Wacky's stores and equipment
3. Reduce equipment downtime and repair costs through proactive planning, inspection and fault diagnosis
4. Diagnose and resolve electrical and mechanical faults on commercial fryers, refrigeration, extraction, HVAC and other QSR equipment
5. Manage and coordinate external contractors and service providers, including SLAs, call-outs, quotations and quality of workmanship
6. Support new store openings and equipment installations, ensuring stores are fully operational and trade-ready
7. Prioritise and coordinate breakdown response and maintenance requirements across multiple store locations
8. Manage and control the maintenance budget, balancing cost control with equipment reliability and uptime
9. Ensure all stores and equipment comply with relevant health, safety and operational standards
10. Hands-on, proactive and solutions-driven approach to problem solving
11. Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise under pressure across multiple sites
12. Strong communication and relationship management skills with contractors, suppliers and store teams

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Degree or relevant tertiary/technical qualification in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or an equivalent trade qualification – advantageous
2. MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
3. Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or similar maintenance/asset management software (advantageous)
4. Experience in a multi-site QSR, restaurant or retail maintenance environment
5. Refrigeration and/or HVAC trade certification
6. Experience implementing or administering a CMMS or similar maintenance management system
7. Own vehicle and valid drivers license