Technical Trainer

Boardroom Appointments; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 420,000 - 660,000; Full time

Job summary

Boardroom Appointments seeks a hands-on Technical Trainer to build technical capability across manufacturing operations, with a strong focus on tissue converting.

You will define machine-specific standards, develop SOPs and training material, provide practical on-the-job training and coaching, assess employee competence and ensure gaps are addressed in collaboration with Production, Maintenance, Engineering and Quality.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years' practical technical or operational manufacturing experience.
• Assessor SETA accredited; moderator accreditation would be an advantage.
• Hands-on experience in paper/tissue converting operations.
• Strong understanding of converting machinery, processes, maintenance and quality.
• Ability to develop assessments and evaluate employee competence.

Responsibilities

• Define technical knowledge and competency requirements for critical converting machines and roles.
• Develop machine-specific training and SOPs.
• Deliver on-the-job training and coaching on the manufacturing floor.
• Create theoretical and practical technical assessments.
• Assess employees against competency standards and sign off.
• Identify gaps and coordinate retraining and reassessment.

Skills

Hands-on technical training

On-the-floor coaching

Competency assessment

Troubleshooting

Education

Mechanical / Electrical Engineering or Mechatronics

Trade qualification (Millwright / Fitter / Electrician)

Job description

Technical Trainer

Are you a hands‑on technical manufacturing professional with strong experience in tissue converting equipment and processes? We are looking for an experienced Technical Trainer to build technical capability across manufacturing operations, with a strong focus on tissue converting.

This is not a classroom‑based training position. We are looking for someone who understands the machinery, processes, maintenance and quality requirements and can transfer that technical knowledge practically to employees on the manufacturing floor.

Formal training or facilitation experience is not required.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of HR and Operations, you will be responsible for developing and maintaining technical competency across Operations, Maintenance and Quality.

You will establish machine‑specific technical standards, develop SOPs and training material, provide practical on‑the‑job training and coaching, assess employee competence and ensure identified technical skills gaps are addressed.

The role will work closely with Production, Maintenance, Engineering and Quality to ensure employees can safely and effectively operate equipment, maintain equipment‑care standards and consistently achieve required product quality.

Key Responsibilities

• Define technical knowledge and practical competency requirements for critical converting machines and roles.
• Develop structured, machine‑specific technical training.
• Deliver practical on‑the‑job training and coaching on the manufacturing floor.
• Develop theoretical and practical technical assessments.
• Assess employees against defined competency standards and formally sign off competence.
• Identify competency gaps and coordinate retraining, coaching and reassessment.
• Develop and maintain technical skills matrices by machine, employee and shift.
• Drive multi‑skilling and reduce dependency on individual technical experts.
• Facilitate knowledge transfer from experienced operators, artisans, Engineering, Quality and OEMs.
• Develop and maintain machine‑specific SOPs, technical standards, training material and assessments.
• Ensure technical documentation covers machine operation, safety, start‑up, shutdown, changeovers, set‑up, centre lining and critical operating parameters.
• Build operator capability in troubleshooting and structured problem solving.
• Develop employee understanding of OEE, availability, performance and quality.
• Improve operator capability relating to waste, yield, speed losses and minor stops.
• Support root‑cause analysis and loss‑elimination activities.
• Embed 5S and continuous improvement principles.
• Develop operator capability in equipment inspection, basic equipment care and autonomous maintenance.
• Build capability in first‑line fault identification and correct technical escalation.
• Use recurring breakdowns and equipment failures to identify technical competency gaps.
• Develop operator understanding of product specifications and critical quality requirements.
• Build capability in conducting in‑process quality checks and identifying defects.
• Ensure employees understand how machine settings and process conditions affect finished‑product quality.
• Use complaints, non‑conformances, rejects, rework and recurring quality failures to strengthen technical standards and training.

Minimum Requirements

• Relevant technical qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Chemical/Process Engineering or a related manufacturing discipline; or
• Recognised trade qualification such as Millwright, Fitter, Electrician or Instrumentation Technician, supported by strong manufacturing experience.
• Minimum of 8 years' practical technical or operational manufacturing experience.
• Assessor SETA accredited; a moderator accreditation would be an advantage.
• Significant hands‑on experience within paper/tissue converting operations.
• Strong technical understanding of converting machinery, processes, maintenance and quality.
• Demonstrated experience in machine operation, set‑up, optimisation and troubleshooting.
• Ability to practically transfer technical knowledge to employees.
• Ability to develop technical assessments and evaluate employee competence.
• Strong understanding of how machine settings, equipment condition, maintenance practices and raw‑material characteristics affect quality, waste, reliability, speed and output.

Highly Advantageous Experience

• Experience across multiple high‑speed tissue converting technologies.
• Previous experience as a Senior Operator, Technical Specialist, Process professional, Production professional, Engineering professional or Maintenance professional.
• Exposure to tissue mill operations and parent‑reel quality.
• Understanding of tissue characteristics including GSM, moisture, strength, bulk, stretch and reel quality.
• Practical experience with LEAN, TPM, WCM or similar operational excellence systems.
• Experience working with OEMs on equipment commissioning, optimisation or troubleshooting.

This role would particularly suit an experienced tissue converting professional who has developed deep technical knowledge through hands‑on manufacturing experience and now wants to use that expertise to build capability across an operational team.

Formal training experience is not essential. What matters is your ability to understand the equipment, troubleshoot technical problems, establish clear operating standards and ensure employees can demonstrate competence in practice.

Should you not be contacted within two weeks, please take your application as unsuccessful.