Maintenance Manager (CHEP)

Back

Maintenance Manager (CHEP)

Location: KwaZulu-Natal and South Africa
Sector: Sawmilling
Contract Type: Permanent

Maintenance Manager

Company: Chep – Weatherboard Sawmill
Job Title: Maintenance Manager
Department: Operations
Job Type: Permanent
Reporting To (Position): Senior Manager, Sawmilling
Job Location: Creighton, KwaZulu-Natal
Salary: To be discussed
Date Posted: 6 July 2026
Closing date for applications: 17 July 2026

Position Purpose

The Maintenance Manager is accountable for ensuring plant equipment is safe to operate, prioritising a zero-harm environment while ensuring optimal equipment reliability. The Maintenance Manager will oversee all installations, repairs and upkeep operations for the mill’s facilities, equipment and houses with their primary goal being to ensure that the facility is safe, functional and operating at peak efficiency while minimizing downtime through proactive planning.

The Maintenance Manager will lead the maintenance department, vehicle workshop, building and cleaning teams.

Key Accountabilities

  1. Safety Culture
  • Promote a safety culture and drive safety compliance within the team
  • Ensure the entire sawmill plant and facilities complies with the Brambles global safety standards
  • Enforce all ZERO HARM policies and practices to ensure the mill achieves zero injuries.
  • Ensure all plant equipment complies with safety and industry standards and regulations
  • Ensure that all company Standard Operating Procedures are being followed Promotes and manage the safe, efficient, and effective use of all plant equipment
  • Conduct regular safety inspections, audits, and risk assessments on machinery and facilities to identify and mitigate / resolve hazards
  • Uphold all GAP/ Couch Positive requirements within the maintenance department
  1. Strategic Planning:
  • Develop maintenance strategy for Weatherboard
  • Develop, implement, and monitor Preventive Maintenance (PM) schedules that prioritize safe operating conditions, minimize unexpected and hazardous breakdowns, and increases equipment efficiency and lifespan.
  • Develop and implement a job card and planning system to ensure jobs are planned and executed timeously.
  • Manage a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to track work orders.
  • Effectively plan upgrades, replacements, and decommissioning of plant equipment.
  • Track plant equipment conditions and maintenance history and develop and manage a maintenance budget for maintaining plant equipment and the site facilities to the highest standard.
  1. Operations:
  • Plan, organize, lead and control the day-to-day activities in the maintenance department.
  • Develop maintenance standard work for routine maintenance activities, ensuring the most efficient, consistent, and safe method for performing maintenance tasks, minimizing human error and variability.
  • Ensures that all breakdowns are attended to immediately and resolved within the shortest possible times to ensure minimal plant down time
  • Work closely with production teams to improve mechanical reliability, changeover performance and operating efficiency.
  • Implement and maintain a maintenance tracker to identify recurring maintenance
  • related problems and develop solutions to eliminate or minimise recurring maintenance related problems
  • Oversee all repairs and installations (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and machinery).
  • Ensure Inspections are carried out and records kept up to date as per the inspection frequency. Record and report information that may impede the operation of the plant
  • Develop and maintain an optimal inventory or maintenance spares
  • Maintain statutory inspections, calibration coordination, maintenance records and asset documentation.
  • Sourcing of maintenance spares and equipment required and prevent runouts
  • Ensure that all quality standards are maintained and recorded. Product produced to comply with the provided specifications
  • Ensure performance targets are achieved and deadlines are achieved
  1. Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead, develop, and motivate maintenance team
  • Ensure good communication with direct reports both verbally and written
  • Supervise, train, and mentor a team of Fitters, Electricians, Millwrights, Boilermakers, Diesel Mechanics, Auto Electricians and Cleaners.
  • Allocate workload and ensure that planned jobs are executed in the prescribed time.
  • Conduct performance reviews and ensure the team adheres to safety protocols.
  • Manage a staff compliment of 22 employees
  • Ensure a competent and skilled maintenance team by co-ordinating all training activities by means of an up-to-date skill and training metrics
  • Ensure that the training matrix is up to date and that all job specific training is done.
  • Develop succession planning for critical roles and people leadership roles with the maintenance team
  1. Contractor Management:
  • Ensure external contractors compliance with safety policies
  • Ensure external contractors deliver as per scope, budget and timelines
  • Plan and coordinate scheduling of work and site access to minimize operational disruptions while managing technical maintenance tasks.
  • Track external contractor performance
  •  Verify work completed, and coordinate

Key Requirements

  • Diploma
  • PLC Programming
  • Trade tested Millwright/Electrician
  • Minimum 8 – 10 years’ experience in a maintenance leadership role, preferably in a sawmill
  • 10 Years’ experience in preventive maintenance, breakdown analysis and reliability improvement.
  • Conveyer belt experiencing

Skills and Knowledge

  • Leadership of maintenance function
  • OHS Act
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Microsoft office
  • Ability to multitask and operate under pressure to meet tight deadlines
  • Negotiation and influencing skills
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Working with teams
  • Strong work ethic
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Problem solving
  • Ability to adapt to changing situations
  • Self-driven and motivated
  • Knowledge of safety policies, procedures and regulation
  • High level of understanding and respect for organizational goals and objectives
  • Ability to transcend personal objectives for organizational success

Closing date: 17 July 2026