Manager Plant & Mechanical Maintenance

Location : Kenya / Rwanda

Department : Maintenance & Engineering

Experience : 7+ Years

Job Purpose :

We are looking for an experienced Manager Plant & Mechanical Maintenance to lead mechanical and electrical maintenance activities across processing plant and cold-chain operations. The role will be responsible for ensuring high equipment uptime, implementing preventive maintenance systems, managing technical teams and contractors, and maintaining safety, cost and operational standards.

Key Responsibilities :

- Lead the maintenance and upkeep of mechanical and electrical plant assets.

- Manage maintenance of blast freezers, industrial refrigeration, cold rooms, conveyors, dryers and ventilation systems.

- Develop and implement planned and preventive maintenance schedules.

- Drive the transition from reactive breakdown maintenance to a structured preventive maintenance system.

- Lead and supervise technicians, contractors and external maintenance agencies.

- Plan daily maintenance activities, allocate manpower and monitor work completion.

- Lead equipment installation, testing, commissioning and handover activities.

- Manage maintenance-related spares, tools, fuel and operational costs.

- Maintain adequate critical spare inventory and coordinate with vendors/contractors.

- Monitor equipment downtime, maintenance performance and plant uptime.

- Conduct root-cause analysis and corrective actions following major equipment failures.

- Ensure compliance with occupational health, food safety and environmental standards.

- Maintain accurate maintenance records and prepare regular reports for senior management.

- Drive continuous improvement in equipment reliability, uptime, maintenance cost and safety.

Technical Requirements :

- Strong experience in Plant Maintenance / Mechanical Maintenance.

- Experience in Industrial Refrigeration and Cold Chain.

- Hands-on knowledge of blast freezers, cold rooms, conveyors, dryers and ventilation systems.

- Knowledge of diesel generators, electrical troubleshooting, hydraulics and plumbing.

- Experience in preventive maintenance planning and scheduling.

- Experience in equipment installation and commissioning.

- Strong contractor and vendor management experience.

Education & Experience :

- Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.

- 7+ years of experience in plant, processing or facility maintenance.

- Experience in food processing, cold chain, feed milling, flower or poultry operations preferred.

- East African operational experience will be an advantage.

- HVAC / Refrigeration certification will be an added advantage.