Facilities Manager: Meat Processing Plant

Purpose of the Job:

Join Shoprite Group as a Facilities Manager at our meat processing plant in Benoni, Gauteng, where you will oversee the effective management, maintenance, and compliance of all site facilities, infrastructure, and equipment to ensure uninterrupted operations. This senior role demands expertise in facilities management, maintenance planning, asset lifecycle management, contractor coordination, and regulatory compliance within industrial and manufacturing environments. You will lead technical teams and manage budgets to optimise safety, reliability, and operational performance. Ideal candidates possess advanced technical qualifications (minimum N5), over six years' experience in facilities or industrial engineering, and strong skills in maintenance execution, risk management, and continuous improvement. Collaborate across functions to drive maintenance reliability, compliance to OHSA and quality standards, and cost-efficient asset management in a dynamic production environment. Embrace a hands-on leadership role with opportunities to implement innovative solutions in a prominent retail-led manufacturing enterprise.

Job Objectives:

Facilities & Infrastructure Management Ensure the availability, reliability, safety, and operational performance of all facilities, infrastructure, utilities, and equipment. Oversee facility operations to support uninterrupted production and operational continuity. Coordinate facility repairs, upgrades, shutdowns, and improvement initiatives with minimal operational disruption. Monitor facility performance and resolve systemic issues impacting operations. Ensure compliance with facilities, infrastructure, and operational standards.

• Ensure the execution of preventative, planned, and predictive maintenance programmes.
• Coordinate reactive maintenance activities to minimise downtime and operational disruption.
• Ensure timely resolution of equipment breakdowns, technical failures, and infrastructure-related issues.
• Manage maintenance schedules, shutdowns, repairs, servicing, and improvement projects.
• Ensure maintenance activities are executed in accordance with quality, safety, and operational requirements.

Maintenance Planning & Execution Ensure the execution of preventative, planned, and predictive maintenance programmes. Coordinate reactive maintenance activities to minimise downtime and operational disruption. Ensure timely resolution of equipment breakdowns, technical failures, and infrastructure-related issues. Manage maintenance schedules, shutdowns, repairs, servicing, and improvement projects. Ensure maintenance activities are executed in accordance with quality, safety, and operational requirements.

• Ensure compliance with OHSA, facilities regulations, company standards, and statutory requirements.
• Maintain safe working environments through effective risk management and maintenance practices.
• Drive corrective actions arising from audits, inspections, incidents, and compliance reviews.
• Ensure adherence to food safety, quality, and environmental requirements where applicable.
• Manage contractor compliance and safe execution of work on site.

Compliance, Safety & Risk Management Ensure compliance with OHSA, facilities regulations, company standards, and statutory requirements. Maintain safe working environments through effective risk management and maintenance practices. Drive corrective actions arising from audits, inspections, incidents, and compliance reviews. Ensure adherence to food safety, quality, and environmental requirements where applicable. Manage contractor compliance and safe execution of work on site.

• Manage facility and maintenance assets throughout their lifecycle to maximise reliability and value.
• Oversee maintenance inventory, spare parts, tools, and critical equipment availability.
• Ensure effective control of facilities-related inventory and asset records.
• Monitor utilisation of maintenance resources and identify opportunities for optimisation.
• Support capital replacement and asset improvement planning.

Asset, Inventory & Resource Management Manage facility and maintenance assets throughout their lifecycle to maximise reliability and value. Oversee maintenance inventory, spare parts, tools, and critical equipment availability. Ensure effective control of facilities-related inventory and asset records. Monitor utilisation of maintenance resources and identify opportunities for optimisation. Support capital replacement and asset improvement planning.

• Manage contractors, suppliers, and service providers to ensure service delivery standards are met.
• Monitor contractor performance, compliance, cost, and quality of work.
• Coordinate specialist technical services and infrastructure support activities.
• Ensure contracted work is completed within approved timelines, budgets, and specifications.

Contractor & Service Provider Management Manage contractors, suppliers, and service providers to ensure service delivery standards are met. Monitor contractor performance, compliance, cost, and quality of work. Coordinate specialist technical services and infrastructure support activities. Ensure contracted work is completed within approved timelines, budgets, and specifications.

• Monitor maintenance and facilities KPIs, service levels, and operational performance.
• Analyse equipment failures, utility performance, and maintenance trends to drive improvements.
• Lead root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions to improve reliability and reduce downtime.
• Manage facilities and maintenance budgets, expenditure, and cost control initiatives.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities across facilities and maintenance operations.

Performance, Budget & Continuous Improvement Monitor maintenance and facilities KPIs, service levels, and operational performance. Analyse equipment failures, utility performance, and maintenance trends to drive improvements. Lead root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions to improve reliability and reduce downtime. Manage facilities and maintenance budgets, expenditure, and cost control initiatives. Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities across facilities and maintenance operations.

• Lead and manage maintenance and facilities teams across day and night shifts.
• Allocate resources and ensure effective workforce planning and shift coverage.
• Provide technical leadership, coaching, guidance, and performance management to team members.
• Promote accountability against operational, safety, maintenance, and service delivery KPIs.
• Ensure effective communication and handovers between teams and shifts.

Leadership & Team Management Lead and manage maintenance and facilities teams across day and night shifts. Allocate resources and ensure effective workforce planning and shift coverage. Provide technical leadership, coaching, guidance, and performance management to team members. Promote accountability against operational, safety, maintenance, and service delivery KPIs. Ensure effective communication and handovers between teams and shifts.

Qualifications:

Degree in Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Facilities Management, Technical Studies, or a related field; minimum requirement N5 (essential).

Experience:

+6 years' experience within facilities management, maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, distribution, industrial operations or similar (essential). Experience managing facilities, technical teams, contractors, and operational service delivery (essential). Proven experience in maintenance planning, asset management, budget control, and infrastructure management (essential). Sound knowledge of facilities systems, utilities, asset lifecycle management, regulatory compliance, and maintenance practices (essential).

Knowledge and Skills:

Self-motivated and driven with strong integrity - take accountability for actions and mistakes. Critical and Analytical thinker - analyse Maintenance context, identify compliance risks, monitor practice standards and monitoring mechanisms. Detail orientation - work within the details to adequately mitigate the Maintenance risk and/or non-compliance. Conflict resolution and resilience - open, honest and direct in giving and receiving constructive feedback. ‘Bounce back and try again’ attitude during adversity. Quality orientation – diligently staying on top of the details and understanding how they fit into the big picture. Strong Administration and workflow – accurate tracking of administrative flow and respective requirements. Problem-solving - Solution orientated, guide the functional business areas in solving problems that align and comply with the Group Legal Compliance framework. Adapting and responding to change - outcomes orientated, delivering results and meeting business expectations in a fast-paced unpredictable environment. Collaborative partnering – think and act independently as well as collaboratively. Actively build cross-functional stakeholder relationships and Maintenance networks (forums). Strong communicator - at all levels both verbal and written. Passionate about production plant (manufacturing facility producing meat products) maintenance - learning mindset to apply best practices in terms of Health & Safety related solutions to business problems with consideration for applicable laws and regulations as they relate to the function.