Job Description

Department: Engineering & Maintenance
Location: Bonje, Kwale County, Kenya

We are currently seeking a skilled and experienced Maintenance Engineer to join our team at a Vegetable Oil Extraction Plant. As a Maintenance Engineer, you will play a vital role in ensuring the availability, reliability, and efficiency of our plant, equipment, utilities, and building facilities. You will be responsible for overseeing all maintenance functions and implementing process improvement initiatives to optimize our operations.

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform maintenance functions for manufacturing plants, equipment, utilities, and facilities, including installation, commissioning, operations, and maintenance in accordance with ISO standards.
• Lead process improvement initiatives and activities in mechanical, building facilities, electrical, and electronics functions, driving innovation management efforts for value creation opportunities.
• Measure and monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of operational processes, providing advice on areas of improvement.
• Identify, develop, recommend, and execute key maintenance efficiency drivers, establishing long and short-term strategies, initiatives, and programs to achieve maintenance goals and objectives.
• Develop and execute maintenance procedures and processes to support GMP, GPP, and the quality management system, fostering a LEAN manufacturing and improvement culture.
• Implement proactive quality by design approaches to manufacturing processes, services, and premises.
• Establish preventive maintenance master plans for all plant equipment, utilities, and systems, ensuring effective scheduling, coordination, and control of maintenance activities.
• Train, develop, supervise, and coordinate a focused and effective maintenance team, working cross-functionally with all departments to achieve strategic goals and support business needs.
• Ensure overall equipment efficiency by monitoring usage of utilities, implementing improvement initiatives, and reducing maintenance and production costs.
• Formulate and establish maintenance budgets, estimates, and monitoring controls.
• Utilize maintenance management software to enhance maintenance functions and optimize efficiency.
• Promote equipment routine checks and monitoring, reducing equipment breakdowns, prolonging equipment lifespan, and improving overall equipment efficiency.
• Keep pace with advancements in production and maintenance technology, employing the latest techniques to minimize breakdowns and improve maintenance procedures.
• Collaborate with internal departments such as Production, Agri-hub facilities, Maintenance, and Logistics, as well as external stakeholders including maintenance service contractors and suppliers.

Job Qualifications and Experience:

• Proficient in oil extraction machines or oil refinery processes in terms of maintenance, repair, and overhaul.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or Mechatronic Engineering from a reputable institution.
• Over 5 years of continuous and detailed experience in manufacturing with a focus on engineering and maintenance functions, preferably in an ISO/QMS environment.
• Familiarity with Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Lean Manufacturing principles.
• Knowledge of key process utilities such as air compressors, boilers, emergency power generators, power distribution systems, heating systems, process cooling systems, and water supply and treatment systems.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Power consumption, metering, and control
• Kilowatt-hour per ton of oil produced
• Water consumption, metering, and control
• Oil consumption
• Overall equipment efficiency
• Mean time to repair (MTTR) and mean time between failures (MTBF)
• Leakage (power, hydraulic oil, air, water)
• Safe operation (incident-free, no waste/reject)
• Equipment statutory compliance
• Availability of critical spare parts inventory
• Skill inventory and team motivation

Tagged as: Field