South Africa: MAINTENANCE MANAGER / PACKHOUSE TECHNICIAN

Key responsibilities Packhouse (in-season) Ensure reliable operation and uptime of packhouse equipment through preventative maintenance, planned servicing, and rapid breakdown response. Maintain and troubleshoot equipment such as graders/sizers, conveyors, motors/gearboxes, belts/bearings, packing/printing systems, scales, box making equipment, pumps, fans and general mechanical systems. Assist with cold room and refrigeration support (fault-finding, basic maintenance, contractor coordination). Maintain maintenance logs, daily/weekly checklists, and spares usage records; support audit readiness. Enforce safe work practices (lockout/tagout principles, PPE, safe guarding) and maintain a clean, food-safe maintenance environment. Farm (off-season) General farm maintenance planning and execution across infrastructure, workshops, pumps, irrigation-related mechanical components, buildings and equipment. Coordinate servicing and basic repairs of tractors, implements and farm equipment; manage minor fabrication/welding tasks. Manage contractors where required (electrical, refrigeration, civil), ensuring quality, safety and timelines. Maintain maintenance schedules, job cards, and parts/spares control. Minimum requirements (non-negotiable) Minimum 3 years relevant experience in packhouse/food processing maintenance and/or farm maintenance. Strong mechanical aptitude with proven fault-finding ability under time pressure. Competence in general maintenance including basic electrical fault finding, welding/fabrication and equipment servicing coordination. Computer literate (maintenance logs, checklists, email/WhatsApp reporting). Strong communication skills (able to report issues clearly and work with operations teams). Valid drivers licence. Advantageous / preferred Trade qualification (e.g., Millwright/Fitter/Electrician) or relevant tertiary qualification in Agriculture/Engineering-related field. Refrigeration/cold room exposure. Packhouse/food industry experience with audit/compliance systems (e.g., HACCP/BRCGS/GlobalG.A.P/SIZAwhere applicable). Experience supervising assistants/contractors and managing spares stock. Personal attributes Practical, hands-on, calm under pressure and solutions driven. Able to work extended hours during peak season and respond to occasional after-hours breakdowns. High attention to safety, cleanliness and detail in a food-handling environment. ONLY short-listed candidates will be contacted.