Website RCL Foods
RCL Foods is a major South African consumer goods and milling company that produces a wide array of branded and private label food products.
About RCL Foods
RCL Foods is a major South African consumer goods and milling company that produces a wide array of branded and private label food products. The company was originally founded in 1960 as Rainbow Chicken Ltd. The company’s operations extend beyond South Africa to several other African countries, including Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. Its products cover multiple categories, including household staples and value-added goods.
Application Details
| Reference Number | RCL260121-4 |
| Company | RCL Foods |
| Job Title | Maintenance Engineering Manager |
| Functions | Engineering |
| Job Type Classification | Permanent |
| Location – Town / City | Pretoria West |
| Location – Province | Gauteng |
| Location – Country | South Africa |
Job Description
Are you a strategic asset care leader with deep experience in bakery technology and maintenance excellence? Do you thrive in high-performance manufacturing environments where you can influence, standardise, and elevate engineering practices across multiple sites?. We are looking for a Maintenance Engineering Manager to drive our asset care strategy, optimise OEE across all bakeries, and lead impactful maintenance improvements that directly support product quality, capacity, and operational performance. We’re looking for a leader who is:Hands-on, resilient, proactive, detail-driven, influential, innovative, and passionate about developing people and improving systems.
Minimum Requirements
- 5 years in a senior maintenance/engineering role within FMCG baking.
- Proven track record in planned maintenance, audits, and multi-site leadership.
- Experience training, mentoring and leading technical teams.
- Qualified Artisan
- Production/Engineering qualification
- (Advantageous) Plant Baking qualification
- Extensive bakery maintenance experience (bread / rolls / buns manufacturing)
- Mastery of PPM systems, bakery technology, OEM practices, plant optimisation
- Strong project management, problem-solving, and analytical capability
- Ability to influence across multiple levels — from factory floor to exec teams
Duties & Responsibilities
As the Maintenance Engineering Manager, you will be the custodian of Sunbake’s asset care strategy, responsible for:
Asset Care & Engineering Excellence
- Designing and implementing the asset care strategy for all bakeries.
- Embedding Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) methodologies across sites.
- Driving improvements in OEE, plant availability, reliability, and performance.
- Leading asset life-cycle management — from early asset management to disposal.
Technical Leadership & Auditing
- Coaching, developing, and influencing 7 Bakery Maintenance Managers.
- Running monthly maintenance audits and a regional best-practice forum.
- Supporting bakery teams with continuous improvement and process optimisation.
Maintenance Projects & Technology
- Managing major maintenance projects from scoping through commissioning.
- Leading decisions on technology, suppliers, equipment selection and innovation.
- Keeping Sunbake up-to-date with the latest bakery technology trends.
Safety, Quality & Compliance
- Ensuring compliance with SHEQ, GMP and Food Safety Management Systems.
- Championing risk management, business continuity, and regulatory standards.
