The Company
Sonder Executive has been exclusively engaged by a market-leading Australian manufacturer with some of the country's most recognised household brands, built with a long-established reputation for quality and innovation.
Their northern suburbs site that manufactures one of their key product categories is a modern, high-volume production facility supported by a values-led culture built around working safely, working as a team and running the business as your own.
The Role
Reporting to the Engineering Manager and leading a team of seven, the Maintenance & Reliability Leader owns the day-to-day maintenance of plant and equipment across the site, including the management of their CMMS (MEX).
Success however will come from improved preventative and corrective maintenance regimes, and the journey towards best practice.
Key responsibilities include:
Implementing and continuously refining the site maintenance strategy, including critical spares analysis and replacement/repair planning
Planning and scheduling weekly maintenance activities around critical operational windows, and assigning work across maintenance and operations teams (Autonomous Maintenance)
Managing external contractors and the trades labour provider safely, on budget and in line with all contractor management processes
Maintaining and improving the preventative maintenance program, spare parts inventory and consumable stock levels
Leading root cause analysis on major breakdowns and driving corrective actions to prevent recurrence
Championing safety across the function including risk assessments, Permit to Work compliance,



safety training plans and effective hazard controls for employees and contractors
Developing the team through skills matrices, individual development plans, regular feedback and performance reviews
Managing staffing levels, rosters, leave coverage and RDOs, and stepping in as an active member of the maintenance function when required
Delivering against site KPIs including plant uptime, OEE, schedule adherence, preventative maintenance percentage, maintenance cost per litre and 5S audit scores
Your Background
You are a trade or degree-qualified maintenance professional who has led a team in a manufacturing environment and knows how to lift plant reliability without losing the trust of the people on the tools.
Bachelor of Engineering or Trade Qualification (Mechanical or Electrical)
Proven leadership of a maintenance team in a manufacturing or process environment
Track record of developing and implementing effective maintenance strategies
Working knowledge of maintenance management systems
Solid root cause problem-solving skills in a team environment
Ability to motivate and influence others, with active listening and clear communication
Attention to detail and a disciplined approach to process adherence
A lead-by-example commitment to safety
What's On Offer
Lead the maintenance function at a modern facility for one of Australia's most recognised brands
Autonomy to shape the site's maintenance strategy, with the backing of the Engineering Manager
A collaborative, values-led culture with a strong focus on safety and continuous improvement
Competitive remuneration package
Career development pathways across a large national manufacturing network
#J-*****-Ljbffr

📌 Maintenance & Reliability Leader (Melbourne)
🏢 Sonder Executive
📍 Melbourne