Lead a major FMCG site's reliability journey and drive performance through data-led maintenanceYour new company

Our client is a leading global food manufacturer with a reputation for operational excellence, innovation and investing in its people.

Their

Ballarat facility is a large-scale manufacturing operation producing products enjoyed by consumers across Australia and beyond.

Due to a leadership transition, an opportunity has arisen for an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead the site's engineering and maintenance function through its next phase of growth and performance improvement.

Your current role

Reporting to the Plant Manager, with a dotted line to the Regional Maintenance Manager, you will lead maintenance, reliability, planning and inventory teams while driving a shift from reactive maintenance to a proactive, data-led reliability culture.

A key focus of the role will be using maintenance and production data to improve asset performance, reduce unplanned downtime and increase operational efficiency. You'll build the systems, governance and planning frameworks required to make smarter maintenance decisions and deliver sustainable reliability improvements.

Key responsibilities include:

- Leading maintenance, reliability, planning and spare parts functions.
- Reducing unplanned downtime and improving equipment performance.
- Driving planning, scheduling and preventative maintenance effectiveness.
- Using data, KPI reporting and root cause analysis to identify improvement opportunities.
- Developing maintenance strategies focused on reliability, uptime and asset performance.




- Coaching and developing tradespeople and technical leaders.
- Partnering with operations to improve safety, productivity and plant performance.
- Driving continuous improvement initiatives across the site.

What you'll need to succeed

- Minimum 5 years experience as a Maintenance Manager, Engineering Manager or similar leadership role.
- FMCG, food manufacturing or high-volume manufacturing experience.
- Trade or engineering background, ideally Mechanical or Electrical.
- Proven success improving reliability and reducing downtime.
- Experience using maintenance and production data to drive operational improvements.
- Strong understanding of planning, scheduling, maintenance KPIs and preventative maintenance systems.
- Exposure to TPM, Lean, Continuous Improvement or Six Sigma programs.
- A collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence and drive change.
- Experience working within automated manufacturing environments.

What you'll get in return

- $150,000 - $180,000 base salary plus super.
- 12% performance bonus
- Relocation assistance available.
- Lead a large and diverse maintenance function.
- Genuine long-term career progression opportunities.
- The chance to make a measurable impact on site performance and reliability.
- An opportunity to transform a maintenance function through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.

What you need to do now

If you're a maintenance leader looking to take ownership of a major manufacturing operation and drive meaningful improvements in reliability and performance, apply now or contact Keanu White on (phone hidden) or [email protected] the below.

#3010830

📌 Maintenance Manager (Ballarat)
🏢 Hays
📍 Ballarat