Maintenance Planner KwaZulu-Natal

PepsiCo is actively recruiting for a Maintenance Planner position in KwaZulu-Natal. This is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the Engineering / Technical sector looking to advance their careers.

• Experience Level: 3 - 5 years • Educational Background: Others or equivalent • Industry Focus: Engineering / Technical • Location Preference: in KwaZulu-Natal

This Maintenance Planner role is critical in driving technological innovation and infrastructure development. Technical professionals are essential for South Africa's economic growth and digital transformation.

This role in Engineering / Technical offers valuable career progression opportunities aligned with your experience level and professional aspirations.

When applying for this Maintenance Planner position, ensure your CV highlights: • Relevant experience matching the 3 - 5 years requirement • Educational qualifications in line with Others • Specific achievements in the Engineering / Technical field • Any certifications or specialized training

The Engineering / Technical sector in South Africa continues to show strong demand for skilled professionals. This position represents a valuable opportunity in the current job market.

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What we're looking for: We're looking for a Maintenance Planner based at our Prospection Plant Snacks. The Maintenance planner shall be under the general direction of the Maintenance Manager. The Maintenance planner responsibility is tomaximise technical availability, asset reliability and planned maintenance effectiveness by administering the maintenance planning system, ensuring data integrity, driving analytical problem‑solving, and embedding reliability engineering principles. The role combines diligent PM system administration with leading reliability initiatives that reduce unplanned downtime, eliminate repeat failures, and strengthen maintenance strategy.

Accountabilities: 

Maintenance Planning & Scheduling

Develop weekly Provisional and Confirmed maintenance plans aligned with Production, Quality, Utilities, and Safety requirements. Ensure weekly planning meetings follow the PeMM standard attendees and agenda. Build, maintain, and optimize 12‑month maintenance master plans, including estimated times, craft allocation, spares, seasonal shutdowns, A&B spares, and reactive forecasts based on previous years. Ensure all required labour, materials, contractor resources, permits, and safety pre‑checks are defined and ready before job execution.

CMMS Master Data & Work Order Management

Ensure all work orders meet the PeMM Data Standard (correct type, activity, failure & cause codes, timestamps, long descriptions, statuses, priority). Drive >80% data quality improvement. Maintain accurate equipment master data, ensure new equipment is added with correct structures, FLOCs, maintenance plans, and classification aligned to CMMS playbooks.

Track and control backlogs, ensuring:

WOs >30 days remain <1% of total backlog Aged backlog <5% of weekly throughput

Maintenance Strategy & Preventive Programme Execution

Convert OEM tasks into RCM/FMEA‑based maintenance plans, ensuring plans are reviewed annually and aligned to asset criticality. Ensure consistent execution of Preventive Maintenance, targeting >80% planned work compliance and supporting the reduction of reactive hours. Integrate Condition Monitoring tasks (lubrication, vibration, thermography, oil analysis, inspections) into the CMMS with correct intervals and routes.

Spares, BOMs & Inventory Coordination

Build and maintain equipment Bills of Materials (BOMs) in CMMS ensuring >80% completeness and accuracy (location, quantity, part numbers). Ensure parts reservation for all planned work, use JIB shelves effectively, and conduct quarterly reviews of unused reserved parts. Support inventory team with criticality analysis, obsolescence reviews, MRP parameters, and ensuring spares meet Global IMA standards.

Reliability, RCA & Loss Analysis Support

Facilitate the closure and tracking of Root Cause Analysis actions for all qualifying downtime events (>4 hours for Beverages). Ensure RCA → CMMS linkage and verify action completion. Maintain structured Top Losses analysis for downtime, MTBF, MTTR, high cost items, high usage spares, and OEM performance. Support monthly maintenance scorecard updates. Ensure Work Orders include findings that inform updates to maintenance plans, intervals, or design changes

Contractor & Service Provider Coordination

Ensure contractor work is planned, scoped, and reviewed for quality. Capture all contractor labour hours and costs in the CMMS (>75% required to score “At Standard”). Prepare job packs, risk assessments, permits, spares lists, and safe‑work criteria for contractor tasks.

EHS & Compliance‑Driven Maintenance

Ensure 100% scheduling and tracking of all legislated inspections (lifting equipment, boilers, compressors, electrical HV/LV tests, fire systems) with >90% completion to target dates. Support GEHSMS implementation through maintenance‑driven compliance tasks (preventive inspections, walkdowns, Gemba).

Documentation & Knowledge Management

Maintain updated technical SOPs, lubrication maps, ConMon checklists, task instructions, and ensure updates after RCAs or equipment modifications. Ensure correct storage and versioning of electrical drawings, PLC backups, and P&IDs, with traceable change control as required by PeMM.

KPI Reporting & Governance

Unplanned downtime Planned work compliance Technician utilization Reactive % Stock value vs CARV Training hours Maintenance costs vs CARV Drive actions to move site from “Reactive/Moving to Control” toward “Innovative @ Standard.”

Continuous Improvement & Lean Maintenance Practices

Lead or support improvement initiatives (lubrication optimization, ConMon deployment, A3s, MIAP actions, cost reduction projects, spares rationalization). Ensure PeMM recommendations are embedded into maintenance processes and governance routines. Participate in weekly, monthly, and period maintenance reviews with evidence‑based updates

Experience: Minimum 3–5 years industrial experience, preferably in a food manufacturing or FMCG environment

Maintenance & Reliability Expertise

Strong knowledge of maintenance planning, preventive systems, and PM optimisation. Significant experience with CMMS (SAP S4Hana/ Fiori) including data integrity, reporting, and analysis. Proven exposure to reliability methodologies: RCA, RCM/FMEA

Data & Analytical Skills

Ability to perform Pareto analysis, cost summaries, MTBF/MTTR reviews, lifecycle costing, and failure trend analysis. Demonstrated problem‑solving capabilities and data interpretation skills

Computer Literacy

High proficiency with standard software: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Power Bi, and CMMS reporting tools.

Leadership & Influence

Ability to train, influence and facilitate multidisciplinary teams. 2–3 years supervisory/management experience (direct or indirect) beneficial.

Strong communication, presentation, and decision‑making skills. Excellent organisational skills; ability to manage multiple workstreams.

Certifications (Preferred but Advantageous)

Six Sigma Green Belt, analytical problem-solving qualification. Formal certification in RCM / FMEA / PFMEA