Plant Engineer Job at Coca-Cola Kwanza Ltd

Coca-Cola Kwanza Ltd, part of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Plant Engineer to join its operations in Mbeya. This role provides technical leadership in packaging plant engineering, focusing on asset management, maintenance excellence, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement. The Plant Engineer plays a critical role in ensuring high plant availability, operational efficiency, and compliance with safety and engineering standards.

This position is ideal for experienced engineering professionals with a strong background in manufacturing or FMCG environments who are passionate about optimizing plant performance, leading technical teams, and driving engineering excellence. The successful candidate will support strategic asset care initiatives while ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective production operations.

Responsibilities:

• Lead implementation of the CCBA asset management strategy within the plant.
• Provide technical leadership on asset care systems, frameworks, and engineering standards.
• Ensure full compliance with asset care philosophy and operational engineering standards.
• Develop and implement asset care plans for packaging and utility operations.
• Drive competency development and technical training for maintenance teams.
• Oversee compliance with asset care programs, audits, and engineering governance.
• Manage maintenance budgets, cost control, and expenditure efficiency.
• Evaluate CAPIN requests for technical feasibility, cost effectiveness, and operational impact.
• Contribute to the development and execution of maintenance strategies and planning.
• Ensure optimal plant uptime, reliability, and equipment performance.
• Lead preventive and predictive maintenance programs across plant operations.
• Monitor maintenance execution quality and ensure adherence to standards.
• Review maintenance scorecards and address performance deviations.
• Ensure effective planning and execution of maintenance shutdowns and outages.
• Lead root cause analysis of equipment failures and implement corrective actions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and plant optimization projects.
• Evaluate and support implementation of new equipment and plant modifications.
• Analyze operational data to identify performance improvement opportunities.
• Ensure continuous improvement practices are embedded within engineering teams.
• Lead, coach, and develop engineering and maintenance personnel.
• Set clear performance objectives and conduct regular performance reviews.
• Develop training programs and multi-skilling initiatives for staff development.
• Manage outsourced maintenance contractors and service providers.
• Ensure contractor compliance with safety, quality, and performance standards.
• Enforce strict adherence to safety, health, and environmental (SHE) standards.
• Ensure compliance with occupational safety regulations and company policies.
• Conduct safety audits, inspections, and risk assessments.
• Identify and eliminate unsafe work practices in plant operations.
• Promote strong housekeeping, discipline, and operational excellence.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or related field.
• Postgraduate qualifications in engineering or asset management are an advantage.
• Professional certifications in maintenance or reliability engineering are beneficial.

Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in maintenance engineering within manufacturing or FMCG environments.
• At least 5 years of experience in packaging equipment maintenance (preferred).
• Proven experience in asset management, maintenance planning, and reliability engineering.
• Experience working with OEMs and managing complex industrial equipment.
• Experience in a supervisory or managerial engineering role is highly desirable.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Strong knowledge of packaging systems, utilities, and industrial engineering processes.
• Expertise in asset management principles and maintenance best practices.
• Understanding of project management methodologies and plant optimization techniques.
• Strong financial and cost management awareness in engineering operations.
• Knowledge of CCBA Manufacturing Way and engineering standards.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and team development capabilities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions.
• Strong understanding of safety, health, and environmental (SHE) regulations.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong planning, organizational, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to manage contractors and outsourced technical teams effectively.

General Requirements:

• Strong commitment to safety, compliance, and operational excellence.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong teamwork and collaboration with cross-functional departments.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation.
• Willingness to support shift-based or operationally flexible schedules if required.
• Strong leadership presence and ability to influence technical teams.

This position offers a strong career pathway in engineering leadership within the FMCG manufacturing sector. As a Plant Engineer, you will gain advanced experience in asset management, reliability engineering, packaging systems, maintenance strategy, and continuous improvement. The role can lead to future opportunities such as Maintenance Manager, Engineering Manager, Plant Manager, Operations Manager, Technical Director, or other senior leadership roles within manufacturing, engineering, and industrial operations.