Maintenance Engineer

About the role

This is a hands-on role where no two days are quite the same. You'll be the go-to person for keeping our production equipment, utilities, facilities and automation systems operating safely, efficiently and reliably. From preventative maintenance and troubleshooting breakdowns to delivering improvement projects and supporting new equipment installations, you'll play a key role in keeping our products flowing out the door and our downtime to a minimum.

We're particularly interested in someone with a dual mechanical and electrical trade background who enjoys solving problems, improving systems, and working closely with production teams to make things better every day. If you thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and take pride in leaving equipment, processes and people better than you found them, we'd love to hear from you.

The Maintenance Engineer is responsible for ensuring RFC's production equipment, utilities, facilities, and automation systems operate safely, efficiently, and reliably. The role focuses on preventative maintenance, breakdown response, continuous improvement, project delivery, and supporting RFC's growth through improved equipment performance and reduced downtime. A dual-trade Mechanical/Electrical qualification is strongly preferred, enabling the role to provide broad technical support across RFC's manufacturing operation.

Key responsibilities

• Develop, implement and maintain preventative maintenance programmes.
• Schedule maintenance activities to minimise production disruption.
• Maintain maintenance records, service logs and equipment history.
• Monitor equipment performance and identify opportunities to improve reliability.
• Ensure critical spare parts are identified and managed appropriately.
• Respond promptly to equipment breakdowns and diagnose and repair mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and process faults.
• Identify root causes of recurring failures and implement corrective actions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve OEE, equipment reliability, production efficiency, product quality, energy and water efficiency, and maintenance costs.
• Maintain and oversee compressed air systems, boiler and heating systems, pumps and process equipment, wastewater treatment systems, and building and facility infrastructure.
• Maintain and troubleshoot electrical systems, motors, drives, sensors, control panels and automation equipment.

About you

• Relevant mechanical trade qualification, such as Maintenance Engineering, Fitting and Turning, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Strong practical maintenance experience in a manufacturing, production or industrial environment.
• Confident mechanical fault-finding and repair skills across production machinery and site utilities.
• Ability to plan work, prioritise breakdowns and communicate clearly with production teams.
• Strong Health & Safety awareness and willingness to work within food manufacturing and hygiene requirements.
• Comfortable using maintenance records, checklists, service schedules and basic reporting tools.
• Full New Zealand driver license or ability to travel locally if required.
• Highly desirable: Dual mechanical/electrical trade background and electrical trade qualification and current EWRB registration, or equivalent electrical competency relevant to the role.
• Highly desirable: Experience in FMCG, food manufacturing, beverage, dairy, packaging or similar fast-paced production environment.
• Highly desirable: Experience with PLCs, automation, control systems, motors, variable speed drives (VSDs), instrumentation, sensors, and fault diagnostics.