The Mechanical Supervisor leads the maintenance team to ensure maximum reliability and efficiency of all food processing and packaging equipment. This role coordinates daily preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities while strictly adhering to food safety, hygiene, and occupational health standards.

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Daily Operations & Maintenance Management

• Maintenance Planning: Schedule and assign daily, weekly, and monthly mechanical maintenance tasks via the CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System).

• Emergency Breakdown Response: Lead rapid troubleshooting and repair of critical plant failures to minimize production downtime.

• Predictive Maintenance: Monitor equipment health using vibration analysis, thermography, and oil analysis to predict failures before they happen.

• Equipment Modification: Oversee small-scale engineering modifications and machinery upgrades to boost line speeds and output.

2. Specialized Food Safety & Hygiene Compliance

• Sanitary Maintenance: Ensure all tools and replacement parts are cleaned and sanitized before and after contact with food-zone machinery.

• GMP & HACCP Enforcement: Enforce Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) rules within the maintenance team.

• Lubrication Management: Audit the exclusive use of food-grade lubricants and grease on processing lines to prevent chemical contamination.

• Audit Preparation: Maintain meticulous documentation of machine calibrations, repairs, and deep cleans for internal and external regulatory food audits (e.g., BRCGS, FSSC 22000, FDA).

3. Equipment & Utilities Expertise

• Processing Lines: Oversee repairs on high-speed industrial mixers, blenders, homogenizers, ovens, fryers, pasteurizers, and extruders.

• Material Handling: Maintain complex conveyor networks (modular, belt, roller, screw, pneumatic transport systems) and sorting systems.

• Packaging Automation: Manage technical uptime for high-speed filling lines, capping machines, vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) systems, and labeling systems.

• Plant Utilities: Supervise secondary maintenance on ammonia refrigeration units, steam boilers, industrial air compressors, and water treatment systems.

4. Team Leadership & Safety Culture

• Supervision: Manage, coach, and evaluate a team of 5–15 mechanical technicians and fitters across rotating shifts.

• Safety Protocols: Implement and strictly enforce Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), Confined Space Entry, and Hot Work permits.

• Skill Development: Identify technical skill gaps in technicians and coordinate targeted training on advanced pneumatics, hydraulics, and welding.

5. Spare Parts & Vendor Management

• Inventory Control: Audit the spare parts store to ensure critical wear-and-tear items (bearings, seals, belts, gaskets) are always in stock.

• Contractor Supervision: Manage third-party service engineers and contractors during major overhauls or annual plant shutdowns.

Technical Proficiencies

• Blueprints: Expert ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, P&IDs (Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams), and pneumatic/hydraulic schematics.

• Tools: High proficiency with precision alignment tools, laser shaft aligners, and machine shop equipment (lathes, milling machines, TIG/MIG welding).

• Software: Hands-on experience working with industrial maintenance software (e.g., SAP PM, Maximo, or Emaint).

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to work in extreme temperatures (cold storage units down to -20°C or hot baking areas up to 45°C).

• Ability to lift up to 25 kg and work at heights or in confined spaces when necessary.

• Flexibility to work rotating shifts, weekends, and remain on-call for emergency breakdowns.