Career Opportunities: Maintenance and Facilities Lead (2182)

Requisition ID2182-Posted -Operations-Full-Time-South Africa

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Maintenance and Facilities Lead. This position will be located in Paarl, Western Cape.

This position is responsible for managing the personnel and the daily operations of the Maintenance and Facilities department, as well as the preparation and control of budgets regarding CAPEX and OPEX. This position ensures that all equipment and systems are safe, reliable and in good working order to minimize unscheduled downtime, ensures the correct quotation of established CAPEX in other departments as well as its monitoring and execution, and prepares annual OPEX budgets for the Maintenance and Facilities Department. This position will also play a key role in supporting the successful implementation of the ERP system and the proper utilization thereof. The role will add value by ensuring proper forecasting gets done which includes but is not limited to future planning and preventative maintenance.

This position reports directly to the ZA Operations Manager and supervises Technicians, Team Leaders and employees in the Maintenance and Facilities department. This position collaborates with the procurement administration in coordinating services with external and other suppliers.

Office and nursery environment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES: (Other duties may be assigned.)

Key Responsibilities:

Facilities & Grounds Management

• Oversee the maintenance and operation of all site infrastructure, including roads, access routes, gates, signage, buildings, and common property areas (lawns, gardens, fields, landscaped areas, flower beds, and irrigation systems).
• Manage all brick-built structures, including offices, laboratories, warehouses, propagation head houses, guard houses, pump houses, canteens, and storage facilities.
• Supervise electrical fencing, security systems, and guard house operations.
• Coordinate the design, sourcing, and construction of new facilities, including participation in planning and design stages.

Equipment & Mechanical Systems

• Ensure preventative maintenance is performed on electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and production systems to ensure reliability and uptime.
• Manage the assembly, installation, move, and repair of operational machinery and equipment as needed to support production.
• Schedule, supervise, or outsource maintenance of farm rolling stock such as tractors, forklifts, and other motor-driven equipment.
• Implement preventive maintenance programs for buildings, machinery, and equipment; maintain inspection and repair records.

Operations & Resource Management

• Collaborate with managers, Leads and Supervisors to coordinate labour, equipment, and facility utilization.
• Plan staffing, materials, equipment, and supplies for projects, ensuring smooth transfer of resources between projects.
• Develop and monitor the annual budget and perform monthly and quarterly forecasting.
• Maintain inventory of parts, equipment, and other critical supplies.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise, coach, and develop employees, including setting performance goals, creating development plans, and conducting performance appraisals.
• Conduct departmental meetings and participate in operations meetings.
• Foster a positive work environment that supports morale, motivation, recognition, and company culture.
• Ensure confidentiality on sensitive matters concerning the nursery and department.

Safety & Compliance

• Actively support and enforce safety programs and standards, including the Worker Protection Standard.
• Adhere to all safety and environmental policies and procedures.
• Oversee procurement of safety equipment and follow up on recommendations from the Safety Committee.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Manage relationships with outside contractors and service providers for security, waste management, recycling, portable restrooms, and other facility needs.
• Schedule and supervise vendor work to ensure quality and timely completion.

Budgeting, forecasting and contingency planning

• Writing of weekly reports.
• Responsible for the efficient forecasting, analysing and managing of monthly and annual department budgets and expenses.
• Responsible for creating a 1-to-5-year contingency and service plan for all business critical equipment and assets.

Core Values & Culture

• Support, perpetuate, and enhance the company's core values and corporate culture in all operations and interactions.

NECESSARY EDUCATION, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND TRAINING

• It requires a minimum of 5+ years of experience as a maintenance, construction or facilities manager in a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of 2+ years in a supervisory or managerial position with proven ability to manage, develop and mentor staff.
• Minimum 2+ years of experience in project management.
• Requires the ability to supervise, inspect, and maintain electrical, plumbing and other systems.
• Strong computer skills using Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Previous experience in budgeting and expense management.
• Effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills. You must have the ability to maintain effective working relationships with employees, managers, "internal" customers, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Ability to interact effectively within a diverse workforce.
• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to work as part of a team with internal departments.
• Ability to lead and manage a team within an ever-changing environment with multiple priorities.
• It requires good judgment and the ability to positively influence team decision- making.
• You must demonstrate professional and ethical business practices, adherence to company values, and a commitment to personal and professional development.

• Relevant formal tertiary qualification required (Bachelor's degree or National Diploma in Engineering (Mechanical/Electrical/Civil), Facility Management or relevant Agricultural qualification).
• Nursery environmental experience would be beneficial.
• Must be fully bilingual in Afrikaans and English (Spanish will be to your advantage).
• Must have experience working on ERP or similar systems (experience on NetSuite will be to your advantage).

Who is Fall Creek?

We're a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world's premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have wholly-owned nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, China, and Chile. Additionally, we have built a global team of the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We're deeply planted in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia, and Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence. To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we're helping to build A World with Better Blueberries .