Plant Engineer – Talent Pool

For decades, Rainbow Chicken has been a trusted name in South Africa's poultry industry — known for quality, resilience, and innovation. As we continue to grow, we're looking for exceptional leaders to help shape the next chapter of our journey.

This opportunity is part of our
Management Talent Pool
— a proactive initiative to identify and engage top talent ahead of future leadership needs. While there may not be an immediate vacancy, joining the talent pool means you'll be considered for upcoming roles aligned to your skills and experience as they arise.

If you're passionate about driving excellence, sustainability, and feeding the nation, we invite you to express interest and become part of our pipeline for future leadership opportunities.

Minimum Requirements

• A completed Degree or Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering
• GCC Factories qualification is Mandatory.
• Minimum of 8 years' trade experience in a similar environment of which at least 5 years was in a management category.

Knowledge and Skills

• Excellent understanding of mechanical, refrigeration and electrical engineering.
• Thorough understanding of Labour Relations Act.
• Excellent People management and leadership skills.
• Understand the full implications of potential problems and minimize their impact,
• Recommend solutions bases on rigorous and sound information research,
• Dedication and Loyalty to the company. Logical, solutions driven and efficient.
• Attention to detail, Initiative and technically minded. Reliability, Honesty, Patience.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Constantly looking and finding ways to improve plant efficiency and effectiveness.
• Regularly reviews and monitor progress, taking action to reschedule and re-prioritize (must be able to "think on his/her feet").
• Ability to handle problems encountered with machinery and find a solution with immediacy.
• Identifies training needs and recommends training of employees to the departmental trainer.
• Implements Company's disciplinary procedure, which includes written warnings and initiation of disciplinary enquiry's where necessary.

Project planning

• Strategize capex focus to reduce plant down time and improve efficiencies of machines and Production lines.
• Ensure that health and safety requirements as per the Rainbow standard are adhere to with regards to specifying new equipment.
• Process change control documentation with regards to all equipment and plant changes with proven records for audit purposes.
• Manage and control the fixed asset register and ensure that it is updated as per policy and depreciation is in line with group standards.
• Ensure that all project work in plant is carried out and completed to the highest level of trade-man ship quality and to safe food requirements.

Maintenance

• Develop and implement an effective planned preventative maintenance system for the facility as well as oversee major repairs of breakdowns thus minimizing R&M costs in the region.
• Ensure all buildings and accessories are utilized into risk, security, safety, health, HACCP AND ISO22000, 14000, 18000.

Risk Management:

• In terms of design, use and maintenance, ensure all facilities comply with health, safety, security and other legal requirements.

Operational Engineering Management:

• Drive the daily / weekly maintenance planning process for the plant – prioritizing, scheduling, and allocation of tasks to different disciplines of the engineering department, with the assistance of the planner.
• Drive and deliver the agreed strategy to reduce plant down time and improve efficiencies of machines and lines.
• Responsible for health and safety with regards to all equipment and plant to ensure a safe environment to operate and work on for all staff.
• Constantly looking and finding ways to improve plant efficiency and effectiveness,
• Regularly reviews and monitor progress, taking action to reschedule and re-prioritize (must be able to "think on his feet").

Repairs and Renovations:

• Coordinates renovations of existing facilities and the construction of new facilities.

Management of Safety Health Environment and Quality (SHEQ):

• Guides the engineering team to ensure that all legislative standards are achieved, and timeous action is taken where required to ensure that there are no areas of noncompliance.
• Follow up on requirements for compliance ensuring that it is continuously maintained &adhered to.

Safety and Security

• Ensures engineering staff follow safety rules and regulations as per the organization's safety plan.
• Ensure that security access points to the premises and BMS system are in good working condition.

Financial Management

• Manage costs to ensure lowest cost production and the optimal utilization of assets.

South Africa

Published Date: 02 October 2025

Closing Date: 30 June 2026