Maintenance Engineer Leader

About the Role

Join the Kawerau team as a Maintenance Engineer Leader responsible for spearheading equipment reliability, continuous improvement initiatives, and fostering a positive team culture. Essity is a global frontrunner in hygiene and health committed to well-being and creating empowering workplaces.

In this hands-on leadership position (focused on management over manual work), you will guide the Converting maintenance team to ensure safe, high-quality, cost-efficient, and dependable operations of crucial manufacturing equipment. Your success depends on building an accountable and capable team capable of delivering consistent operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a multi-skilled maintenance team that embodies high performance, engagement, safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Set clear expectations, manage performance, and enhance team capabilities through ongoing coaching and tailored development.
• Drive proactive maintenance programs to boost equipment uptime and reliability through effective team execution.
• Implement Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) initiatives and Asset Maintenance Management practices to reduce recurring failures and optimize asset care.
• Champion a zero-harm safety culture with rigorous risk assessments, permit control, and Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) compliance.
• Apply engineering best practices including root-cause analysis and compliant documentation consistent with OEM and site standards.
• Manage maintenance budgets by optimizing scheduling, resource allocation, and spare parts inventory.
• Leverage CMMS and data insights to prioritize maintenance, increase mean time between failures (MTBF), reduce mean time to repair (MTTR), and prevent repeat breakdowns.
• Collaborate with Production, Engineering, Reliability & Sustainability teams, and external vendors to align priorities and elevate asset performance.
• Contribute to achieving production plans and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) goals while fostering continuous team-driven improvements.

Candidate Profile

• Demonstrated leadership in maintenance teams within 24/7 manufacturing settings with a track record of enhancing performance, engagement, and skills.
• Strong people management capabilities including performance assessment, coaching, and cultivating inclusive, high-functioning teams.
• Formal qualifications in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical knowledge from high-volume production settings such as FMCG or continuous operations.
• Experienced in both scheduled and reactive maintenance and proficient in Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) such as SAP, IFS, Maximo, or Infor.
• Skilled in root-cause problem-solving techniques like 5-Why analysis and Fishbone diagrams, with a data-driven approach to decision making.
• Effective and respectful communicator with proven ability to collaborate across departments and with third-party contractors.

Preferred but not required: familiarity with SAP enterprise tools, ISO HSE&R standards, paper manufacturing processes, condition monitoring, Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional (CMRP) certification, or continuous improvement and Lean methodologies.

Benefits and Compensation

• Competitive salary range from NZD 100,000 to 130,000 annually based on experience.
• Comprehensive Wellbeing One Southern Cross medical insurance fully paid by the company including yearly health assessments and doctor's visits at no cost.
• Free income protection, permanent disability, and life insurance coverage.
• No cost annual flu vaccinations, wellness day events, and complimentary onsite parking.
• Work within a dynamic, authentic, and respectful environment driven by a passion for excellence and well-being.