Maintenance Planner Job

Discover a Home for Your Talents

Defy, part of the Beko family, is South Africa's No. 1 appliance brand. Since 1905, Defy has brought joy and cutting-edge innovation to millions of consumers in Africa and abroad.

Within the Beko community, every role feels like home, fostering a sense of belonging and growth. We value mutual respect, progressive thinking, and the power of diversity and inclusivity. Our commitment to sustainable development is driven by trust in technology and a dedication to producing confidently. As a member of our team, you'll have the opportunity to showcase your talents and contribute to building a prosperous future for all.

Apply Now and Be Part of Our Journey to Inspire Sustainable Lives in Every Home!

What awaits you in this role?

We are looking for a passionate Maintenance Planner to join our Production team.

• Develop and improve plant maintenance strategies, including preventive, predictive, condition-based and corrective maintenance.
• Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and failure-elimination initiatives for recurring and high-impact breakdowns; verify that actions prevent recurrence
• Improve reliability and maintainability using asset criticality, failure-mode analysis, downtime Pareto, MTBF, MTTR and availability measures
• Provide hands-on technical support for complex manufacturing equipment failures and permanent solutions across relevant mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic and automation systems
• Optimize preventive maintenance routines and inspection standards; use equipment history and condition-monitoring results to identify emerging failures
• Strengthen maintenance planning, scheduling, work-order quality, backlog control and CMMS asset data (e.g., SAP PM, MOST or equivalent)
• Analyze breakdowns, downtime, maintenance expenditure, cost per production unit and production losses; translate findings into improvement actions and management reports
• Drive reliability projects and continuous improvement to improve OEE, reduce repeat failures, and protect output, quality and safety
• Develop critical-spares strategies with Stores and Procurement, including specifications, long-lead items, repairable spares and stock-out risk
• Support engineering modifications, shutdowns, commissioning and handover, ensuring risk assessment, change control, testing and documentation
• Support compliance with applicable South African OHS and machinery-safety requirements, isolation/LOTO standards and statutory inspection schedules within role competence and authority
• Coach maintenance teams in structured fault-finding and reliability practices; collaborate with Production, Quality, SHE, Stores, Procurement and contractors
• Report on reliability, downtime, PM effectiveness, repeat failures, backlog, costs, compliance risks and improvement actions
• Compile periodic reports (weekly/monthly/quarterly/annually) to ensure Maintenance Leadership has up to date information for decision making

This position is in Durban, South Africa.

How do we describe a perfect match?

• Recognized BEng, BSc Eng, BTech in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics Engineering discipline
• Preferably 5 - 8 years or more of relevant industrial maintenance, reliability or manufacturing engineering experience; depth and complexity of experience will be considered
• Proven high-volume or technically complex manufacturing experience, including practical involvement in troubleshooting and eliminating recurring failures
• Demonstrated experience improving maintenance strategies, preventive maintenance programmes, RCA and reliability plans
• Experience with SAP PM, On Key, FIIX or equivalent CMMS; strong Excel/data-analysis skills. Power BI or equivalent is advantageous
• Experience in engineering improvements, shutdowns, commissioning, maintenance cost analysis and critical-spares management
• Working knowledge of machinery safeguarding, safe isolation and applicable South African occupational health and safety requirements
• GCC-Factories Certification, Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) and Certified Planning & Scheduling Professional (CP&SP) would be advantageous

Maintenance & Reliability Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of preventive, predictive, condition-based and corrective maintenance
• Working knowledge of RCA, 5 Whys, Fishbone analysis, FMEA and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, electrical schematics, hydraulic/pneumatic diagrams, manuals and control-system information
• Understanding of MTBF, MTTR, availability, downtime analysis, OEE and manufacturing loss analysis
• Ability to assess asset criticality, maintenance backlog, lifecycle cost and reliability risk, and convert findings into prioritized actions

Planning & Scheduling:

• Proven ability to develop and manage maintenance schedules
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously

Data Analysis:

• Ability to analyze maintenance data to identify trends and improve maintenance strategies
• Proficiency in using spreadsheets and data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, CMMS)

Physical Requirements:

• Mobility: Ability to move around freely in a manufacturing or laboratory environment. This may involve walking, standing, bending, stooping, and kneeling for extended periods. Ability to navigate stairs and ladders (if required by the work environment)
• Lifting and Carrying: Ability to lift and carry moderately heavy objects (up to 30kg) occasionally. This may include tools, equipment, and components (like Motors). Ability to push or pull heavy objects with assistance (e.g., moving equipment on a dolly)
• Dexterity and Coordination: Excellent manual dexterity and fine motor skills for working with small parts, tools, and equipment. Good hand-eye coordination for tasks such as wiring, soldering, and assembling components
• Vision: Good visual acuity, including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. This is essential for tasks such as reading schematics, inspecting equipment, and operating machinery
• Hearing: Ability to hear and understand spoken instructions and warnings in a noisy environment. Ability to distinguish between different sounds to identify potential problems with equipment

At Beko, where it feels like home, we invite you to explore home of…

• Global Minds: Opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed together as one global team.
• Impact: Meaningful work that contributes to our communities, the environment, and a more sustainable future.
• Innovation: A culture that embraces new ideas and technologies and takes on challenges with confidence.
• Camaraderie: A culture of togetherness built on inclusion, care, respect, and mutual support.

Join the Beko Community to open a new chapter in your life journey, where growth, innovation, and personal fulfilment make it feels like home.

Get to know us better by watching our company video:

Company Video

Follow our journey on Instagram @lifeatbeko to see the latest stories on sustainability, innovation, and community initiatives, and explore further on our LinkedIn Life Page:

Beko LinkedIn Life Page

We are an equal-opportunityemployer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, sex, colour, national or social origin, ethnicity, religion, age, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, or political opinion.