Mechanical Supervisor/Mechanical Lead – Animal Feed & Solvent Extraction Plant at CDL Human Resource in Nakuru, Kenya

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    Mechanical Supervisor/Mechanical Lead – Animal Feed & Solvent Extraction Plant

    CDL Human ResourceNakuru, Kenya

    Posted

    3 days ago

    Apply by

    3 Sept

    Full Time
    On Site
    Senior
    Human Resources & Recruitment
    Engineering & Technology

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    Job Description

    The Mechanical Supervisor / Mechanical Lead will lead mechanical maintenance, reliability and engineering activities across the Animal Feed and Solvent Extraction Plant. The primary objective is to reduce plant breakdowns and downtime, improve equipment reliability and availability, ensure readiness of critical spares and manpower, and support continuous improvement in plant safety, performance and production efficiency.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Lead preventive, predictive, corrective and breakdown maintenance across the plant.
    • Oversee maintenance of hammer mills, roller mills, pellet mills, mixers, conditioners, conveyors, elevators, flakers, expanders, cookers, extractors, DTDC, pumps, gearboxes, bearings, fans, blowers, heat exchangers and related plant equipment.
    • Conduct breakdown analysis, troubleshooting and Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and implement permanent corrective actions.
    • Develop and maintain preventive and predictive maintenance schedules.
    • Monitor equipment condition and identify potential failures before breakdown.
    • Plan and maintain critical mechanical spares and equipment history records.
    • Supervise fitters, technicians, welders, fabricators and contractors to ensure productivity, workmanship and adequate manpower availability.
    • Manage equipment installation, alignment, fabrication, modification, commissioning and improvement projects.
    • Coordinate with Production, Electrical, Procurement, Stores and HSE teams to support uninterrupted plant operations.
    • Support shutdown planning, execution and equipment start-up.
    • Ensure strict compliance with LOTO, Permit-to-Work, hot-work, confined-space and other plant safety requirements.
    • Monitor maintenance costs and identify opportunities for improved maintenance efficiency.
    • Drive improvement in MTBF, MTTR, plant uptime and equipment reliability.
    • Prepare maintenance KPIs, downtime analysis, maintenance reports and continuous improvement plans.

    Required Qualifications

    • Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from a recognized institution; OR Diploma in Mechanical Engineering supported by strong relevant plant maintenance and equipment reliability experience.
    • 5–8+ years' relevant mechanical maintenance experience within a process plant environment.
    • Supervisory or managerial maintenance experience is preferred.
    • Experience within Animal Feed, Solvent Extraction, Oilseed Processing, Edible Oil or similar process manufacturing environments will be a strong advantage.
    • Candidates should meet applicable Kenyan professional registration requirements where required.
    • Candidates should demonstrate strong hands-on knowledge of: Rotating equipment. Pumps, gearboxes and bearings. Conveyors and material-handling systems. Hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Equipment installation and alignment. Fabrication and welding. Preventive and predictive maintenance. Breakdown troubleshooting and RCA. Critical spare-parts planning. Maintenance planning and scheduling. Contractor and technical-team supervision. Plant shutdown management. Maintenance cost control. LOTO and Permit-to-Work requirements.

    Job Details

    Job Function

    Engineering & Technology

    Minimum Experience

    5 years

    Education Level

    Bachelor’s Degree

    Area of Study

    Engineering

    Field of Study

    Mechanical Engineering

    Languages

    English

    Additional Information

    How to Apply: Interested and qualified? Go to CDL Human Resource on cdl.zohorecruit.com to apply.

    Show You Can Keep a Process Plant Running

    This role is about cutting downtime and keeping a complex plant reliable. Hiring managers will probe your hands-on experience with rotating equipment, your approach to RCA, and how you lead a maintenance team under pressure.

    1. Quantify your maintenance wins: On your CV, use numbers to show impact—like reducing downtime by X%, improving MTBF, or cutting maintenance costs. For example, 'Reduced unplanned downtime by 20% through a predictive maintenance program.'

    2. Prove your RCA skills: Be ready to walk through a specific breakdown you solved. Explain how you used Root Cause Analysis to find the real issue and what permanent fix you implemented. Have a clear example from your past.

    3. Highlight your equipment knowledge: Mention the specific machines you've worked on—hammer mills, pellet mills, conveyors, pumps, etc. If you have experience in animal feed or solvent extraction, emphasize that strongly.

    4. Show your leadership style: You'll supervise fitters and technicians. Describe how you assign work, ensure quality, and keep your team motivated. Give an example of a time you managed a team through a tough shutdown.

    5. Emphasize safety compliance: This plant takes LOTO and Permit-to-Work seriously. Show that you know these procedures inside out and have enforced them. Mention any safety training or certifications you hold.

    6. Talk about planning and spares: Discuss how you plan maintenance schedules and manage critical spares. Give an example of how you avoided a breakdown by having the right part ready.

    7. Prepare for technical questions: Expect questions on alignment, fabrication, hydraulics, and pneumatics. Review the basics and be ready to explain how you'd troubleshoot a specific issue, like a vibrating pump or a failing bearing.

    8. Know your KPIs: Understand MTBF, MTTR, and uptime. Be ready to discuss how you track these and use them to drive continuous improvement. Show that you think about maintenance as a cost center you can optimize.

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    Tags

    mechanical maintenance
    reliability
    animal feed
    solvent extraction
    RCA