Maintenance Supervisor

Job Summary
The Maintenance Supervisor is responsible for leading the maintenance team in the safe and reliable upkeep of plant machinery, utilities, and infrastructure within an explosives manufacturing facility. The role ensures minimal downtime, strict adherence to explosive safety regulations, and effective execution of preventive and corrective maintenance programs in hazardous classified areas.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Supervision & Work Coordination
Supervise, schedule, and assign daily tasks to maintenance technicians (mechanical, electrical, instrumentation).
Plan and coordinate preventive, predictive, and breakdown maintenance activities across production and utility areas.
Conduct toolbox talks, shift handovers, and daily work reviews with the maintenance team.
Train and mentor technicians on equipment handling, SOPs, and safety practices specific to explosives environments.
2. Safety & Regulatory Compliance (Critical)
Enforce strict compliance with explosive safety norms, statutory regulations, and site safety procedures (e.g., factory rules, PESO/licensing authority requirements, ATEX/IECEx standards for hazardous areas).
Ensure all maintenance work in classified/hazardous zones follows permit-to-work (PTW), hot work, and confined space entry procedures.
Supervise the use of only approved tools, equipment, and materials in explosive-handling areas.
Investigate incidents, near misses, and unsafe conditions; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
Ensure maintenance staff are trained in emergency response, fire safety, and explosion prevention.
3. Preventive & Corrective Maintenance
Develop and execute preventive maintenance (PM) schedules for process equipment, mixers, conveyors, pumps, compressors, utilities, and safety systems.
Monitor equipment health through condition monitoring, inspections, and breakdown analysis.
Minimize unplanned downtime through root cause analysis (RCA) and reliability improvements.
Coordinate with production and EHS teams before executing maintenance in live process areas.
Maintain critical spares inventory and coordinate with stores for availability of approved spares.
4. Documentation & Reporting
Maintain accurate maintenance records, logbooks, work orders, and PM checklists (CMMS/ERP entry).
Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance reports (downtime, MTTR, MTBF, compliance status).
Ensure calibration and inspection records for safety-critical instruments and equipment are up to date.
Support statutory inspections, audits, and licensing authority reviews.
5. Contractor & Vendor Management
Supervise external contractors working on-site, ensuring adherence to safety and permit systems.
Coordinate with OEMs and vendors for specialized repairs, spares, and technical support.
Verify contractor work quality and safety compliance before sign-off.
Qualifications & Requirements
Education: Bachelor's Degree/Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
Experience: [X]+ years in maintenance, with at least [X] years in a supervisory role — mandatory experience in explosives, ammunition, fireworks, chemical, or other hazardous process industries.
Skills & Knowledge:
Strong knowledge of explosive safety regulations, hazardous-area classifications, and permit-to-work systems.
Experience with mechanical and electrical maintenance of process equipment and utilities.
Familiarity with CMMS/ERP systems and maintenance planning.
Leadership, team coordination, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work under pressure and respond to breakdowns/emergencies.
Certifications (preferred): Safety training (EHS), hazardous-area/ATEX training, first aid, firefighting.
Working Conditions
Work in a high-risk industrial environment with strict safety protocols and PPE requirements.
Exposure to hazardous classified areas (restricted access, controlled operations).
Shift work, on-call availability for breakdowns and emergencies.
Standing, walking, and inspection of equipment across the plant.
Job Location: Kisarawe, Tanzania
worked in Explosive unit is preferable

Work arrangement
No