Employer: Ntice Search Location: Northern Suburbs Industry: Plastics Manufacturing Relocation Assistance:  Yes Reporting to: Managing Director A well-established plastics manufacturer is seeking a hands-on Production & Maintenance Manager to take full ownership of factory performance across injection moulding, recycling, and assembly. This is a high-accountability role responsible for delivering OTIF production, driving cycle efficiencies, and ensuring machine and utility reliability, while maintaining strict cost and operational discipline. Ideal Profile + 8-12 years' experience in injection moulding or high-volume manufacturing + 5+ years in a senior production and/or maintenance leadership role + Strong technical understanding of: - Injection moulding machines & processes - Tooling / moulds - Plant utilities (air, cooling, power) + Proven ability to manage cost-focused, performance-driven operations + Trade qualification (Millwright / Mechanical / Electrical) advantageous Core Mandate + Deliver fully completed, dispatch-ready production output (not fragmented WIP) + Drive cycle efficiency, machine utilisation, and throughput + Own maintenance reliability across machines, moulds, and utilities + Embed disciplined preventive maintenance and breakdown management + Control labour productivity, scrap, and operational costs + Lead from the floor, ensuring execution, accountability, and stability Key Focus Areas + Production Execution: Align moulding, recycling, and assembly to achieve OTIF delivery + Process Efficiency: Maintain standard cycle times and minimise start-up losses + Reliability: Maximise uptime across machines, auxiliaries, and critical utilities + Maintenance Discipline: Drive structured PM and eliminate repeat breakdowns + Cost Control: Reduce scrap, rework, and non-value-adding activity + Leadership: Build a high-performance, accountable shopfloor culture. Manage 30 - 40 staff & grow team accordingly. Success Metrics + Output vs Plan & OTIF + Machine Utilisation & Cycle Efficiency + MTBF / MTTR + Preventive Maintenance Compliance + Scrap (% of Sales) + Labour Productivity + Maintenance Spend vs Budget + Utility Downtime Person Profile + Hands-on, factory-floor driven leader + Strong bias for execution, discipline, and accountability + Able to balance production pressure with technical integrity + Driven by output, efficiency, and continuous improvement