Technical Manager – Reliability

Job Description

Job Description:

• Lead the reliability function at our Bathurst Pet Food Manufacturing Plant
• Mars Petcare Australia home to loved brands which as Pedigree, Whiskas, ADVANCE
• Permanent Full time role, based onsite Bathurst, NSW | Relocation Support Available

Ready to lead reliability, shape the future of a site, and make a visible impact every single day?

We’re looking for an experienced Technical Manager – Reliability to lead the reliability function at our Bathurst Pet Food Manufacturing Plant — a role where your leadership, technical expertise, and mindset for continuous improvement will truly matter.

This is a pivotal role at the heart of the site. You’ll lead a talented, multi-disciplinary team and partner closely with Operations to ensure our plant runs safely, reliably, and efficiently — today and into the future.

What You’ll Do

As Technical Manager, you’ll set the direction for asset reliability across the site by:

• Owning the plant-wide reliability strategy, covering electrical, mechanical, utilities, and services
• Leading, coaching, and developing a high-performing reliability team and contractor partners
• Optimising maintenance practices to improve uptime, reduce unplanned downtime, and support safe production
• Managing asset health end to end, embedding preventive and predictive maintenance approaches
• Acting as a trusted partner to Operations, aligning maintenance plans with production priorities
• Managing the maintenance and reliability budget, balancing cost, risk, and performance
• Driving continuous improvement, digital enablement, and smarter ways of working
• Ensuring safety, compliance, and governance underpin everything we do
• Providing clear reporting, insights, and asset performance visibility to support data-driven decisions

You’ll directly manage day-shift electricians and contractors, and act as the key site contact for external service providers.

Why This Role Matters

This role has a direct and visible impact on site performance — influencing uptime, cost efficiency, safety, and long-term asset resilience. You’ll champion asset health, guide capital investment and refurbishment decisions, and play a key role in shaping how the site evolves.

You’ll collaborate closely with Operations, Engineering, Digital, and FI teams, ensuring reliability is embedded into projects, systems, and everyday decision-making.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll thrive in this role if you bring:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline
• 5+ years’ experience in maintenance or reliability leadership (FMCG, food, pet food, or complex manufacturing preferred)
• Strong expertise in reliability engineering, asset management, and failure analysis
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience driving continuous improvement using structured problem-solving tools
• A proactive, collaborative leadership style with strong stakeholder engagement

Nice to have:

• Experience in food or pet food manufacturing
• Exposure to predictive / condition-based monitoring
• Experience with CMMS, digital maintenance systems, and analytics

Driving the Next Phase of Site Transformation

Bathurst is in the midst of an exciting transformation journey. In this role, you’ll play a critical part in continuing that momentum by leading the adoption of new technologies, digital tools, and modern reliability practices.

You’ll help evolve the way the team works, shifting from reactive maintenance to predictive, data-led decision making, embedding new ways of working, and building capability across the site. This is an opportunity not just to maintain assets, but to shape the future of reliability, influence culture, and help the site become more connected, resilient, and fit for the next generation of manufacturing.

Why Mars Petcare?

At Mars, we’re serious about safety, quality, and investing in our people. You’ll be empowered to lead, supported to grow, and trusted to make decisions that matter.

And if you’re not already in Bathurst — relocation support is available for the right candidate.

If you’re ready to lead reliability with purpose, energy, and impact — we’d love to hear from you.

Internal associates: This role has been graded as a P1 opportunity. Ensure that you discuss your application with your line manager prior to applying including obtaining their endorsement.

Applications close: Thursday 8th of January 2026