THE OPPORTUNITY

The Functional Head: Facilities & Maintenance owns the entire lifecycle of Hungry Lion's physical asset base across all countries of operation. The role is accountable for preventive and reactive maintenance strategy, capital projects, store design standards that minimise maintenance spend, supplier and contractor governance, landlord technical negotiations, multi-currency budgeting, and the implementation and continuous improvement of the Onkey CMMS platform. The role reports directly to the CEO and CFO.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategy & Team Building
  • Define multi-year facilities strategy; grow team to include data analysts, safety specialist, and small-projects manager; build replicable policies across 9 countries
• Financial Management
  • Own multi-country GL-level budgets in local currencies; approve POs; deliver variance analysis and forecasts to CFO; drive maintenance cost reduction
• Maintenance & CMMS
  • Lead Onkey CMMS rollout and optimisation; build preventive maintenance programmes; track KPIs (MTTR, uptime, compliance); shift from reactive to predictive maintenance
• Supplier & Contractor Governance
  • Manage pre-qualified contractor panels per country; negotiate rates and SLAs; conduct formal performance reviews
• Store Design
  • Embed maintainability into new store designs; standardise equipment specs; maintain cost-by-design-type database
• Landlord Management
  • Negotiate maintenance obligations and lease technical matters; resolve disputes; conduct condition assessments
• Capital Projects
  • Manage small-to-medium capex works with minimal trading disruption
• Safety & Compliance
  • Ensure regulatory compliance across all countries; develop safety framework

TEAM STRUCTURE

• Two Regional Leads (SA + Rest of Africa), each managing coordinators and technicians
• Planned growth toward 1,000 outlets with additional hires

REQUIREMENTS

Essential:

• Degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering or Built Environment
• 10+ years facilities/maintenance experience; 5+ years senior multi-site leadership
• GL-level budget management across multiple currencies
• CMMS platform experience; QSR/retail/multi-site background
• Sub-Saharan Africa exposure and frequent travel readiness

Advantageous:

• QSR/franchise network (200+ outlets)
• Multi-country Africa ops
• Landlord negotiation experience
• Store design/construction knowledge

 

COMPETENCIES

• Strategic and commercial thinking
• Multi-country leadership
• Engineering acumen
• Data-driven decision making
• Supplier and commercial negotiation
• Stakeholder influence
• Execution and accountability
• Adaptability and resilience

AN INTRODUCTION TO HUNGRY LION

Hungry Lion’s journey began with a single store in Stellenbosch, Cape Town, in 1997, with a simple vision: to serve great food with genuine warmth and energy. Over the years, that vision has grown into a powerful business with a strong and expanding footprint, with hundreds of restaurants across multiple African countries.

We’re growing fast and building for the future. Our ambitious expansion strategy is opening doors to new countries, new communities, and new possibilities for our teams. This means real career growth, exposure to a dynamic multinational business, and the chance to be part of a brand that’s making a powerful impact in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry.

Our success is powered by people; passionate, driven individuals who bring energy, creativity, and excellence to everything they do. From our restaurant teams to our corporate leadership, every person plays a vital role in delivering exceptional service and growing our brand.  Joining Hungry Lion means being part of a fast-paced, dynamic, and supportive environment where your ideas, skills, and ambition can make a real impact.