Principal Engineer, Equipment Maintenance - #1126589

At Markono Group Pte Ltd, we believe in making knowledge available to everyone.

For centuries, the written word has had the profound ability to impart knowledge, spur imagination and fuel dreams.  As the demand for knowledge, information, and entertainment soars, our story is about leaving positive imprints on the world by shaping the future of reading; inspiring and empowering the world’s readers.

Our team of printing and supply chain experts share our commitment to creating unbridled access to global knowledge, and are equally determined to create solutions that make high-quality books accessible.  With unwavering commitment to innovation, we open doors to a universe of imagination.

We keep you reading.

Job Overview

We are seeking an exceptional Principal Engineer, Equipment Maintenance - a master problem-solver - to join our team and serve as our ultimate technical authority.  At Markono Print Media Pte Ltd, a market leader in high-precision, large-scale printing, our reputation is built on quality, innovation, and relentless reliability.  Behind the scenes, our Engineering & Facilities Management department is the backbone of these operations, ensuring that our complex machinery performs at its peak to keep us at the cutting edge of the industry.  You will also lead improvements, drive automation, and contribute to our strategic capital projects.  You will be the go-to expert for some of the most advanced machinery in the industry, ensuring maximum uptime, efficiency, and safety.

About the Role

As a Principal Engineer, you will serve as the technical authority and strategic leader driving equipment reliability, automation, and operational excellence across our production facilities.
You will lead complex troubleshooting, spearhead improvement projects, and mentor a high-performing maintenance team to world-class standards.  You will also serve as the sign-off authority for major technical assessments, maintenance validations, and engineering modifications.

Key Responsibilities

 Technical Leadership & Complex Troubleshooting

• Act as the final point of technical escalation for complex electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and control system issues across printing presses, bindery lines, digital printers, and auxiliary systems

• Conduct in-depth root cause analysis (RCA) and implement long-term corrective actions to eliminate recurring failures

• Interpret and troubleshoot from advanced electrical schematics, PLC ladder logic, and mechanical drawings with precision and speed

• Lead troubleshooting and repair strategies that balance equipment uptime, cost efficiency, and long-term reliability

 Vendor Management

• Lead technical engagements with OEMs and vendor service engineers during equipment breakdowns, installations, and major upgrades

• Evaluate and challenge vendor recommendations using data-driven analysis, ensuring solutions are technically sound and cost-effective

• Validate the quality, completeness, and sustainability of vendor-delivered work

• Drive strategic vendor partnerships to continuously improve equipment reliability and support innovation

Engineering Leadership & Strategy

• Drive continuous improvement and capital projects that enhance machine reliability, automation, and performance

• Provide technical mentorship and on-the-job guidance to engineers and technicians, uplifting the team’s overall competency

• Serve as the engineering sign-off authority for technical assessments, design changes, machine modifications, and project completion validations

• Contribute to the long-term maintenance strategy, aligning engineering initiatives with production and business goals

 Predictive & Preventive Maintenance Excellence

• Deploy predictive technologies (e.g. vibration analysis, thermal imaging, ultrasonic inspection) to proactively prevent failures

• Analyse performance data to refine maintenance strategies, intervals, and spare parts optimisation

• Ensure best-in-class preventive maintenance practices aligned with OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) targets

Project Engineering & Continuous Improvement

• Lead or support capital and improvement projects from design to commissioning — including automation, machine upgrades, and system retrofits

• Identify engineering solutions to eliminate bottlenecks, improve OEE, and reduce waste and downtime

• Partner with cross-functional teams to embed lean and digital maintenance practices across operations

Safety & Compliance

• Champion a zero-incident safety culture, ensuring all activities meet company and statutory safety standards

• Lead risk assessments, equipment safety validations, and compliance audits

• Serve as sign-off authority for safety validations and engineering control changes, ensuring full compliance with safety and engineering integrity standards

• Drive safe design principles in all maintenance and project activities

Knowledge Sharing & Capability Building

• Mentor and coach junior engineers and technicians through structured development plans

• Develop and conduct technical training programmes to build deep domain expertise within the team

• Maintain and enhance technical documentation, SOPs, and knowledge repositories for long-term learning continuity

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Mechatronics Engineering (Master’s preferred)

• 10 - 15 years of hands-on experience in maintenance engineering or equipment reliability roles, preferably in high-speed manufacturing or printing environments

• Proven expertise in PLC systems, motion controls, automation, and complex troubleshooting

• Demonstrated experience as a sign-off or approving authority for engineering changes, maintenance validations, or capital project completion

• Strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills with a collaborative mindset

• Certified in Predictive Maintenance, Lean, or Six Sigma methodologies (advantageous)

Markono is committed to fostering and cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce is needed to drive innovation, grow, and succeed in today’s corporate climate. We recruit and select employees on the basis of merit (such as skills, experience or ability to perform the job), regardless of nationality, age, gender, marital status, pregnancy status, caregiving responsibilities, race, religion, language, disability and mental health conditions. Join us and thrive!