Senior Plant Engineer

Hands-on | Ownership-driven | Manufacturing-focused

About Us

Key Tubing and Electrical is a long-established Adelaide manufacturer specialising in the design and manufacture of custom electrical components and refrigeration assemblies. We work closely with OEM customers across Healthcare, HVAC, 4WD, Beverage Dispensing, Commercial Wiring, and Automation, turning early-stage ideas into robust, manufacturable products.

Our in-house capabilities include injection moulding, extrusion, tube bending, wire processing, cable making, and custom machinery. Much of our competitive advantage comes from designing and building our own plant, tooling, test equipment, and production systems.

We are a practical, hands-on business. If you like seeing your work physically operating on the factory floor, you will fit in well here.

The Role

We are seeking a Senior Plant Engineer or Mechanical Engineer to take ownership of plant engineering outcomes across the business.

This is not a purely desk-based design role. You will be deeply involved in the conception, build, commissioning, improvement, and ongoing reliability of our machinery, tooling, and production systems.

You will work closely with senior engineers and leadership, often taking loosely defined problems and turning them into clear, working solutions that are delivered and closed out.

This role suits someone who enjoys responsibility, brings structure to ambiguity, and takes pride in finishing what they start.

Key Responsibilities

• Own Plant Engineering Outcomes – Take responsibility for the delivery of plant-related engineering work, from early concepts through to installed, operating equipment on the factory floor.
• Design and Build Machinery – Design, build, modify, and commission custom machines and production equipment, with a strong emphasis on practical, maintainable solutions.
• Develop Test Equipment and Tooling – Design and fabricate test equipment, jigs, and fixtures that improve quality, repeatability, and efficiency in production.
• Bring Clarity and Structure to Work – Take ambiguous or incomplete engineering problems, define scope and priorities, identify risks, and drive work through to completion.
• Maintain and Improve Existing Equipment – Diagnose issues, repair breakdowns, and implement improvements to maximise uptime, safety, and reliability of existing plant.
• Support Continuous Improvement – Work closely with production and engineering teams to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement, and implement practical solutions.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for someone with a strong maker mindset who is comfortable taking ownership and making decisions.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A degree in Mechanical Engineering (or equivalent practical experience)
• Strong hands‑on experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment
• Experience with 3D CAD and drafting
• Practical exposure to industrial machinery, mechanisms, and control systems
• The ability to take loosely defined problems and drive them through to working outcomes
• Confidence to push back, ask hard questions, and bring clarity when things are unclear

We value engineers who build things in their spare time, enjoy problem‑solving, and are comfortable moving between the workshop and the drawing board.

Why Join Us?

At Key Tubing and Electrical, you will work on real problems with real impact. You will see your designs built, installed, and used daily.

We offer:

• Exposure to a wide range of in‑house manufacturing processes
• The opportunity to own and shape plant engineering outcomes
• Direct access to senior leadership and decision‑makers
• A collaborative, practical engineering culture
• Long‑term stability in a permanent, full‑time role

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineer who wants responsibility, variety, and the satisfaction of seeing work fully realised.

Growth and Development

As the business continues to grow, there is genuine scope for this role to expand in responsibility and influence. We support training and development and value people who want to deepen their technical capability while taking on greater ownership.

If you are a hands‑on engineer who enjoys building, fixing, and improving real manufacturing systems — and who wants to be accountable for outcomes — we would like to hear from you.

Application Information

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in Australia?
• How many years' experience do you have as a Plant Engineer?
• Have you completed a qualification in engineering?
• Do you have experience working in a continuous production environment?