NANDANVAN ESTATE

Coffee Plantation & Guest Property | Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu

MAINTENANCE MANAGER

All-round hands-on engineering, repairs and estate infrastructure

Position Maintenance Manager (title and grade may be adjusted to suit the candidate’s standing)

Location Nandanvan Estate, Kodaikanal, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu — residential posting on the estate

Reports To Estate Manager / Management

Team Estate maintenance staff, helpers and contract technicians

Experience 8–15 years hands-on, multi-trade maintenance — including time in a posting with no immediate vendor or workshop support

Compensation Not a constraint for the right candidate. Salary will be built around demonstrated ability, not a fixed grade.

Accommodation Provided on the estate, with electricity, water and estate produce

1. The Role, Honestly Stated

Nandanvan is a working coffee estate in the hills of Kodaikanal, with plantation operations, processing infrastructure, staff quarters, a bungalow and guest facilities on the same property. Everything on it — water supply, power, pumps, machinery, vehicles, buildings, roads and drains — has to keep working in a cold, wet, high-rainfall hill environment, several hours by ghat road from the nearest proper spares market.

That distance is the defining feature of this job. When a pump seizes, a motor burns, a water line bursts in the middle of the monsoon or a generator refuses to start at night, there is no vendor who will arrive within the hour. The person in this role has to diagnose it, decide whether it can be repaired, fabricated, rewound, re-piped or worked around, and get the estate running again with what is on hand — and then plan the permanent fix.

We are therefore looking for a genuinely all-round, tools-in-hand maintenance man: someone who can weld and fabricate, fit and align machinery, wire a three-phase panel, run a water line, carpenter a door and read a breakdown correctly — and who is comfortable being the most capable technical person on the property.

2. Who We Particularly Want to Hear From

Ship fitters, marine engine-room hands and anyone else whose training was built around self-sufficiency are strongly encouraged to apply. A ship at sea cannot call a vendor either. People who have worked that way already have the exact instinct this estate needs.

Backgrounds we will look at closely

- Ship fitters, marine fitters and engine-room ratings — motormen, oilers, fitters, pumpmen — from merchant vessels, tugs, dredgers or supply boats.
- Marine Engineers (any class), Electro-Technical Officers (ETOs) and Engine Room Artificers looking to come ashore to a settled, family-friendly posting.
- Shipyard, dry-dock and ship-repair fitters, welders and fabricators.
- Offshore rig, platform and vessel maintenance crew.
- Indian Navy / Coast Guard artificers, mechanics and electrical ratings on retirement or discharge.
- Maintenance technicians from remote plants and sites — mining, cement, tea and coffee estates, hydel and small power stations, quarries, island or forest installations, defence field workshops.
- Multi-skilled estate, resort or hill-property maintenance in-charges with real breadth across the trades.

We are not looking for a specialist in one trade who supervises others. We are looking for someone who can pick up the tool himself, do the job properly, and raise the standard of the people around him.

3. Trade Skills Required

The candidate must be able to perform — not merely supervise — the following. Depth is welcome; breadth is essential.

Welding & fabrication

- Arc / MMA welding on MS and cast repairs; gas cutting; grinding and finishing. MIG / TIG and welding on stainless or aluminium is a solid advantage.
- Fabricate and repair brackets, frames, gates, grilles, guards, ladders, platforms, tanks, hoppers, chutes and estate implements from stock material.
- Read basic drawings, mark out, cut, drill, bend and assemble to a measured, square, safe result.

Fitting, machinery & mechanical work

- Strip, inspect, repair and rebuild pumps, motors, gearboxes, couplings, bearings, seals and drives; carry out alignment and belt / chain / sprocket work.
- Bench work — filing, threading, tapping, extracting broken studs, making up bolts, bushes and simple replacement parts. Lathe and machining ability is a strong advantage.
- Coffee processing machinery: pulpers, hullers, graders, dryers, conveyors, elevators, blowers and their drives — seasonal readiness, breakdown repair and overhaul.
- Small engines and equipment: brush cutters, chainsaws, sprayers, pressure washers, portable pumps.
- Basic upkeep of estate vehicles, tractors and trailers, and coordination of major vehicle work with outside garages.

Electrical

- Single-phase and three-phase LT distribution: panels, MCBs, MCCBs, ELCB / RCCB, contactors, relays, DOL and star-delta starters, overload settings.
- Motor fault-finding and replacement; identify winding failures and arrange rewinding correctly.
- Diesel generator operation, changeover, routine servicing and first-line fault-finding.
- Solar PV, inverters, charge controllers and battery banks — upkeep, fault-finding and safe handling.
- Wiring, earthing, lightning and surge protection, lighting, water heaters and guest-area electrical work to a safe and tidy standard.
- Confident use of multimeter, clamp meter, megger and phase sequence tester; ability to read a simple circuit diagram.

Plumbing & water systems

- Springs, sumps, borewells, storage tanks and gravity-fed lines — the whole chain from source to tap.
- GI, HDPE, PVC, CPVC and PPR pipework: cutting, threading, welding, jointing, pressure testing and leak tracing across long buried and hillside runs.
- Pump sets, foot valves, non-return valves, pressure pumps, float and level controls, filtration and basic water treatment / chlorination.
- Hot water systems: solar water heaters, geysers, boilers and their circulation.
- Sanitation: septic tanks, soak pits, drainage and sewage lines — clearing, maintaining and preventing failures, particularly in guest areas.

Carpentry & joinery

- Doors, windows, frames, shutters, cupboards, shelving and furniture repair; hardware, hinges,



locks and shutters that work in damp hill conditions.
- Roof timber, trusses, purlins, ceilings and flooring repairs; treatment against damp, borer and termite.
- Fencing, gates, decking, railings, walkways and estate structures.

Civil & building upkeep

- Masonry, concreting, plastering, tiling, painting and general building repair.
- Roof, gutter and downpipe maintenance; waterproofing and leak rectification — a continuous priority in this rainfall.
- Drains, culverts, retaining walls, estate roads and paths; monsoon damage repair and erosion control.

Other

- Basic refrigeration and kitchen equipment upkeep; coordination of specialist AC / refrigeration work.
- Solar wildlife fencing, energisers and boundary infrastructure.
- Fire extinguishers, safety equipment and emergency systems.

4. Key Responsibilities

A. Breakdown response and repairs

- Take ownership of every breakdown on the estate — diagnose, decide the approach, execute the repair and confirm it holds.
- Restore critical services — water, power, hot water, sanitation and processing machinery — at the earliest, using secure temporary measures where a permanent repair must wait for material.
- Log every temporary or improvised repair and close it out with a proper permanent fix at the first opportunity.
- Respond to guest and bungalow complaints promptly and finish the job to a presentable standard.

B. Preventive maintenance and monsoon readiness

- Draw up and run a written preventive maintenance schedule covering buildings, utilities, machinery, vehicles and guest facilities.
- Inspect the property on a fixed cycle and act on what the inspection finds, rather than waiting for failure.
- Prepare the estate for the monsoon and for the harvest and processing season — roofs, drains, culverts, earthing, pumps, machinery overhaul, standby power and fuel.
- Track recurring failures, find the root cause and eliminate it instead of repeating the repair.

C. Workshop, spares and self-sufficiency

- Set up and run a properly equipped estate workshop — welding plant, power tools, bench, measuring instruments — and keep it in order.
- Decide and hold minimum stock of critical spares and consumables, judged by a simple test: what would stop the estate if it failed on a Sunday in July?
- Maintain a spares register, tool register and consumables record; account for material use honestly.
- Recover, recondition and reuse serviceable material wherever it is sound to do so.

D. Team leadership and skill development

- Lead, allocate work to and supervise the maintenance staff, helpers and contract labour.
- Train estate workers in basic maintenance tasks so that routine work does not depend on one person.
- Set and enforce standards of workmanship, tidiness, tool care and safety.

E. Vendors, procurement and outside work

- Identify what genuinely requires an outside specialist — and do the rest in-house.
- Obtain quotations, negotiate, supervise contractors on site, and certify work only when it is complete and correct.
- Build reliable supplier and workshop contacts in Kodaikanal, Periyakulam, Dindigul, Madurai and Coimbatore.
- Plan purchases so that trips down the ghat are consolidated and material arrives before it is needed, not after.

F. Safety and compliance

- Work and enforce safe practice on electrical work, welding and hot work, heights, ladders, confined spaces and machinery isolation.
- Maintain earthing, protection, fire equipment and emergency readiness.
- Ensure statutory and licensing requirements applicable to electrical installations, generators, pressure equipment and vehicles are met.

G. Records and reporting

- Maintain simple, reliable records: breakdown log, preventive maintenance register, machinery history, vendor work and material consumption.
- Report to the Estate Manager on completed work, pending work, material requirements, recurring problems and any risk to the property.
- Raise and justify a maintenance and capital replacement budget, and work within it.

5. Qualifications and Experience

Essential

- ITI, Diploma or equivalent in Fitter, Mechanic, Welder, Electrical, Mechanical or Marine Engineering — or a Certificate of Competency / marine trade qualification — or demonstrable equivalent standing earned through experience.
- 8–15 years of hands-on multi-trade maintenance experience, of which a meaningful period must have been in a posting where outside help was not immediately available.
- Proven practical ability across welding, fitting, electrical, plumbing and carpentry — verifiable by practical test.
- Ability to work independently, take decisions and be accountable for the outcome.
- Valid driving licence and confidence driving on hill and ghat roads.
- Willingness to live on the estate and remain contactable for emergencies.
- Working Tamil, or willingness to learn enough to lead a Tamil-speaking workforce. English or Hindi useful for reporting and vendor dealings.

Advantageous

- Certified welding qualification; lathe and machining ability.
- Electrical wireman / supervisor licence valid in Tamil Nadu.
- Marine, offshore, shipyard or defence maintenance background.
- Experience with solar PV, battery banks and generator installations.
- Prior experience on a plantation, resort, hotel or hill property.
- Family accompanying — we would prefer someone who settles here rather than treats it as a stopgap.

6. What Makes Someone Succeed Here

- Resourcefulness with judgement — able to improvise a working solution, and able to tell the difference between a sound field repair and a dangerous one.
- Foresight — thinks a season ahead — orders the spare before the failure, clears the drain before the rain.
- Self-reliance — does not wait to be told, and does not stall because a vendor has not turned up.




- Ownership — treats the estate’s machinery and buildings as his own responsibility, not as a list of tickets.
- Composure — stays steady during a night breakdown, a flood or a power failure with guests on the property.
- Standards — finishes work neatly. A repair in a guest area must look right as well as work.
- Integrity — straight dealing on material, purchases, labour and time — non-negotiable in a remote posting with limited supervision.
- Physical fitness — the role involves manual work, climbing, working at heights, and moving across steep and wet terrain in cold conditions.

7. Living and Working Conditions — Please Read

We would rather be plain about this than have someone join and leave in three months.

- The estate is remote and at altitude. It is cold through much of the year and receives heavy rain during the monsoon.
- Access is by ghat road; the nearest town is Kodaikanal and larger markets are several hours away.
- Power interruptions, network problems and weather-related disruption are routine and are part of the job, not an excuse.
- Wildlife, landslips, fallen trees and washed-out sections of road are normal seasonal events.
- The posting is residential. Accommodation on the estate is provided for the candidate and family, with electricity, water and estate produce.
- The role carries on-call responsibility for emergencies outside normal hours, balanced by reasonable time off and consolidated leave.
- Social and entertainment infrastructure is limited. Schooling and medical facilities are available in Kodaikanal.

8. Key Performance Indicators

- Uptime of critical services — water, power, hot water, sanitation and processing machinery.
- Speed of response to and closure of breakdowns and complaints.
- Reduction in repeat failures year on year.
- Percentage of work completed in-house versus outsourced, at equal or better quality.
- Availability of critical spares when required; absence of avoidable stoppages waiting for material.
- Preventive maintenance schedule adherence and pre-monsoon readiness.
- Condition and presentation of guest areas, bungalow, office and staff quarters.
- Maintenance spend against budget, and value obtained from vendors.
- Safety record — no serious incident arising from maintenance work or neglected infrastructure.
- Skill level and reliability of the maintenance team under his supervision.

9. Compensation and Terms

- Salary is not a constraint for the right candidate. We will benchmark the offer to demonstrated ability and track record rather than to a predetermined grade, and we are willing to pay above the customary estate range for someone who is genuinely capable across the trades.
- Furnished accommodation on the estate, with electricity, water and estate produce.
- Statutory benefits as applicable — PF, ESI / medical cover, gratuity and bonus.
- Annual leave with travel assistance to the home town; leave may be consolidated to suit candidates relocating from outside Tamil Nadu.
- Tools, workshop equipment, safety gear and work clothing provided by the estate.
- Use of estate vehicle for official duty; mobile and communication expenses reimbursed.
- Relocation assistance for the candidate and family.

10. Selection Process

- Application and telephone or video discussion.
- Practical trade assessment at the estate — a half day on the tools across welding, fitting, electrical and plumbing tasks. Travel and stay for the assessment will be reimbursed.
- Discussion with the Estate Manager and management on terms, accommodation and joining.
- Reference check with previous employers or, for seafarers, previous companies or vessels.

11. How to Apply

Send a brief CV or work history with contact details to [email address / phone number]. Sea service records, discharge books, trade certificates and photographs of fabrication or repair work you have done yourself are welcome and will be read.

Candidates currently at sea, on leave between contracts, or on retirement from service are encouraged to write in even if they are not immediately available.

Appendix — Short Advertisement Text

For newspapers, job portals, seafarer forums and WhatsApp circulation.

MAINTENANCE MANAGER — COFFEE ESTATE, KODAIKANAL

Nandanvan Estate, a working coffee plantation and guest property in the hills of Kodaikanal, seeks a strong, genuinely all-round Maintenance Manager.

This is a remote posting. There is no vendor around the corner. We need a man who can weld, fabricate, fit, wire a three-phase panel, run a water line, service a generator and repair a door — and who can keep an estate running with what is on hand.

Ship fitters, marine fitters, engine-room hands, ETOs, Marine Engineers, shipyard and offshore maintenance crew, and ex-Navy artificers are particularly encouraged to apply.

You already know how to work under constraint. That is exactly what this estate needs.

- Trades: welding and fabrication, fitting and machinery, electrical (1-ph and 3-ph, DG, solar), plumbing and water systems, carpentry, civil repairs.
- Experience: 8–15 years hands-on, multi-trade. Time in a remote or self-reliant posting valued above formal titles.
- Residential posting. Family accommodation, electricity, water and estate produce provided.
- Salary is not a constraint for the right candidate.
- Selection includes a paid practical trade test at the estate.

Apply to [email address / phone number] with a brief work history.

Nandanvan Estate, Kodaikanal, Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu.

Pay: ₹35,000.00 - ₹65,000.00 per month

Benefits:

- Cell phone reimbursement
- Commuter assistance
- Food provided
- Leave encashment
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Provident Fund

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Application Question(s):

- Current CTC
- Expected CTC
- Notice period

Experience:

- Shipping Fitter : 3 years (Required)
- Maintenance & Repairs: 4 years (Required)
- Vendor & Technician Coordination: 3 years (Required)
- Materials & Local Purchases: 3 years (Required)

Language:

- English & Tamil (Required)

License/Certification:

- ITI or equivalent (Required)

Work Location: In person

📌 Maintenance Manager/Supervisor (Kodaikanal)
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