The Senior Engineer is accountable for the overall engineering, maintenance, and asset performance of the mining operation. This role ensures maximum equipment availability, reliability, and cost-effective maintenance, while maintaining full statutory compliance, supporting production targets, and embedding a strong safety culture.

The position requires regular engagement with senior management and client representatives, providing technical leadership, performance reporting, and strategic input across engineering, maintenance, and asset management functions.

Key Accountabilities

1. Workshop & Maintenance Management

(Senior Workshop Manager Responsibilities)

• Overall responsibility for workshop operations, maintenance execution, and equipment readiness
• Manage preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance strategies for:
• Heavy mining equipment fleets
• Crushing and screening plants
• Ancillary mining infrastructure
• Ensure effective maintenance planning and scheduling using CMMS or maintenance planning systems
• Oversee:
• Work order management
• Spares planning and inventory control
• Contractor and supplier performance
• Drive equipment availability, reliability, and lifecycle optimisation
• Ensure maintenance practices align with OEM standards and site requirements

2. Safety, Health & Environment (SHE)

• Act as a Section Engineer / Engineering Appointee where applicable
• Ensure full compliance with:
• Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA)
• Applicable engineering regulations and standards
• Lead and enforce safe engineering and maintenance practices across all teams
• Conduct and review:
• Risk assessments
• Incident investigations
• Audits and inspections
• Drive a zero-harm culture through visible leadership and accountability

3. Cost Control & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and manage engineering and maintenance budgets
• Control maintenance costs through:
• Planned maintenance optimisation
• Failure trend analysis
• Improved asset reliability
• Implement continuous improvement initiatives focused on:
• Downtime reduction
• Maintenance efficiency
• Cost per tonne optimisation
• Analyse engineering KPIs and provide actionable improvement plans

4. Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead, mentor, and develop:
• Engineers
• Artisans
• Supervisors
• Maintenance planners
• Foster a high-performance, accountable team culture
• Engage regularly with:
• Senior management
• Client representatives
• OEMs and service providers
• Prepare and present:
• Engineering performance reports
• Risk assessments
• Improvement proposals
• Support operational planning and long-term asset strategies

Experience & Qualifications

Qualifications

• BEng / BSc / BTech in Mechanical Engineering
• Government Certificate of Competency (GCC) – preferred
• Trade Test – advantage

Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years experience in open-cast mining
• Preferably experience in chrome or similar commodities
• Proven experience managing:
• Large heavy mining equipment fleets
• Workshops and maintenance teams
• Crushing and screening plants

Technical Knowledge & Skills

• Strong knowledge of:
• Mobile equipment maintenance
• Reliability engineering principles
• Maintenance planning and CMMS systems
• Solid understanding of:
• Statutory engineering requirements
• Asset lifecycle management
• Root cause failure analysis (RCFA)
• Strong analytical, reporting, and problem-solving skills

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Equipment availability and reliability
• Maintenance cost per tonne
• Safety compliance and incident rates
• Planned vs unplanned maintenance ratio
• Engineering budget adherence
• Production support effectiveness