Job Description

Job Summary Engineering Leadership & Strategy

• Provide strategic leadership and technical direction to the Engineering Department across manufacturing operations.
• Translate business objectives into engineering roadmaps, capital projects, and plant improvement initiatives.
• Act as the engineering authority for plant performance, reliability, and compliance.

Manufacturing & Plant Engineering

• Oversee the design, development, and implementation of engineering projects within steel, pipe, and fabrication processes.
• Drive equipment reliability, asset lifecycle management, and preventative maintenance strategies.
• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) on critical failures and implement long-term corrective actions.
• Ensure optimal layout, process flow, and capacity utilisation within manufacturing operations.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with Lean Manufacturing, OEE improvement, cost reduction, and throughput optimisation.
• Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and risks within engineering and production systems.
• Develop and implement engineering standards, scheduling rules, and best-practice operating procedures.

Compliance, Safety & Governance

• Ensure compliance with engineering standards, statutory regulations, safety legislation, and company policies.
• Support audits, risk assessments, and statutory inspections (advantageous for GCC holders).
• Promote a strong safety-first engineering culture across the plant.

People Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop engineering managers, mechanical engineers, artisans, and technical specialists.
• Build a high-performance engineering team focused on accountability, skills development, and succession planning.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching, and performance management.

Planning, Reporting & Systems

• Manage engineering budgets, resources, and project timelines.
• Develop and manage engineering schedules, maintenance plans, and project reporting systems.
• Use engineering and planning software to generate reports, schedules, KPIs, and performance dashboards.
• Maintain exceptional attention to detail in planning, documentation, and execution.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Production, Maintenance, SHEQ, Procurement, and Finance to support operational goals.
• Act as a key engineering stakeholder in plant leadership and decision-making forums.

Minimum Requirements

• NQF Level 7 qualification in Mechanical Engineering (or closely related engineering discipline).
• Minimum 10+ years engineering experience within heavy manufacturing, preferably in steel, pipe, fabrication, or industrial processing.
• At least 5 years in a senior engineering leadership or management role.
• Government Certificate of Competency (GCC - Factories or Mines) - highly advantageous.
• Proven experience managing complex engineering projects in a production-driven manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of plant engineering, fabrication processes, steel manufacturing, utilities, and heavy equipment.
• Solid knowledge of Lean Manufacturing principles, reliability engineering, and operational excellence.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, planning, and problem-solving skills.

Additional Information

• Candidates will be required to undergo medical fitness assessments.
• This role offers the opportunity to lead engineering at a strategic, plant-wide level within a robust heavy manufacturing environment.

Ideal Backgrounds We're Targeting
This role will strongly appeal to candidates from:

• Steel mills, pipe manufacturing, or tube production
• Heavy fabrication and structural steel operations
• Industrial manufacturing plants with complex mechanical systems
• Senior Mechanical Engineers ready to step into (or already in) plant-level leadership

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