Engineering Manager - Mining

Smart4Energy

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage engineering delivery across mining projects from concept study and pre-feasibility through feasibility, detailed design, EPCM execution, construction support, commissioning, handover and close-out.
• Lead and integrate multidisciplinary engineering teams including mechanical, bulk material handling, civil, structural, electrical, control and instrumentation, process, geotechnical, project controls, document control, procurement and construction support resources.
• Provide technical leadership and governance on conveyor belt systems and bulk material handling infrastructure, including overland conveyors, plant conveyors, transfer stations, chutes, feeders, bins, stockyard interfaces, crushers, screens, stackers, reclaimers, train loading or truck loading interfaces, and associated mechanical equipment.
• Review and guide conveyor belt design deliverables including design basis, capacity calculations, belt tensions, power requirements, drive selection, take-up arrangements, pulley and idler selection, belt speed, dynamic considerations, transfer point arrangements, maintainability, operability and safety requirements.
• Act as the single point of contact between Company and the client engineering representative on engineering scope, technical deliverables, design interfaces, project standards and engineering decisions.
• Coordinate home-office engineering, site engineering, procurement, contracts and construction interfaces to ensure that design intent is carried through into procurement, fabrication, installation, commissioning and handover.
• Ensure engineering deliverables comply with applicable mining legislation, client standards, project specifications, relevant South African and international standards, Company quality procedures and professional engineering requirements.
• Review project schedules for engineering completeness, logic, discipline interfaces, client review periods, procurement dependencies, construction sequencing and commissioning readiness.
• Expedite discipline engineering teams to deliver to schedule, quality and budget, actively identifying reasons for delay and implementing recovery actions where required.
• Lead cross-discipline interface management and resolve technical conflicts between disciplines, suppliers, contractors, site teams and client representatives.
• Advise the Project Manager on engineering scope changes, design changes, technical deviations, project risks, cost impacts and schedule impacts, and support change-control documentation.
• Participate in design reviews, constructability reviews, operability and maintainability reviews, HAZID, risk assessments, safety-in-design reviews and, where relevant, HAZOP or discipline-specific technical reviews for mining process and materials-handling systems.
• Support procurement through technical bid evaluations, supplier documentation reviews, technical clarifications, vendor package coordination, factory acceptance testing inputs and expediting of supplier engineering information.
• Support construction and commissioning through field engineering responses, site queries, technical concessions, NCR close-out, punch-list resolution, commissioning readiness reviews and as-built/handover deliverables.
• Contribute to proposals, tenders, estimates, execution plans, resource plans, budgets, engineering methodologies and client development in the Company Mining business.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Qualifications

• BSc / BEng / BTech degree in Mechanical Engineering. • Professional registration with ECSA as Pr Eng, Pr Tech Eng or equivalent recognised professional registration is preferred. • Project management registration or certification such as PMP, SACPCMP, PMI or equivalent will be an added advantage. Experience:

• Minimum 10 to 15 years of relevant engineering experience in the mining industry, with strong exposure to mining infrastructure, materials handling and EPCM project delivery. • Minimum 5 years of experience managing multidisciplinary engineering teams in the role of Engineering Manager, Lead Engineer, Engineering Lead, Design Manager or equivalent. • Demonstrated conveyor belt design and project delivery experience in mining applications, including design review, technical governance, supplier interface and construction or commissioning support. • Proven experience delivering mining projects in brownfields and/or greenfields environments, preferably across studies, detailed engineering, procurement support, construction support and commissioning. • Experience with bulk material handling systems such as conveyors, transfer stations, chutes, crushers, screens, feeders, stockpiles, silos, bins, loading systems, stackers, reclaimers, truck loading or rail load-out systems. • Experience working within multidisciplinary engineering teams and managing interfaces between engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, client operations and contractors. • Familiarity with project execution models including EPCM, owner-engineer support, detailed engineering, construction management and site-based technical support. • Commercial and contractual awareness, including familiarity with FIDIC, NEC or equivalent engineering and construction contract frameworks, will be advantageous. Person Requirements

Core Competencies

• Execute assigned work in accordance with applicable procedures, standards and project specifications within approved cost, schedule and quality targets.
• Apply sound mechanical engineering judgement and bulk materials handling principles to assure the safety, integrity, constructability, operability and maintainability of designs.
• Manage engineering data, design bases, technical decisions, deliverable registers, review cycles, interdisciplinary checks and document-control workflows.
• Coordinate interfaces between multidisciplinary engineering teams and between engineering, procurement, contracts, construction, commissioning and operations stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain engineering standards, procedures, work methods, templates and quality controls for the mining engineering team.
• Interact effectively with clients, owners teams, contractors, suppliers, site personnel and internal project teams.
• Support budgeting, resource planning, HR planning, proposal development, tender preparation and client-facing technical presentations.
• Drive technical problem solving, risk management, decision-making and timely escalation of material project issues

Additional Competencies

• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Strong leadership and talent-development capability.
• Drive for results and accountability for delivery outcomes.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Commercial awareness and ability to balance quality, schedule, cost and risk.
• Ability to work effectively in client-facing, site-based and home-office project environments.

Preferred Technical Exposure

• Conveyor design basis development and review.
• Bulk material characteristics and their influence on conveyor and transfer point design.
• Transfer chute design interfaces, wear management, dust management and spillage control.
• Drive systems, take-up systems, pulleys, idlers, belting, belt cleaners, skirts, safety guarding and maintenance access.
• Mine infrastructure interfaces including ROM handling, crushing, screening, stockyards, load-out systems, workshops, utilities and service corridors.
• Engineering deliverable control including drawings, specifications, design reports, calculations, MTOs, BOQs, equipment lists, datasheets, technical schedules and handover documentation.