Hydraulic Cylinder Foreman

Unique Personnel boasts over 50 years (established in 1970) of personnel and staffing experience, so it's not surprising that even though our main focus has been providing on South African Staffing Solutions, we now recruit internationally for over 5000 clients

Duties & Responsibilities

Position Purpose

• The Hydraulic Cylinder Foreman is responsible for supervising and coordinating all activities within the Hydraulic Cylinder Workshop.

• This role ensures that inspections, repairs, machining, assembly, and testing of hydraulic cylinders are carried out to the highest standards of quality, safety, and efficiency.

• The Foreman acts as the operational leader, guiding technicians, inspectors, and support staff while maintaining workflow, productivity, and customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Workshop Supervision

• Oversee daily operations of the cylinder division.

• Allocate tasks to inspectors, fitters, machinists, and cleaners.

• Ensure adherence to company SOPs and safety procedures.

Job Planning & Scheduling

• Prioritize jobs based on customer urgency and workshop capacity.

• Coordinate with the Quotation and Inspection teams to align repair scopes.

• Monitor progress and adjust schedules to meet delivery deadlines.

Quality Assurance Oversight

• Verify inspection findings and repair recommendations.

• Ensure non-conforming components are addressed before assembly.

• Authorize jobs for final testing and release.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide guidance, coaching, and technical support to workshop staff.

• Conduct toolbox talks and safety briefings.

• Identify training needs and support skills development.

Customer & Management Liaison

• Communicate repair progress and technical updates to management.

• Support customer queries regarding repair scope, timelines, and quality.

• Assist in resolving disputes or warranty claims.

Resource & Inventory Control

• Monitor availability of parts, seal kits, and consumables.

• Report shortages and request procurement in advance.

• Ensure service exchange units are inspected and ready for deployment.

Safety & Compliance

• Enforce PPE usage and safe working practices.

• Ensure compliance with ISO standards and company policies.

• Maintain a clean, organized, and hazard-free workshop environment.

Desired Experience & Qualification

Minimum Requirements

Education

• Grade 12 (Matric)

• Mechanical Trade Qualification (Fitter & Turner / Hydraulic Technician) advantageous

• Supervisory or Leadership Certification preferred

Experience

• Minimum 7 years’ experience in hydraulic cylinder repair and inspection

• At least 3 years in a supervisory or foreman role

• Strong knowledge of hydraulic systems, machining, and assembly processes

Technical Knowledge

• Hydraulic cylinder construction and repair methods

• Engineering drawings and tolerances

• Workshop planning and resource allocation

• Quality assurance and testing procedures

Key Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Workshop supervision

• Job scheduling and planning

• Quality control oversight

• Technical reporting

• Hydraulic fault diagnosis

Behavioural Competencies

• Leadership and accountability

• Strong communication skills

• Problem-solving ability

• Customer focus

• Integrity and fairness

• Planning and organization

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Workshop productivity and turnaround times

• Reduction in rework and warranty claims

• Compliance with safety and quality standards

• Team performance and skills development

• Customer satisfaction and delivery reliability