Mechanical Supervisor

Introduction

We are seeking an experienced and qualified TMM Maintenance Engineer to join our project team at a mineral sands mine construction site. The successful candidate will be responsible for planning, coordinating, implementing, and optimizing all Trackless Mobile Machinery (TMM) maintenance activities throughout the project life cycle, ensuring that all engineering and maintenance functions are executed in accordance with approved maintenance strategies, technical standards, statutory requirements, safety regulations, and project objectives.

The role includes providing technical leadership for the surface heavy earthmoving fleet, ensuring compliance with the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), the TMM Mandatory Code of Practice (MCOP), and the Road and Rail Safety MCOP, while maximizing fleet reliability and operational availability. The successful candidate will oversee maintenance planning, reliability engineering, breakdown management, contractor coordination, budget control, asset management, incident investigations, and continuous improvement initiatives to support the safe, efficient, and timely delivery of mining and construction activities.

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Performance Areas (KPAs) & Responsibilities

1. Legal Compliance & Safety (MHSA Alignment)

• Ensure strict adherence to the Mine Health and Safety Act (Act 29 of 1996)  and specific TMM regulations (Chapter 8).

• Enforce implementation of Proximity Detection Systems (PDS)  and Collision Management Systems (CMS) in line with Category 9 mandates. (Still not implemented on this construction site)

• Ensure strict compliance with critical task procedures like Working at Heights, Confined space, Excavations, Hot work, Lifting and Hoisting, Isolation and lockout and Scaffolding.

• Ensure that all tools, ladders, lifting equipment are recorded in registers and are inspected as per legal requirements.

• Ensure that all temporary electrical installation have been issued with Certificate of Compliance and that all earth leakages are recorded in registers and are inspected as per legal requirements.

• Lead incident investigations and Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) for all machinery-related failures or near-misses.

• Conduct standard Planned Task Observations (PTOs) and issue Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the workshop

2. Tactical Fleet Maintenance Management and

• Oversee the servicing, breakdown management, and overhauling of the surface TMM fleet, including:

• Primary Haulage & Loading : Articulated Dump Trucks (ADTs), large excavators, wheel loaders, tipper trucks, crawler cranes, and track-dozers.

• Support & Auxiliary Equipment : Motor graders, water carts, and utility vehicles.

• Manage a targeted maintenance program to combat extreme sand abrasion and corrosion  on hydraulic cylinders, seals, undercarriages, and engine air-intake filtration systems.

• Achieve and maintain target fleet availability metrics, aiming for a baseline of ≥85% operational availability

3. Asset Management & Reliability Engineering

• Assist with the development of maintenance management system.

• Formulate and implement predictive maintenance schedules, including oil analysis, vibration monitoring, and structural non-destructive testing (NDT).

• Monitor Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) to continuously optimize maintenance strategies.

• Collaborate with OEMs (e.g., CAT, Komatsu, FAW, LiuGong, Bell) on component replacement cycles, performance optimizations, and warranty claims.

4. Financial Control & Strategic Planning

• Formulate and manage the TMM engineering department's construction budget.

• Set specifications and maintain optimal stock levels for high-wear critical spares, specialized filters, and long-lead components.

• Drive down the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)  per operating hour across the machinery lifecycles

5. Contractor & People Management

• Manage, upskill, and mentor the multi-disciplinary team of artisans, including diesel mechanics, auto-electricians, and millwrights.

• Oversee specialized technical contractors during major component swaps, structural line boring, or field service campaigns.

• Ensure proper training matrices are maintained to meet Mining Qualifications Authority (MQA) requirements

6. Technical Knowledge & Mindset Required

• Hydraulic & Electrical Systems : Advanced understanding of high-pressure hydraulic circuits, electronic engine management systems, and automated machine transmissions.

• Environmental Mitigation : Knowledge of specialized dust-exclusion setups, high-efficiency engine pre-cleaners, and anti-corrosive coatings crucial for coastal sand operations.

• Continuous Improvement : Familiarity with Lean maintenance principles or Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM)

Desired Experience & Qualification

Qualifications

• Academic : BEng / BSc / BTech or National Diploma in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.

• Statutory : GCC (Government Certificate of Competency) Mines and Works  is mandatory.

• Legal Appointment : Appointed under MHSA Regulation   2.13.3.1

• Experience :

• Minimum 5 to 8 years  of engineering and maintenance experience in an open-cast heavy mining environment.

• At least 3 years  managing heavy trackless mobile machinery (Yellow Fleet).

• Professional Registration : Registration with ECSA  (Engineering Council of South Africa) as a Professional Engineer or Technologist is highly recommended.

• Medical Fitness: Must pass the mine-specific Medical Certificate of Fitness (including clear lung function due to dust exposure