Chief Engineering at De Beers Group

Job Description:
As Chief Engineering you will provide services as required and your responsibilities will include but not limited to: 

 Technical Directive:

• Implement the equipment maintenance strategy to align with the production profile.
• Enhance engineering discipline by providing quality work and feedback to the maintenance management system.
• Mitigate production risks by managing them proactively.
• Ensure quality control/ assurance during routine test work and contractor management.

Asset Management:

• Implement and oversee a robust asset management system for TMM equipment and civil infrastructure.
• Develop preventive maintenance plans to extend the lifespan of assets and minimise downtime.

Maintenance Planning and Execution:

• Developed and implemented maintenance schedules for central workshop facilities, civil structures, and TMM equipment, ensuring compliance with safety standards and regulations.
• Oversee the execution of planned and unplanned maintenance activities, addressing issues promptly to minimise disruptions to operations.

Performance Monitoring and Reporting:

• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the effectiveness of maintenance activities.
• Implement reporting mechanisms to communicate maintenance performance, trends, and recommendations to senior management.

Technology Integration:

• Stay abreast of emerging technologies in engineering and maintenance, identifying opportunities for innovation and efficiency improvement.
• Integrate technology solutions, such as predictive maintenance tools, to enhance the reliability and performance of TMM equipment and facilities.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Management:

• Collaborate with other departments to align maintenance activities with overall operational objectives.
• Manage relationships with external contractors, suppliers, and service providers to ensure adequate support for maintenance initiatives.

Continuous Improvement:

• Establish a culture of continuous improvement within the engineering and maintenance teams.
• Regularly assess and refine maintenance processes and procedures to optimise efficiency and effectiveness.

Technical Information /Document Management:

• Develop and maintain a systematic documentation management system for technical information, including manuals, specifications, and procedures.
• Ensure that technical documents are accurately organised, version-controlled, and accessible to relevant stakeholders.
• Analyse technical data to derive insights, identify trends, and generate reports for decision-making.
• Prepare and present technical reports to management or relevant teams to facilitate informed decision-making.
• Implement and maintain quality assurance processes for technical information to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with industry standards.
• Conduct regular audits to verify the quality and reliability of technical data.
• Develop and manage information retrieval systems to enable efficient access to technical data.
• Implement metadata and indexing strategies to enhance the searchability of technical information databases.

People and Teams

• Effectively communicate with team members to ensure everyone is on the same page by sharing information, actively listening, and responding to feedback.
• Establish clear expectations and goals for the team to ensure that everyone works towards the same objectives and that progress can be tracked over time.
• Handle necessary changes to the plan to minimise disruption to the team and keep everyone focused on the end goal.
• Monitor team performance against the plan to ensure progress and promptly address any issues or roadblocks, including identifying areas for improvement and taking necessary actions.
• Set and enforce rules and standards of behaviour and take actions to address performance or conduct issues.
• Provide training to team members to ensure they have the skills and knowledge necessary to perform their roles effectively through on-the-job training, mentoring, or other forms of development.
• Identify staffing needs and ensure that the right people are in the right roles to support the team's objectives.
• Manage the talent pool of employees to ensure that the team has the right mix of skills and experience to achieve its goals by identifying high-performing employees, developing plans to retain and promote them, and taking necessary actions to recruit or develop employees with those capabilities.

Budget and Cost Control Management

• Ensure compliance with the budget for the area of responsibility.
• Evaluate and approve cost impacts in the area of responsibility and revise the budget accordingly.
• Identify, communicate, and execute potential cost-reduction initiatives.
• Oversee the procurement of necessary tools, equipment, and spare parts to support maintenance activities.

This role is in the Engineering & Maintenance (E&M) at a Band 5 level reporting to the Manager Engineering & Maintenance Plant.

Qualifications:

• Grade 12
• 4-year degree in Engineering
• MBA (Recommended)
• SA Drivers Licence Code B

Experience

• 8-10 year of relevant experience in engineering in a management role, preferably in the mining industry.
• Understand the key value drivers and how critical levers in the site value chain are interdependent.
• Possess basic knowledge of Project management and its fundamentals.
• Familiarity with new technologies and their impact on operational activities is required.
• Knowledge of business improvement tools and techniques is essential.
• Understand and implement Safety by design principles and Operational Risk Management practices.
• Familiar with data measurement, monitoring, and analysis techniques.
• Understand equipment design, flowsheet optimisation, and domain-relevant equipment.
• Knowledge of sampling theory and techniques is necessary.
• Have a basic understanding of commercial/business drivers and financial metrics.
• Knowledge of risk management techniques and critical controls is required.
• Understand value chain management and the interdependencies across value chain steps.
• Knowledge of safety, health and environment, legislative, statutory, and regulatory requirements is necessary.

Closing Date:

• 09 June, 2025