ZAF-H8RG Technician, FTPM FTot at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa

About the role

• Provide CAD design, 3D printing and rapid-prototyping support across the plant by producing accurate engineering drawings, jigs, fixtures, tooling aids, gauges and functional prototypes, in compliance with applicable SANS standards and the National Building Regulations (NBR) where designs interface with site structures, safety systems or facilities infrastructure. Operate, maintain and optimise the plant's 3D printing equipment to reduce lead time and cost versus outsourced or purchased parts, support Industrial Engineering, Maintenance, Quality and Production with fast, reliable design-to-print solutions, and own the site's archive of CAD data, drawings and design/print records to ensure a complete, accurate and retrievable engineering record for the plant.

What you'll do

Non-negotiable behaviours

• Own the process, not the opinion: bring data, facts, root cause, options.
• Bias to action: raise issues early, propose containment + permanent fix, follow through.
• Standardise then improve: build/maintain standard work and then optimize it.
• Digital-first mindset: eliminate repeat manual work; automate, template, or systemize.
• Professional discipline: on-time delivery of commitments; clear escalation when blocked.

Self-development ownership (explicit expectation)

• Each engineer/lead is accountable for maintaining role competence and must:
• Maintain an annual Individual Development Plan (IDP) with manager sign-off.
• Complete minimum agreed learning (minimum: 40 hours/year).
• Demonstrate skills through applied deliverables (dashboards, macros, standards, project results), not certificates only.
• Maintain a personal “automation backlog”: top recurring tasks to digitize/automate.

Minimum digital competence baseline (plant standard)

• Each role is expected to be competent in:
• Excel at working professional level: tables, pivot tables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, charts
• Data shaping: Power Query (or equivalent)
• Basic automation: macros/VBA or scripted automation (where permitted)
• Structured problem solving: A3 / 8D, Pareto, 5-Why, fishbone
• Presenting in 1-page formats (A3, scorecards) for decision-making

Key accountabilities

• CAD design and drawings: Create, modify and maintain accurate 2D drawings and 3D CAD models for jigs, fixtures, tooling, gauges, guards and workstation aids, following engineering and dimensioning standards (GD&T).
• Regulatory and standards compliance: Ensure all designs, drawings and installations comply with applicable SANS standards and the National Building Regulations (NBR/SANS 10400), particularly where designs affect structures, walkways, guarding, signage, fire/emergency routes or other building-related elements on site; liaise with Facilities/EHS on any design with a building-regulation implication.
• 3D printing operation: Operate, calibrate and maintain plant 3D printers (FDM/SLA/SLS as applicable); select appropriate materials, print settings and orientation to achieve required strength, tolerance and finish.
• Prototyping and rapid tooling: Convert improvement ideas, Kaizen requests and maintenance/production needs into printable or machined prototypes and low-volume tooling, balancing speed, cost and functional requirements.
• Reverse engineering: Use 3D scanning or manual measurement to recreate CAD models of obsolete, damaged or undocumented parts and fixtures for reproduction or redesign.
• Design validation and fit-up: Trial-fit, function-test and adjust printed or fabricated parts on the production line; capture feedback and iterate designs until the solution is fit for use.
• Cost and lead-time reduction: Identify opportunities to replace purchased, outsourced or long-lead-time parts with in-house printed or CAD-designed alternatives; track and report cost and time savings.
• Print queue and equipment management: Manage the printing request queue/backlog, prioritize jobs against operational urgency, and maintain printer uptime through routine maintenance, cleaning and consumable (filament/resin) management.
• Site data archive and records management: Own and maintain a structured, version-controlled central archive of all CAD files, drawings, design changes, print records and related compliance documentation (including SANS/NBR references) for the site; ensure records are accurately labelled, backed up, access-controlled and readily retrievable for audits, engineering changes or historical reference.
• Documentation control: Maintain drawing registers and change logs so that every design in use on site is traceable to its current revision, approval status and compliance basis; retire and clearly mark superseded drawings to prevent use of outdated designs.
• Safety and compliance support: Design and print PPE aids, machine guarding, ergonomic aids and safety devices in line with plant EHS standards and relevant SANS requirements; ensure printed parts used on equipment or structures meet safety, quality and regulatory requirements.
• Cross-functional support: Work directly with Industrial Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Facilities, EHS, Packaging and Production teams to translate verbal or sketched requirements into manufacturable, compliant CAD designs.
• Innovation pipeline support: Support the plant's Kaizen, Wave and innovation funnel by contributing design and printing capability to prioritized improvement ideas, and by proposing new use cases for CAD/3D printing.
• Continuous improvement: Apply structured problem solving (5-Why, A3) to recurring design or print failures (warping, weak points, fitment issues) and implement corrective design or process changes.

Key deliverables

• Completed, quality-checked CAD drawings and 3D-printed parts, fixtures, jigs and tooling aids delivered against agreed turnaround times, and compliant with relevant SANS standards and National Building Regulations where applicable.
• A complete, current, and audit-ready site archive of CAD files, drawings and design/print records, with clear version control, revision history and traceability.
• Drawing register and change log demonstrating that superseded or non-compliant designs are withdrawn from use.
• Printer maintenance log, uptime record and consumable/inventory tracking.
• Monthly report on print requests completed, turnaround time, backlog, cost/lead-time savings and archive/records status.
• Documented design iterations, validation records and compliance references for functional prototypes and tooling.
• Contribution log to Kaizen/Wave/innovation pipeline showing ideas supported and benefits delivered.
• Interfaces
• Internal: Industrial Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, Production, Packaging, Facilities, EHS and Purchasing.
• External: Material and equipment suppliers (filament/resin, printers), external prototyping/print bureaus where required, SANS/regulatory bodies as needed for standards clarification, and sister-plant CAD/3D printing technicians for best-practice sharing.

Key KPIs (full KPI list reviewed annually)

• Turnaround time for CAD design and print requests versus agreed service-level targets.
• First-time-right rate for printed parts/fixtures (minimal reprints due to design or print errors).
• 3D printer uptime, utilization and preventive maintenance compliance.
• Cost savings and lead-time reduction delivered through in-house CAD/3D-printed alternatives versus purchased or outsourced parts.
• Compliance rate of relevant designs/installations against applicable SANS standards and National Building Regulations, with zero non-compliance findings on audit.
• Completeness, accuracy and audit-readiness of the site's CAD/drawing archive and records (percentage of designs correctly filed, version-controlled and retrievable on request).
• CAD file and drawing version-control accuracy and documentation compliance.
• Backlog/queue length for outstanding design and print requests.
• Safety-related design/print requests (PPE, guarding, ergonomic aids) completed on time.
• Number of Kaizen/Wave/innovation ideas supported through CAD design or 3D printing.
• Material (filament/resin) usage efficiency and waste/scrap rate.
• Corrective-action closure rate for recurring design, print quality or documentation/archive issues.

Self-development expectations

• Maintain a manager-approved Individual Development Plan and complete at least 40 learning hours per year.
• Demonstrate applied capability in CAD software, 3D printing technologies, GD&T, basic reverse engineering, and relevant SANS/National Building Regulation requirements.
• Support or lead at least one improvement idea per quarter through the innovation/Kaizen pipeline.
• Build and maintain a reusable library of CAD templates, standard fixture designs and print-setting profiles.
• Maintain and continuously improve the structure, access control and back-up integrity of the site's CAD/drawing archive.
• Maintain a personal backlog of recurring manual design/print/documentation tasks to templatize or streamline.    

Responsibilities
What you'll bring

Knowledge

• CAD software fundamentals (e.g. SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Catia, Inventor or Fusion 360) and 3D modelling principles.
• 3D printing technologies and processes (FDM, SLA/resin, SLS as applicable), including material properties, strengths and limitations.
• Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), engineering drawing standards and basic tolerance stack-up.
• Relevant SANS standards and the National Building Regulations (SANS 10400 and related codes) applicable to structures, guarding, signage, means of escape and other building-related design elements on an industrial site.
• Jig, fixture, gauge and tooling design principles for manufacturing and quality applications.
• Reverse engineering methods, including manual measurement and 3D scanning where available.
• Basic mechanical and materials engineering concepts relevant to functional prototypes and tooling.
• Workplace safety requirements relating to machine guarding, PPE and printed part use in a manufacturing environment.
• Document control and records/archive management principles, including version control, retention and traceability.
• Basic digital/data organization practices for file version control and documentation.

Skills (what the role must be able to do)

• Create accurate, manufacturable 2D drawings and 3D CAD models from sketches, verbal requirements or physical samples.
• Set up, operate, calibrate and maintain 3D printers, including material handling, print-bed preparation and post-processing.
• Select appropriate print orientation, infill, supports and material to meet functional, strength and finish requirements.
• Check designs against applicable SANS standards and National Building Regulations, and escalate to Facilities/EHS or external specialists where formal regulatory sign-off is required.
• Perform basic reverse engineering to recreate CAD models of existing parts or fixtures.
• Trial-fit, test and iterate designs based on functional feedback from the shop floor.
• Design, build and maintain a structured, version-controlled CAD/drawing archive and records system, including regular back-ups and access control.
• Use Excel or similar tools to track requests, turnaround time, backlog, cost savings and archive/records status.
• Communicate design options and trade-offs clearly to production, maintenance and engineering stakeholders.

Abilities (what the role must consistently demonstrate)

• Translate practical, often loosely defined shop-floor requirements into workable, compliant CAD designs.
• Balance design quality, speed, material cost, regulatory compliance and functional requirements when selecting a solution.
• Work independently, prioritize a variable request queue and meet agreed turnaround times.
• Maintain attention to detail and dimensional accuracy under production time pressure.
• Maintain rigorous discipline in record-keeping and archiving, ensuring no design or compliance document is lost, misfiled or left unversioned.
• Learn and adopt new CAD tools, printing technologies, materials and regulatory requirements as they are introduced.

Qualifications
Your background

Minimum

• National Diploma, Technical/Engineering Certificate or equivalent qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Draughting, Design or a related technical discipline.
• 2-4 years of relevant experience in CAD design, technical draughting, tool/fixture design or 3D printing; manufacturing or automotive experience preferred.
• Demonstrated proficiency in at least one CAD software package (e.g. SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Inventor, Catia or Fusion 360).
• Practical, hands-on experience operating and maintaining 3D printers (FDM and/or resin-based systems).
• Working knowledge of engineering drawing standards, basic GD&T, and relevant SANS standards/National Building Regulations applicable to industrial site design.
• Demonstrated experience maintaining organized technical documentation, drawing registers or archive/records systems.
• Basic working competence in Excel for tracking requests, backlog and reporting.

Preferred

• Formal qualification or certification in Additive Manufacturing/3D printing.
• Exposure to reverse engineering and 3D scanning tools.
• Experience designing jigs, fixtures, gauges or ergonomic/safety aids in a manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of SANS 10400 (National Building Regulations) and related SANS codes applicable to industrial facilities, structures and safety systems.
• Experience implementing or administering a document control/records management or engineering archive system.
• Exposure to lean manufacturing, Kaizen or structured problem-solving methods (5-Why, A3).
• Experience with multiple 3D printing technologies (FDM, SLA, SLS) and a range of engineering materials.