Designate Mobile Plant Manager

Plant & Engineering Division

Plant Manager

The Plant Manager is responsible for the strategic management, availability, reliability, and cost-effective utilisation of the company's mobile equipment fleet. The role ensures that all construction and mining equipment-including excavators, front-end loaders, drill rigs, and articulated dump trucks-are maintained, deployed, and replaced in a manner that maximises productivity while minimising operating cost and downtime. The Plant Manager will develop and execute the plant strategy, oversee maintenance and lifecycle planning, manage plant personnel, and ensure compliance with safety, OEM, and statutory requirements.

• Develop and implement the company's plant strategy and asset management framework.
• Establish long-term fleet renewal, replacement, and disposal plans.
• Determine optimal fleet composition aligned to operational production requirements.
• Implement best practice asset management principles (life cycle costing, reliability engineering, total cost of ownership).
• Identify opportunities to improve fleet productivity and reduce operating costs.

• Ensure high equipment availability and reliability across the fleet.
• Oversee preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Implement condition monitoring and reliability improvement initiatives.
• Ensure maintenance practices comply with OEM specifications and engineering standards.
• Monitor key metrics such as:
  • Mechanical availability
  • Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)
  • Maintenance cost per operating hour
  • Equipment utilisation

• Work closely with site operations teams to ensure the fleet meets production requirements.
• Coordinate equipment deployment across projects to maximise utilisation.
• Provide technical support to project teams regarding equipment selection and performance.
• Ensure plant resources are optimally allocated across contracts.

• Develop and manage the plant department operating and capital budgets.
• Monitor maintenance expenditure, spare parts consumption, and component rebuild costs.
• Implement initiatives to reduce total cost per operating hour.
• Evaluate make vs buy decisions relating to component rebuilds and outsourcing.

• Manage relationships with OEMs, suppliers, and service providers.
• Oversee procurement of:
  • Equipment
  • Components
  • Spare parts
  • Maintenance services
• Negotiate service agreements, warranties, and component support programs.

• Ensure effective utilisation of fleet management and maintenance systems (ERP / CMMS).
• Implement data driven decision making through:
  • Equipment performance analytics
  • Maintenance trend analysis
  • Cost modelling
• Drive adoption of telematics and digital fleet monitoring technologies.

• Ensure compliance with:
  • Occupational health and safety legislation
  • Mine Health and Safety Act (if applicable)
  • Environmental regulations
• Ensure all equipment is safe, certified, and fit for purpose.
• Promote a strong safety culture within the plant department.

• Lead and develop the plant engineering and maintenance teams.
• Manage:
  • Plant superintendents
  • Maintenance planners
  • Workshops
  • Field service teams
• Establish clear KPIs and performance management systems.

• Fleet mechanical availability
• Equipment utilisation
• Maintenance cost per operating hour
• Downtime reduction
• Fleet lifecycle cost optimisation
• Compliance with safety and statutory requirements
• On time equipment availability for operations

• Bachelor's Degree or National Diploma in:
  • Mechanical Engineering
• Or:
  • Qualified Artisan (Heavy Duty Earthmoving Equipment) combined with:
    • Post Qualifying Technical/Management Qualifications (Non Negotiable)

• 10-15 years experience in heavy mobile equipment or mining/construction plant management.
• Proven experience managing fleets including:
  • Excavators
  • Loaders
  • Drill rigs
  • Articulated dump trucks
• Experience in maintenance strategy, reliability engineering, and fleet optimisation.
• Experience managing large maintenance teams and budgets.

• Strategic asset management
• Mechanical and equipment expertise
• Financial and cost control skills
• Leadership and people management
• Analytical and data driven decision making
• Negotiation and supplier management
• Strong operational understanding of mining or construction environments

• Operations / Site Management
• Finance Department
• Procurement
• Health & Safety
• OEM Suppliers
• External Maintenance Providers

• Experience with fleet management systems.
• Knowledge of equipment component rebuild programs.
• Experience implementing reliability centred maintenance (RCM) strategies.