Senior Mechanical Engineer – Plant Maintenance and Operations
Rand Water
Available Locations:
Johannesburg, Gauteng
Job Description
Job Summary
Rand Water is seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to lead the end‑to‑end mechanical maintenance, reliability, and operational readiness of critical assets across our water treatment works, pumping stations, pipelines, and ancillary facilities. You will own asset performance, develop and execute maintenance strategies (RCM, TPM, PdM), drive statutory compliance, manage multi‑disciplinary shutdowns and capital refurbishments, and mentor a team of engineers, technologists, and artisans to ensure high plant availability, efficiency, and safety.
Key Responsibilities
- Asset Strategy & Reliability
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve risk‑based maintenance strategies (RCM, FMECA, PdM) to maximise asset life and availability.
- Lead root cause failure analyses (RCFA) and implement corrective/preventive action plans.
- Define and track mechanical KPIs (MTBF, MTTR, OEE, backlog, maintenance cost/asset value).
- Planning & Execution
- Oversee annual and long-term maintenance plans, shutdowns, and outages; ensure scope, budget, resources, and timelines are controlled.
- Optimise spare parts strategies and critical spares lists in collaboration with Supply Chain.
- Standards, Compliance & Risk
- Ensure compliance with the OHS Act, Pressure Equipment Regulations, SANS/ISO standards, and Rand Water policies.
- Maintain and update technical specifications, SOPs, work instructions, and safe work procedures.
- Chair or participate in HAZOPs, risk assessments, and Management of Change (MoC) processes.
- People Leadership
- Mentor, coach, and technically guide engineers, technologists, and artisans.
- Drive a high-performance, safety-first culture within the maintenance and operations teams.
- Projects & CAPEX
- Initiate and manage mechanical refurbishment/upgrade projects from business case to commissioning.
- Prepare and review technical designs, drawings, tender documents, and bid evaluations.
- Digital & Data
- Champion effective use of the CMMS/EAM (e.g., SAP, Maximo) for planning, scheduling, backlog management, and reporting.
- Introduce data-driven predictive techniques (vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, condition monitoring dashboards).
- Stakeholder & Contractor Management
- Manage OEMs, service providers, and EPC contractors; enforce contractual, quality, and safety requirements.
- Collaborate closely with Operations, Electrical/Instrumentation, Process, and SHEQ teams.
Required Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering (BEng/BSc/BTech).
- Professional Registration (Pr.Eng / Pr.Tech.Eng) with ECSA (or eligible within 6–12 months).
- Solid knowledge of pressure vessels, rotating equipment (pumps, turbines, gearboxes), valves, pipelines, and bulk water/process plant environments.
- Demonstrated competence in RCM, reliability engineering, and condition-based maintenance.
- Proficiency with CMMS/EAM systems, maintenance planning, and budget control.
- Strong understanding of OHS Act, PER, SANS/ISO, ISO 55000 (Asset Management) principles.
- Excellent leadership, communication, negotiation, and report-writing skills.
Experience
- 8–12+ years post-qualification experience in heavy industrial/process utilities (water, power, petrochemical, mining, or similar).
- Proven track record leading multi-disciplinary maintenance teams and large shutdowns/turnarounds.
- Experience specifying, procuring, installing, and commissioning mechanical plant and equipment.
- Hands-on experience with predictive maintenance technologies (vibration, thermography, ultrasound, oil analysis).
- Prior involvement in CAPEX projects, feasibility studies, and lifecycle costing.
Working Hours
- Core Hours: Monday to Friday, standard business hours.
- Availability: Standby / on-call rotation for critical breakdowns and emergency interventions.
- Overtime/Weekends: As required for planned shutdowns, commissioning, or urgent operational needs.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Deep technical knowledge of centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, high-lift pumping systems, large valves, actuators, gearboxes, bearings, heat exchangers, compressors, and associated auxiliaries.
- Competence in fitness-for-service assessments, corrosion/erosion mechanisms, materials selection, and NDT techniques.
- Strong analytical capability with RCFA tools (5-Why, Fishbone, FMEA) and maintenance optimisation methods.
- Financial acumen: budgeting, cost control, TCO/LCC analysis, and business case preparation.
- Advanced problem-solving, decision-making, planning, and prioritisation skills under pressure.
- Ability to influence and collaborate across all organisational levels and external stakeholders.
Benefits
- Competitive total cost to company (TCTC) / salary package.
- Medical aid, retirement / pension fund, group life & disability cover.
- Performance-related incentives and professional registration support.
- Study assistance / CPD sponsorship, conferences, and technical training.
- Generous annual leave, plus additional leave for standby/shift arrangements where applicable.
- Access to wellness, employee assistance, and safety reward programmes.
Why Join Rand Water
- Purpose & Impact: Contribute directly to the reliability of essential water infrastructure serving millions.
- Scale & Complexity: Work with large, mission-critical mechanical systems and national-scale assets.
- Technical Growth: Lead cutting-edge reliability, digital maintenance, and asset management initiatives.
- Stability & Legacy: Join a respected utility with a long-term mandate and strong engineering heritage.
- Leadership Platform: Shape strategy, mentor future engineers, and influence capital investment decisions.
How to Apply
- Submit your CV/Resume, a concise cover letter highlighting relevant reliability/maintenance achievements, and copies of qualifications & ECSA registration.
- Include a project/turnaround portfolio (if available) with scope, budget, savings, and results.
- Apply via Rand Water’s careers portal or email (insert official email/ATS link).
- Use the subject line: “Senior Mechanical Engineer – Plant Maintenance and Operations – [Your Name]”.
- Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for assessments and interviews.