South Africa: General Engineering Foreman (Gold mining)

Candidates must come from a gold mining background and preference will be given to those candidates that have worked on rotation previously. Job Purpose As the General Engineering Foreman, you will be responsible for overseeing all engineering and maintenance activities across the operation, ensuring maximum equipment availability, safe work practices, and efficient plant performance. You will lead engineering teams and contractors while playing a critical role in the successful installation, commissioning, and ongoing operation of the processing plant. What You’ll Be Doing Plant Installation & Commissioning Supervise the installation and assembly of plant equipment and infrastructure Coordinate testing, commissioning, and handover activities Ensure equipment is installed according to engineering specifications and operational requirements Liaise with suppliers, contractors, and project teams during plant construction and commissioning Support plant upgrades, expansions, and continuous improvement projects Maintenance & Engineering Operations Plan and supervise preventative maintenance programmes Coordinate breakdown maintenance and equipment repairs Monitor equipment condition and identify potential failures before they impact production Oversee the maintenance of crushers, mills, pumps, conveyors, gravity recovery equipment, generators, and associated infrastructure Ensure critical spares, tools, and consumables are available when required Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis of equipment failures Leadership & Team Management Supervise fitters, electricians, welders, millwrights, and engineering assistants Allocate daily maintenance activities and monitor work quality Drive productivity, accountability, and continuous improvement within the engineering team Support employee training, mentoring, and skills development Manage contractors and ensure compliance with site standards Safety, Health & Environmental Compliance Champion a strong safety culture throughout the engineering department Conduct workplace inspections, risk assessments, and safety audits Ensure isolation, lockout, and permit-to-work procedures are strictly followed Investigate and report engineering-related incidents and corrective actions Maintain compliance with all health, safety, and environmental requirements Reporting & Planning Prepare maintenance, downtime, and engineering performance reports Monitor maintenance schedules and equipment history records Track engineering costs, spare parts usage, and maintenance budgets Participate in production, maintenance, and planning meetings Provide recommendations to improve plant reliability and operational performance What We’re Looking For Essential Requirements Minimum 5 years’ experience in plant maintenance, engineering, or mineral processing operations At least 3 years’ experience in a supervisory or foreman role Strong experience in preventative and breakdown maintenance management Sound knowledge of crushing, milling, gravity recovery, pumping, and conveying systems Proven leadership and team management capability Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills Ability to work effectively in a remote mining environment Experience in plant installation, commissioning, and project execution Experience managing contractors and multidisciplinary engineering teams Computer literacy and maintenance management reporting experience Qualifications Trade Certificate in Mechanical Fitting, Electrical, Boilermaking, Millwright, or a related engineering discipline Diploma in Mechanical Engineering or a related field Key Competencies Plant reliability and maintenance management Engineering leadership and supervision Equipment installation and commissioning Technical troubleshooting and fault finding Planning and organizational skills Cost control and resource management Safety leadership and compliance Continuous improvement mindset