Job Description

Role Purpose

The General Engineering Supervisor (GES) – E&I is responsible for supervising, coordinating, and controlling electrical and instrumentation maintenance and installation activities to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operation of mining and processing equipment. The role focuses on execution, supervision, and statutory compliance to support production availability and plant reliability.

Key Responsibilities

E&I Maintenance Supervision

• Supervise day‑to‑day electrical and instrumentation maintenance activities.
• Ensure safe and effective maintenance of:
• LV/HV electrical systems (as authorized)
• Instrumentation, PLCs, control systems, and field devices
• Fixed plant and mobile equipment electrical systems
• Execute planned maintenance and attend to breakdowns to minimize downtime.
• Ensure work is performed according to approved procedures and engineering standards.

Safety, Health, Environment & Compliance

• Enforce compliance with the Mine Health & Safety Act, electrical regulations, and site standards.
• Conduct task risk assessments, lock‑out/tag‑out controls, and permit‑to‑work systems.
• Supervise high‑risk work and ensure proper isolation procedures are followed.
• Participate in incident investigations and implement corrective actions.
• Lead by example to promote a zero‑harm safety culture.

Statutory & Legal Responsibilities

• Act as a competent appointed supervisor in terms of mine legal requirements.
• Ensure employees under supervision are trained, declared competent, and certified.
• Maintain statutory records, logbooks, test results, and inspection reports.
• Support audits and statutory inspections.

Instrumentation & Control Systems

• Supervise maintenance and calibration of instrumentation and control equipment.
• Support PLCs, SCADA, analyzers, and automation systems in coordination with specialists.
• Ensure accurate control, measurement, and process stability within mining and processing operations.
• Identify instrumentation failures and implement corrective and preventive measures.

Leadership & Team Supervision

• Lead and supervise electricians, instrumentation technicians, and artisans.
• Plan and allocate work effectively across shifts.
• Conduct toolbox talks, shift handovers, and performance feedback sessions.
• Enforce discipline, safe work behavior, and good housekeeping standards.

Planning, Scheduling & Coordination

• Execute maintenance plans in accordance with production and shutdown schedules.
• Coordinate work with production, engineering, and contractor teams.
• Assist with shutdown planning, major repairs, and plant start‑ups.
• Identify maintenance backlogs and support backlog reduction initiatives.

Materials & Cost Control

• Control the use of spares, tools, and consumables.
• Ensure correct spares are available for scheduled and breakdown work.
• Prevent waste, damage, and unauthorized use of materials.
• Provide input into maintenance cost control and improvement initiatives.

• Reporting & Continuous Improvement
• Report on maintenance activities, failures, and plant performance.
• Record downtime, root causes, and corrective actions.
• Participate in reliability improvement and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support technical improvements and energy efficiency initiatives where applicable.

Qualifications & Experience

• Trade Test: Electrician or Instrument Mechanician.
• GES Certificate (or equivalent statutory qualification).
• Minimum 5–8 years post‑trade experience, with at least 3 years in mining or heavy industry.
• Solid experience in electrical and instrumentation systems.
• Strong understanding of mine safety and statutory requirements.

Desirable

• Experience in zinc or base‑metal mining operations.
• Exposure to PLCs, SCADA systems, and process plant instrumentation.
• Supervisory or leadership training.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong electrical and instrumentation troubleshooting ability
• Supervisory and leadership skills
• High safety awareness and risk control capability
• Ability to work under pressure in a production environment
• Good planning, coordination, and communication skills
• Attention to detail and strong compliance discipline