Head of Maintenance – Copper & Cobalt Processing

About the role

You will provide strategic and operational leadership across design, engineering, procurement, construction, erection, commissioning, maintenance, power systems, safety systems, and asset integrity, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost‑effective operations. The position reports to the Senior GM and covers two processing assets in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and execute maintenance, engineering, and projects strategy.
• Lead feasibility studies, design, engineering, and project execution.
• Manage greenfield, brownfield, debottlenecking, and plant expansion projects.
• Direct EPC/EPCM contractors, consultants, and equipment suppliers.
• Oversee erection, installation, testing, commissioning, and handover.
• Drive improvements in plant reliability, availability, and maintainability.
• Supervise preventive, predictive, and condition‑based maintenance programmes.
• Lead power generation, electrical distribution, substations, and energy management.
• Ensure compliance with statutory, environmental, and safety requirements.
• Conduct technical risk assessments, HAZOP studies, and process safety reviews.
• Develop local engineering capability and mentor Congolese professionals.

Required profile

• 4‑year Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (mandatory).
• 20–25 years progressive experience in mining and metallurgical process operations.
• Significant experience with hydrometallurgical copper and cobalt processing plants.
• Proven track record in design, engineering, erection, and commissioning of large copper process plants.
• Strong background in maintenance and reliability management (RCM, MTBF/MTTR, asset integrity).
• Demonstrated leadership of major capital projects and plant expansions.
• Experience with power systems, utilities infrastructure, and industrial safety systems.
• Expertise in EPC/EPCM contractor management and multidisciplinary engineering teams.
• Preferable experience in Africa, especially the DRC.

Required skills

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)
• MTBF/MTTR analysis
• Asset Integrity Management
• Power Generation and Distribution
• EPC/EPCM Contractor Management
• Hydrometallurgical Process Engineering

What we offer

• Group‑level leadership across two producing assets.
• Significant capital‑project and plant‑expansion mandate.
• Opportunity to build local engineering capability in the DRC Copperbelt.
• Competitive expatriate compensation package.