Mine Maintenance Manager - Open Pit Mining

Department: Mine Maintenance Division / Mining Department

Reports to: Mining Director

Work Schedule: 5 working days / 2 days off Search: International

Job Purpose: The Mine Maintenance Manager will lead and oversee maintenance operations within a large open-pit mining environment. The role carries responsibility for heavy mobile equipment reliability, maintenance planning, fleet lifecycle management, maintenance budgets, operating systems, safety compliance and workforce performance. The successful candidate must have substantial hands-on operational experience managing large mining maintenance departments and heavy mobile equipment fleets, particularly haul trucks and shovels.

Key Responsibilities: Heavy Mobile Equipment and Fleet Maintenance Ensure mobile equipment is maintained in accordance with OEM specifications and requirements. Oversee the shovel and haul truck fleet, mine support equipment, light vehicles, maintenance workshops, wash bay facilities and associated maintenance infrastructure. Ensure effective servicing, inspections, major repairs and component rebuilds. Develop fleet lifecycle strategies and equipment replacement plans. Maintenance Planning and Reliability Develop and implement maintenance planning, scheduling, forecasting and work management processes. Lead Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) programmes and root cause failure analysis. Develop equipment reliability strategies, maintenance programmes and performance indicators. Manage component strategies, warranty programmes, critical spares and capital replacement requirements. Drive continuous improvement in equipment availability, maintenance execution and reliability. Budgeting and Cost Management Develop and manage annual and life-of-mine maintenance budgets and capital expenditure budgets. Monitor maintenance expenditure and implement corrective actions to improve cost performance. Optimise equipment lifecycle costs and maintenance efficiency. Manage maintenance workforce planning and resource allocation. Maintenance Systems and Processes Develop, implement and maintain maintenance operating controls, systems, procedures and reporting processes. Maintain effective maintenance management systems, including CMMS platforms such as SAP or Ellipse. Oversee maintenance work orders, scopes of work, work instructions and work close-out processes. Maintain component management, warranty and maintenance compliance systems. Leadership and Workforce Management Lead and develop maintenance managers, supervisors and technical personnel. Ensure appropriate staffing and deployment of maintenance resources. Manage performance, coach employees and develop technical capability. Establish accountability, safe working practices and continuous improvement across the maintenance function. Safety, Compliance and Operational Risk Establish and maintain maintenance risk registers. Ensure equipment and maintenance activities comply with statutory requirements, site policies and safety standards. Investigate incidents, near misses, equipment damage and maintenance delays. Implement corrective and preventative actions to mitigate operational risks. Stakeholder and OEM Management Work collaboratively with mining operations, engineering teams and other business units. Maintain effective relationships with OEMs, suppliers, consultants and external contractors. Align maintenance performance with operational objectives and business plans.

Qualifications: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, or an equivalent technical university qualification.

Experience: Minimum 15 years' maintenance experience in a heavy mobile equipment or heavy industrial environment. Minimum 10 years' experience in a large open-pit mining operation. Minimum 8 years' managerial experience. Extensive operational experience managing large mining maintenance departments and substantial equipment fleets. Proven responsibility for heavy mobile equipment, particularly haul trucks and shovels. Experience managing maintenance workshops, major repairs, servicing, component rebuilds and fleet lifecycle planning. Demonstrated experience in maintenance planning, forecasting, reliability improvement and work management. Experience managing substantial maintenance budgets, capital expenditure and workforce requirements.

Systems and Technical Competencies: Hands-on experience with SAP, Ellipse or equivalent Computerised Maintenance Management Systems. Knowledge of Reliability-Centred Maintenance, root cause failure analysis, component management and critical spares. Strong understanding of equipment maintenance strategies, statutory compliance and operational risk management. Intermediate to advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Leadership and Personal Competencies: Fluent written and spoken English. Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills. Excellent leadership, supervisory, coaching and interpersonal capabilities. Ability to manage competing priorities and remain effective under pressure. Strong financial management, planning and organisational skills. Ability to work independently and maintain a high standard of safety and operational accountability.

Advantageous Experience: Direct mining shovel maintenance experience. Experience with mine site network services.

Candidate Profile: The ideal candidate will be an established mining maintenance leader who has progressed through operational maintenance environments and developed into a senior management position. Candidates must demonstrate direct accountability for large open-pit mine maintenance operations, including substantial haul truck and shovel fleets, maintenance workshops, budgets, planning, reliability programmes and multidisciplinary teams. The scale and complexity of the candidate's previous operations are critical assessment factors. Job title alone is insufficient; candidates must demonstrate the actual fleet size, maintenance department scope, workforce, budgets and operational responsibilities they have managed. Strong Maintenance Superintendents may be considered if they demonstrate the required operational scale, technical depth and management capability. Candidates whose backgrounds are primarily maintenance consulting, project management or strategic advisory work are not the priority. Confidentiality This is a confidential international search. The client identity, parent company, mine operation, country, site location and identifying operational details must not be disclosed during initial candidate approaches. Further information may only be shared with shortlisted candidates at the appropriate stage and once authorised.