Operations Manager

About the Role

We are seeking a driven, hands-on Operations Manager with a strong technical and commercial focus to join our Richards Bay operation.

This is not a traditional office-based operations management role. The successful candidate will spend significant time engaging with customers, visiting mining and industrial sites, supporting operational activities, resolving technical and service-related issues, and identifying opportunities to grow the business through after-market sales and customer relationship management.

The ideal candidate will have a mechanical, engineering, mining, manufacturing, or technical operations background and be comfortable working in the field, engaging directly with customers, understanding operational environments, and identifying opportunities for repairs, upgrades, service contracts, spare parts, and product support.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for customers regarding warranties, repairs, technical issues, product concerns, and service-related queries.
• Provide practical support and solutions to minimise customer downtime.
• Coordinate with internal teams to ensure efficient and professional service delivery.
• Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction through responsive and effective support.

• Build, develop, and maintain strong long-term customer relationships.
• Conduct regular customer visits and site engagements.
• Ensure customers maximise value from products and services.
• Support customer retention and drive repeat business opportunities.

• Identify and pursue opportunities for repairs, upgrades, service contracts, spare parts, accessories, and additional products and services.
• Recognise opportunities on customer sites where additional support or solutions can be provided.
• Contribute to business growth by expanding customer engagement and increasing after-market revenue.
• Support the development of new and existing customer accounts.

• Understand mining, mechanical, and industrial equipment operating environments.
• Provide technical input and practical support to customers.
• Investigate recurring equipment or service issues and work with internal teams to implement solutions.
• Analyse customer feedback and service data to identify improvement opportunities.

• Oversee daily operational activities to ensure efficiency, productivity, and service excellence.
• Manage workflows, logistics, inventory, procurement, and operational processes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and identify opportunities to improve operational performance.
• Support effective planning and execution of operational activities.

• Assist with operational budgeting and cost control.
• Monitor operating costs and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Analyse operational and financial performance data.
• Support initiatives that improve profitability and operational efficiency.

• Lead, motivate, and support operational teams.
• Establish clear performance expectations and monitor KPIs.
• Promote accountability, productivity, and professional development.
• Foster a positive, performance-driven working environment.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, customer requirements, legal regulations, and safety standards.
• Promote a strong safety culture across all operational activities.
• Ensure all work is conducted in accordance with site-specific safety requirements.

• Diploma or Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Operations Management, or a related technical field.
• Mechanical Engineering qualification will be highly advantageous.
• 35 years' experience in operations, engineering, field service, mining, manufacturing, or a similar technical environment.
• Experience within mining, industrial, engineering, manufacturing, or equipment-related industries is strongly preferred.
• Strong customer service and relationship management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify technical and commercial opportunities within customer environments.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Experience with ERP systems such as SAP, JDE, Salesforce, or similar will be advantageous.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and operational reporting.

What We're Looking For

The successful candidate will be:

• Customer-focused and commercially minded.
• Comfortable working in mining and industrial environments.
• Technically competent with mechanical or industrial equipment.
• Proactive in identifying business growth opportunities.
• Capable of building trusted customer relationships.
• Hands-on, practical, and solutions-driven.
• A strong communicator who can engage confidently with customers, suppliers, and internal teams.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the opportunity to combine technical expertise, operational leadership, customer engagement, and commercial growth within a dynamic mining and industrial environment. If you enjoy working closely with customers, solving technical challenges, leading teams, and contributing directly to business success, we would like to hear from you.