Principal Mechanical Engineer – Reliability & Defect Elimination

About the role

Provide technical leadership and governance for reliability and mechanical engineering across platinum operations, ensuring safe, reliable and cost‑effective asset performance through engineering standards, risk management, defect elimination and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Set guidelines and expectations for excellence in reliability and defect elimination across platinum operations.
• Drive technical best practices for root‑cause analysis and defect elimination.
• Promote a high‑reliability organisational culture focused on defect awareness and expert knowledge.
• Oversee the reliability Community of Practice, sharing guidance, learnings and best practices.
• Ensure RCA/DE implementation adds value and collaborate with OEMs on common problems.
• Build reliability block diagrams and lead discussions on opportunities and risks.
• Participate in project teams to embed maintainability and reliability into new designs.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.
• 7–10 years of experience in reliability systems and defect elimination.
• Demonstrated thought leadership and expertise in failure mechanisms, metallurgy, corrosion, heat treatment, welding and condition monitoring.
• Experience with major failure investigations and knowledge of design, execution, operational readiness, work management and maintenance supply processes.
• Advanced ERP competencies in engineering, costing, material management, data warehousing and projects modules.
• Expert knowledge of mining operations and associated engineering practices.

Required skills

• Failure mechanisms analysis
• Metallurgy
• Corrosion assessment
• Heat‑treatment processes
• Welding techniques
• Clean fluids handling
• Condition monitoring, alignment and balancing
• Advanced ERP (engineering, costing, material management, data warehousing, projects)
• Reliability‑centred maintenance
• Advanced analytical and data‑management skills
• Process equipment expertise (concentrators, smelters, converters, boilers, autoclaves)
• Engineering safety standards and risk‑management principles

What we offer

• Meaningful work in a high‑performance, values‑led environment.
• Market‑aligned reward and recognition.
• Opportunities for learning, development and progression.
• A culture that respects diversity and encourages innovation.
• Clear commitment to safe operations.