About the position
Lead complex industrial engineering projects from planning to commissioning, while driving project performance, commercial success and technical team delivery. Is this you? What you'll be doing (and why you'll enjoy it) Where you'll be doing it What you'll need What you'll get How to apply
A calm, commercially alert project leader who sees risk early and brings structure when priorities compete. You enjoy holding people accountable while giving them clear direction, and can move confidently between detailed project controls, client commitments and senior-level escalation.
Leading the Projects and Contracts function, you will personally manage a portfolio of major, strategic and high-risk projects from mobilisation through handover and commercial close-out. You will chair project reviews, allocate resources, scrutinise plans, budgets, milestones, variations and contractual records, and direct recovery action when delivery moves off course. Regular client communication, cross-functional coordination and accurate escalation will keep projects controlled and commitments clear.
Within an established industrial engineering business, this role provides operational oversight across project teams in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The environment places real weight on disciplined planning, contractual control and dependable execution, with close engagement between project delivery, internal departments, clients and the Board.
Proven experience leading complex, high-risk projects and supervising project or contracts engineers is essential. You will need strong project planning, portfolio governance, resource allocation and risk-management capability, alongside sound commercial and contractual judgement. Experience managing costs, margins, invoicing milestones, variations, claims, costing sheets and project close-out will be important, as will the ability to lead client communication and coordinate multiple internal dependencies.
The scope to influence how major projects are delivered across the business, not simply manage your own workstream. You will lead a distributed engineering project team, improve project controls and templates, and work closely with senior decision-makers on material delivery, resource and commercial matters.
For a confidential discussion please contact Katharina Thieme-Schiess on LinkedIn, [Phone Number Removed]; or send your CV to [Email Address Removed] - we appreciate that your CV might not be fully up to date. No problem, just send us what you have. We do respond to everyone! Just give us a few days to work through your application.
Desired Skills:
- head of project
- Project Management
- Contract Management
