About the position
Project Manager– Fixed term (Industrial Plant Setup & Commissioning)
Location: Gauteng
Industry: Advanced Manufacturing / Heavy Engineering / Composites
Position Type: Fixed term contract
Role Summary
The Project Manager will spearhead the planning, coordination, and end-to-end execution of a major industrial facility setup from initial readiness through full operational commissioning. This role holds full operational and financial accountability for delivering the facility on time, within budget, and in strict adherence to international quality and safety benchmarks.
You will manage cross-functional workstreams across engineering, contractors, international suppliers, and operational onboarding, ensuring complete facility and workforce readiness before handoff to permanent plant operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Project Governance & Schedule Management
• Develop and manage the master project schedule, critical path, milestones, and deliverables using MS Project or Primavera.
• Enforce structured stage-gate processes, verifying that all technical, commercial, and legal conditions are satisfied before advancing phases.
• Lead recurring project status meetings and present milestone reports, risk analyses, and progress dashboards to the Project Steering Committee and Executive Leadership.
• Maintain comprehensive project records, including action logs, minutes, engineering drawing registers, stage-gate sign-offs, and lessons learned.
2. Facility Setup, Equipment Procurement & Commissioning
• Direct all facility leasing, fit-out, utility integration (power, water, compressed air), and physical infrastructure development.
• Oversee procurement, receipt, rigging, installation, and cold/hot commissioning of specialized industrial processing machinery (including GRC/GRP production assets) and associated tooling/moulds.
• Coordinate international technical support teams, including visa facilitation, site mobilization, and cross-border vendor management.
3. Financial Management & Cost Control
• Hold direct ownership of multi-million-Rand CAPEX and OPEX budgets, tracking actual expenditures against forecast, milestone drawdowns, and cash flow requirements.
• Manage project variance, implement cost-containment measures, and present transparent financial reconciliations during executive reviews.
4. Global Logistics & Supply Chain
• Oversee international inbound freight shipments, handling customs clearance protocols and implementing proactive contingency measures to prevent port/transit delays.
• Coordinate cross-border export logistics and regulatory compliance for finished components dispatched to international project destinations (e.g., Angola).
5. Operational Readiness, Workforce Scale-Up & Handover
• Partner closely with Human Resources to recruit, onboard, and technical-train a manufacturing workforce of 80+ site personnel.
• Uphold stringent Occupational Safety, Health, Environmental (SHE), and fire safety compliance frameworks prior to production sign-off.
• Lead the structured handover to permanent plant operations, demobilize temporary contractors, and conduct post-implementation reviews.
Education & Certifications:
• Required: Bachelor’s Degree (BSc / BEng) in Mechanical, Industrial, or Civil Engineering.
• Advantageous: Professional Project Management Certification (PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent).
• Advantageous: Postgraduate qualification in Business Administration (MBA) or Finance.
Experience:
• 4 to 10+ years of senior-level project management experience within heavy industrial manufacturing, plant setup, or large-scale factory relocations.
• Direct, verifiable experience managing facility fit-out, industrial utilities, and heavy machinery installation/commissioning.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-million-Rand CAPEX/OPEX project budgets with direct executive accountability.
• Practical knowledge of cross-border supply chains, import/export procedures, and international logistics.
• Familiarity with composite manufacturing, precast concrete, GRC, or GRP systems is highly desirable.
Competencies & Technical Tools:
• Advanced proficiency in MS Project / Primavera and MS Office (notably advanced Excel modeling).
• Expertise in stage-gate project governance, engineering change-control mechanisms, and risk registers.
• Sound contractor management skills with hands-on knowledge of permit-to-work systems and SHEQ standards.
• Strong contract negotiation capability paired with clear, persuasive executive-level reporting.
Desired Skills:
- MS Project
- Primavera
- Stage-gate project governance
- Engineering change-control
- Facility fit-out
- Cross-border supply chain management
- Multi-million-Rand CAPEX/OPEX budget management
