About the position
About the Role
The Technical Advisor is responsible for the sales, aftersales support, technical advisory services, and project coordination related to retrofit chutes within an assigned geographical area. The role requires strong technical aptitude, customer relationship management, and hands-on involvement in installations, inspections, and site-based activities.
Key Responsibilities:
- Sales & Business Development
- Drive sales of retrofit chutes within the allocated region, including identifying new business opportunities and expanding the customer base.
- Manage all aftersales interactions, including the processing of spares requirements, inspections, RFQs for spares, and recommending new chute solutions or maintenance contracts.
- Conduct regular courtesy visits to clients to maintain strong customer relationships.
- Review, verify, and sign off quotations on an ongoing basis.
- Attend social or relationship-building engagements with clients during and after work hours (1-5 days per month, on average).
- Maintain daily planning and activity scheduling to ensure effective territory management.
- Project Support & Tendering
- Identify and gather all relevant information and scope required for new projects within the designated area.
- Ensure projects are tendered and managed in coordination with the CSD Department.
- Provide technical guidance to clients and conduct chute inspections as required.
- Diagnose chute issues during inspections and provide actionable recommendations to customers.
- Attend project and sales-related meetings as requested, providing feedback and discussing issues with management daily.
- Installations & Aftersales Support
- Manage the full scope of chute installations, including providing technical assistance during installation.
- Attend site meetings with the installation teams or contractors, ensuring the client receives accurate technical guidance for safe and compliant installations.
- Conduct regular, planned inspections of chutes, and prepare formal inspection reports in collaboration with the CSD Admin Department.
- Perform routine site visits to troubleshoot issues, support the customer, and recommend solutions such as new chutes, maintenance, or system improvements.
- Perform pre-installation checks, including verification of dimensions and coordination with contractor foremen.
- Oversee safe dismantling of old chutes, ensuring accurate final dimension checks post-removal.
- Ensure new chutes are installed according to correct center lines, drawings, and dimensional standards.
- Technical Supervision
During inspections and site visits, the Technical Advisor is expected to:
- Meet with relevant site foremen or supervisors.
- Inspect the condition of chutes upon arrival, including wear components and dead boxes.
- Assess whether dead boxes are sufficiently filled and evaluate the condition of bolts, corrugation, and internal components.
- Investigate excessive wear on lips and determine root causes.
- Confirm the presence and effectiveness of rubber pads.
- Investigate causes of blockages, spillage, or material flow issues.
- Collect operational data such as hourly tonnage and conveyor belt speeds (incoming and outgoing).
- Hot and Cold Commissioning
- Ensure both hot and cold commissioning processes are completed correctly following chute installations.
- Validate operational performance and ensure compliance with technical specification and safety standards.
- Safety, Compliance & Site Requirements
- Assist in compiling safety files and ensuring compliance with mine-specific and customer-specific safety requirements.
- Complete all required safety and induction training and ensure contractor teams follow safe working practices.
- Confirm that all personnel have required PPE and that all equipment within the transfer point area is properly locked out according to the Lockout Procedure.
- Conduct risk assessments and hold safety talks prior to commencement of any site work.
- Adhere to company health, safety, and security regulations at all times.
- General Responsibilities
- Adhere to company core values, job requirements, and performance standards.
- Acknowledge that duties may evolve over time and carry out any reasonable and lawful work-related instructions issued by an authorised person.
- Participate in any training programmes requested by the Company.
- Maintain high standards of housekeeping within designated work areas.
Requirements:
Qualifications
- National Diploma or Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field (advantageous).
- Relevant trade qualification or technical certification beneficial.
- Valid driver's licence.
Experience
- 3-5 years' experience in a technical advisory, field service, sales engineering, or site support role.
- Experience working with material handling equipment, bulk materials, chutes, transfer points, conveyors, or mining equipment highly advantageous.
- Proven experience in customer-facing roles such as technical sales, aftersales service, or installations.
- Experience conducting site inspections, fault finding, and providing technical recommendations.
- Experience working on mining or heavy industrial sites is preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of chute systems, transfer point design, material flow principles, and wear components (advantageous).
- Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings (2D & 3D).
- Competent in performing measurements, dimension checks, and installation verifications.
- Ability to identify root causes of wear, blockages, spillage, or installation issues.
- Understanding of commissioning processes (hot and cold).
- Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) for reporting and quoting.
Soft Skills / Competencies
- Strong problem-solving ability with a practical, hands-on approach.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for customer interaction.
- Ability to maintain professionalism in challenging site environments.
- Strong planning, time management, and organisational skills.
- Self-motivated and able to work independently with minimal supervision.
- Relationship-building ability, especially with clients, contractors, and site personnel.
- Results-driven with strong commercial awareness.
Behavioural Requirements
- Willingness to travel frequently within assigned region
- Comfortable working on mining and heavy industrial sites.
- Commitment to safety and adherence to all site regulations.
- Strong accountability and ownership of tasks from initiation to completion.
- Ability to work under pressure and handle urgent site issues effectively.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to work at heights, in confined spaces, and in physically demanding environments as required on mines.
- Fitness to handle on-site inspections, climbing chutes, and working around heavy equipment.
***CTC - R20,000.00 - R35,000.00
+ Company Car
+ Petrol Card
+ Cell Phone
+ Laptop
+ Commission
(Negotiable, based on skills, experience and in relation to current package)
Desired Skills:
About The Employer:
About the Company:
A specialist engineering firm focused on designing, manufacturing, and supporting high-performance transfer chutes tailored to bulk-material handling environments, delivering improved reliability, reduced maintenance and long-term operational efficiency.
