Recruitment Statement

Dangote Cement Tanzania is seeking a competent, energetic and results-oriented Mechanical Head with the technical depth and leadership maturity to improve reliability, develop people and sustain safe production at design capacity. The successful candidate must be prepared to take full ownership of mechanical performance and lead from the field.

1. Position Purpose

To provide strategic and hands-on leadership for all mechanical maintenance activities across the integrated cement plant, ensuring safe, reliable and cost-effective operation of the production assets. The role is accountable for maximizing equipment availability, reducing unplanned stoppages, strengthening preventive and predictive maintenance, and developing a high-performing maintenance organization capable of supporting stable operation at design capacity.

Candidate profile: A competent, energetic and visible leader who takes ownership, works effectively under pressure, spends meaningful time in the field, develops people and consistently converts technical analysis into timely action.

2. Key Accountabilities

A. Maintenance Strategy and Reliability

• Develop and execute the plant mechanical maintenance strategy in line with production targets, OEM recommendations, statutory requirements and Dangote standards.
• Own preventive, predictive, condition-based and corrective maintenance programs, ensuring disciplined planning, scheduling, execution and close-out.
• Improve equipment reliability through root-cause analysis, failure elimination, bad-actor management, life – cycle planning and continuous improvement.
• Establish maintenance standards for lubrication, alignment, balancing, vibration monitoring, thermography, oil analysis, inspection routes and equipment preservation.
• Ensure accurate equipment history, bills of material, task lists, backlog priorities and maintenance records in the CMMS/SAP system.

B. Plant Equipment and Technical Scope

• Lead mechanical maintenance of crushers, stackers/reclaimers, raw mills, coal mills, rotary kiln, preheater, clinker cooler, cement mills, separators, packing plants and bulk-loading systems.
• Ensure reliability of gearboxes, girth gears, pinions, bearings, couplings, hydraulic systems, fans, compressors, pumps, conveyors, elevators, feeders, dust collectors and utility equipment.
• Maintain the mechanical integrity of the kiln system, including shell, tyres, rollers, thrust rollers, drive train, seals, cooler and associated refractory-support interfaces.
• Direct precision maintenance activities including hot/cold alignment, laser alignment, balancing, welding, fabrication, machining, NDT and dimensional inspections.
• Coordinate OEM and specialist support for major technical problems, upgrades, overhauls and performance restoration.

C. Shutdown and Project Management

• Lead annual shutdowns and major overhauls from scope development through resource loading, risk assessment, execution, quality control, commissioning and lessons learned.
• Ensure shutdown work is fully planned with drawings, methods, manpower, tools, lifting plans, permits, materials, spares and contingency actions available before execution.
• Manage mechanical CAPEX and improvement projects within approved scope, schedule and budget; verify technical specifications and contractor deliverables.
• Participate in design reviews, factory acceptance tests, installation, commissioning and performance testing of new equipment.

D. Safety, Compliance and Work Quality

• Demonstrate visible safety leadership and enforce permit-to-work, lockout/tagout, confined-space, hot-work, work-at-height and lifting requirements.
• Ensure all jobs are supported by appropriate risk assessments, method statements, isolation plans and quality inspection checkpoints.
• Maintain compliance with applicable Tanzanian laws, environmental obligations, company standards and recognized engineering practices.
• Stop unsafe work, investigate incidents and near misses, and ensure agreed corrective actions are completed and sustained.
• Maintain high housekeeping, guarding, workshop, crane, lifting-gear and tool-control standards across all mechanical areas.

E. Cost, Spares and Contractor Control

• Prepare and control the mechanical maintenance budget, continuously improving cost effectiveness without compromising safety or asset integrity.
• Optimize critical-spares holdings using equipment criticality, lead time, consumption, failure consequence and obsolescence risk.
• Review technical specifications, purchase requisitions, bids and vendor proposals; ensure correct quality and timely availability of materials.
• Manage contractors through clear scopes, competency checks, performance monitoring, safe execution, quality acceptance and commercial discipline.
• Track repair-versus-replace decisions and total life-cycle cost for critical assets.

F. Leadership and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, coach and hold accountable the mechanical maintenance team through clear objectives, daily coordination and regular performance reviews.
• Build succession plans and technical competency matrices for engineers, supervisors, technicians, welders, fitters and planners.
• Work closely with Production, Process, Electrical, Automation, Quality, Mining, Procurement and Health & Safety teams to resolve plant constraints.
• Lead daily and weekly reliability reviews, communicate risks early and provide concise recovery plans with named owners and completion dates.
• Promote a culture of urgency, discipline, teamwork, technical curiosity and continuous improvement.

3. Performance Measures (KPIs)

KPI Area	Expected Outcome
Equipment availability	Achievement of agreed availability and reliability targets for all critical production sections.
Unplanned downtime	Reduction in mechanical breakdown hours, repeat failures and production losses.
Maintenance compliance	Preventive/predictive maintenance completion, schedule compliance and work-order closure quality.
Shutdown performance	Safety, scope completion, duration, quality, cost and reliable start-up after shutdown.
Cost control	Mechanical maintenance cost per ton, budget variance and repair quality.
Asset health	Critical-equipment condition, backlog risk, lubrication compliance and elimination of bad actors.
Safety performance	Zero fatalities and LTIs; strong permit, isolation, lifting and contractor compliance.
People development	Competency improvement, succession readiness, productivity and team engagement.

4. Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from a recognized institution; a master’s degree or professional engineering certification is an advantage.
• Minimum 20 years of progressive mechanical maintenance experience in heavy industry, including at least 15 years in a cement plant and 6 years in a senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience in an integrated cement plant of comparable scale, with strong exposure to kiln, mills, crushers, material handling, packing and utility systems.
• Proven record of managing major shutdowns, reliability programs, maintenance budgets, contractors and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong working knowledge of CMMS/SAP, equipment drawings, maintenance planning, condition monitoring, RCA and engineering standards.
• Fluent professional English; ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment. Knowledge of Kiswahili is an advantage.

5. Technical Competencies

• Rotating equipment and precision maintenance
• Kiln mechanical systems, alignment and shell/roller condition
• Grinding, crushing, conveying and packing equipment
• Hydraulics, pneumatics, lubrication and filtration
• Predictive maintenance and condition monitoring
• Welding, fabrication, machining, NDT and repair quality
• Shutdown planning, project execution and commissioning
• RCA, FMEA, equipment criticality and reliability improvement
• Maintenance budgeting, inventory optimization and contractor management

6. Leadership and Behavioural Competencies

• Energetic, proactive and highly visible in the field.
• Strong ownership, urgency and follow-through.
• Calm and decisive during breakdowns and high-pressure situations.
• Data-driven problem solver with sound engineering judgement.
• Clear communicator who can influence management, contractors and frontline teams.
• Disciplined planner who balances immediate production needs with long-term asset health.
• High integrity, safety consciousness and respect for people.
• Committed to coaching, knowledge transfer and building local capability.

7. Working Conditions

• Plant-based position requiring regular presence in operational areas, workshops and shutdown work fronts.
• Availability outside normal working hours during major breakdowns, shutdowns and plant emergencies.
• Ability to work safely around heat, dust, noise, heights, confined spaces and heavy mobile equipment while using required PPE and controls.

 

Equal Opportunity: Dangote Cement Tanzania provides equal employment opportunities based on merit, competence and organizational requirements. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.