Senior Mechanical Maintenance Engineer

Position Title: Senior Mechanical Maintenance Engineer Location: Freetown – Sierra Leone Department: Maintenance Department Reports To: Maintenance Manager Job Summary: he Senior Mechanical Maintenance Engineer is responsible for ensuring the optimal operation, reliability, and longevity of all mechanical and hydraulic equipment within the cement grinding and packing plant. This includes leading preventative maintenance initiatives, expertly troubleshooting complex mechanical breakdowns, conducting advanced repairs, and driving continuous improvement efforts to maximize plant uptime and efficiency. This role also involves mentoring junior staff and contributing to strategic maintenance planning. Key ResponsibilitiesResearch, Planning, and Design for Mechanical and Electromechanical Systems:

Conduct in-depth research, plan, and contribute to the design of mechanical and electromechanical products and systems relevant to cement grinding and packing operations. This includes evaluating new technologies, materials, and methodologies to enhance plant performance and reliability. Direct and coordinate activities involved in the fabrication, operation, application, installation, and repair of various mechanical or electromechanical product systems within the plant. This encompasses overseeing projects from conceptualization to execution, ensuring adherence to engineering standards and project timelines.

Perform comprehensive research and analysis of technical data, including customer design proposals, equipment specifications, and operational manuals, to determine the feasibility of new designs, modifications, or applications. This involves evaluating technical constraints, performance requirements, and integration challenges. Apply advanced knowledge of engineering principles to design or refine products and systems such as instruments, controls, robotic applications for material handling, engines, various machines, and mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, or heat transfer systems specific to the cement industry. Plan and direct engineering personnel in the fabrication of specialized test control apparatus and equipment.

This also includes the development of robust methods and procedures for rigorous testing of products or systems to ensure their functionality, safety, and compliance before deployment. Fabrication, Installation, and System Integration Coordination: Direct and coordinate all fabrication and installation activities, ensuring that new or modified products and systems strictly conform to engineering design specifications and customer requirements. This involves close supervision of contractors and internal teams, quality checks, and adherence to project schedules. Operations, Maintenance, and Repair Coordination for Optimum Utilization:

Coordinate comprehensive operation, maintenance, and repair activities across the plant to achieve optimum utilization of all machinery and equipment. This includes optimizing maintenance schedules, resource allocation, and workflow to minimize downtime and maximize operational efficiency. System Interface Design and Evaluation: May design integrated product systems to seamlessly interface various machines, hardware components, and software applications within the plant's operational technology (OT) environment, enhancing automation and data exchange. Evaluate field installations and recommend precise design modifications to effectively eliminate machine or system malfunctions, improve performance, and enhance reliability based on operational feedback and diagnostic data. Specialized Mechanical Engineering Focus:

May specialize in specific fields of mechanical engineering highly relevant to the cement industry, such as heat transfer in kilns and coolers, hydraulics for heavy machinery, electromechanics of motors and drives, controls and instrumentation for process automation, or specialized tooling for maintenance tasks. Alternatively, may focus on specific product types like propulsion systems for heavy vehicles, or various types of industrial machinery and mechanical equipment used in cement production. May specialize in specific work areas such as steam or gas generation and distribution systems, steam plant engineering, or comprehensive system planning for plant expansions or upgrades.

Preventive Maintenance (PM) Leadership: Develop, implement, and oversee robust scheduled preventive maintenance tasks on all critical grinding mills (e. g. , ball mills, vertical roller mills), classifiers, conveyors, elevators, packing machines, silos, and associated auxiliary equipment. Lead and execute detailed inspections, precise lubrication, accurate adjustments, and timely component replacements as per stringent maintenance schedules and manufacturer specifications. Ensure accurate recording and comprehensive documentation of all PM activities within the CMMS. Corrective Maintenance (CM) & Advanced Troubleshooting: Provide expert response and leadership in addressing complex equipment breakdowns and malfunctions.

Diagnose intricate mechanical and hydraulic issues using advanced schematics, manuals, and sophisticated diagnostic tools (e. g. , vibration analysis, thermal imaging). Perform efficient, effective, and often complex repairs to minimize downtime, frequently leading and guiding repair teams. Conduct in-depth root cause analysis of failures and implement robust, long-term corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Equipment Installation & Commissioning Supervision: Lead and supervise the installation, precise alignment, and successful commissioning of new machinery and equipment. Ensure proper setup, seamless integration, and thorough performance validation with existing systems. Strategic Spare Parts Management:

Strategically identify and manage the procurement process for necessary spare parts, focusing on critical components for repairs and maintenance. Oversee and optimize the inventory of critical spare parts to ensure immediate availability while maintaining cost-effectiveness. Safety & Compliance Champion: Champion unwavering adherence to all safety protocols, including strict Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, confined space entry, and safe working at heights. Ensure all maintenance activities comply with company policies, stringent industry standards, and environmental regulations. Proactively identify and report any safety hazards or incidents, and actively contribute to safety improvement initiatives and culture. Comprehensive Documentation & Analytical Reporting:

Maintain comprehensive and detailed records of all maintenance activities, including work orders, repair logs, parts used, and complete equipment history. Generate analytical reports on equipment performance, failure trends, maintenance costs, and key performance indicators (KPIs) to inform decision-making. QualificationsEducation: Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline. Relevant professional certifications (e. g. , Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional - CMRP). Experience: Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in industrial mechanical maintenance, with a significant portion in a heavy industry environment such as cement, mining, aggregates, or similar.

Demonstrated senior-level experience with cement grinding mills (vertical roller mills), packing machines, conveyors, and material handling systems is essential. Proven track record of leading maintenance teams or projects, including experience in project management for maintenance upgrades or installations. Required Skills & CompetenciesAdvanced Technical Skills: Advanced understanding and practical application of mechanical systems (gears, bearings, hydraulics, pneumatics, conveyor systems, rotating equipment, pumps, fans, crushers, elevators). Strong proficiency in complex mechanical troubleshooting, precision alignment techniques, and advanced measurement. Ability to read, interpret, and create complex engineering drawings, P&IDs (Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams), and detailed technical manuals.

Solid knowledge of welding, fabrication, and machining principles applicable to heavy industrial equipment. Expertise in predictive maintenance technologies (e. g. , vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, ultrasonic testing) and their practical implementation. Proficiency with CMMS implementation, data analysis, and optimization. Problem-Solving & Analytical Excellence: Exceptional analytical and diagnostic skills to identify, analyze, and resolve highly complex and recurring equipment issues. Strong ability to conduct systematic and thorough root cause analysis (RCA) and implement sustainable solutions. Safety Awareness & Proactive Approach: Unyielding commitment to industrial safety practices, with a proactive approach to hazard identification, risk assessment, and mitigation.

Experience in developing and enforcing safety procedures. Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for technical reporting, clear documentation, persuasive presentations, and effective inter-departmental collaboration. Strategic Thinking & Planning: Ability to contribute significantly to long-term maintenance planning, asset management strategies, and capital expenditure proposals. Experience in developing and managing maintenance budgets. Adaptability & Resilience: Flexibility and resilience to work in a demanding and dynamic heavy industrial environment, including managing unexpected breakdowns, working shifts, overtime, and being on-call for emergencies. Computer Literacy:

Highly proficient in using CMMS software, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel for data analysis, Word for reports, PowerPoint for presentations), and other relevant engineering and diagnostic software.