Location: Balfour, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Company: Barloworld Equipment (Caterpillar Dealer Network)
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Posted: 13 October 2026
Closing Date: Open Until Filled
About the Company
Barloworld Equipment is the sole official dealer for Caterpillar (CAT) earthmoving equipment and industrial power systems in Southern Africa. Partnering with major mining houses and earthmoving contractors, Barloworld Equipment delivers world-class fleet maintenance, equipment management contracts (CVA), condition monitoring, and field service engineering across open-cast and underground mining operations.
The workplace culture at Barloworld Equipment is driven by safety, high performance, operational excellence, and technical precision. On-site contract maintenance teams operate in fast-paced, high-accountability environments where equipment reliability, zero-harm safety standards, and customer relationship management are paramount. Joining Barloworld Equipment in Balfour connects you with an industry giant offering global corporate backing, ongoing OEM technical development, and executive career pathways.
Company Summary
- Industry: Mining Equipment, Heavy Machinery Maintenance & Engineering Services
- Company Size: Pan-African Enterprise Leader (Barloworld Group / Caterpillar Network)
- Work Culture: Safety-First, High-Performance, Reliability-Driven, Customer-Centric
- Location: Balfour, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Available Opportunities
Barloworld Equipment is recruiting a Maintenance Manager Level 2 (Global Grade 12) on a full-time, permanent basis for their site operations in Balfour, Mpumalanga. Holding the mandatory legal appointment in terms of Section 2.6.1 of the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA), you will lead and manage all maintenance activities for the underground mining fleet (CAT loaders, haul trucks, and graders) to achieve fleet availability targets exceeding 85%.
Core Responsibilities:
- Underground Fleet Maintenance Leadership: Directing planned maintenance, condition monitoring, component overhauls, and breakdown repairs for CAT underground equipment to ensure >85% fleet availability.
- MHSA Legal Compliance (Section 2.6.1): Holding and executing the legal appointment under Section 2.6.1 of the Mine Health and Safety Act, enforcing site safety, health, environmental, and quality (SHEQ) standards.
- Reliability Engineering & Condition Monitoring: Implementing Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), component life-cycle management, and OEM warranty administration.
- Maintenance Planning & Budget Control: Managing the planning department’s weekly/monthly execution schedules, controlling site operational budgets, and optimizing financial performance under Customer Value Agreements (CVA).
- Team Leadership & HR Management: Leading a multidisciplinary team of artisans, planners, supervisors, and condition monitoring specialists, driving productivity, succession planning, and performance management.
- Customer Relationship Governance: Building strong operational partnerships with client mine management to align fleet availability with daily underground production targets.
Key Objectives
Your success as a Maintenance Manager in Balfour will be evaluated by fleet availability percentages, mean time between failures (MTBF), budget variance management, and zero-harm safety compliance. Within your first 90 days, you will be expected to:
- Sustain Fleet Availability Above 85%: Optimize scheduled maintenance cycles and fast-track breakdown response to maintain CAT underground fleet availability targets.
- Execute MHSA Section 2.6.1 Legal Governance: Audit site safety protocols, mechanical/electrical risk registers, and mandatory statutory reporting to ensure 100% legal compliance.
- Streamline Reliability & Condition Monitoring: Implement proactive oil sampling, trend analysis, and RCFA workflows to eliminate recurring equipment component failures.
- Optimize CVA Site Financials: Review maintenance planning schedules, component life cycles, and warranty claims to control site expenditure within budget parameters.
What You Will Learn
Stepping into a Global Grade 12 Maintenance Manager role within Barloworld Equipment provides executive-level operational and technical exposure. In this position, you will build expertise in:
- CAT Underground Fleet Management: OEM best practices for managing, rebuilding, and maintaining heavy CAT underground machinery (LHD loaders, articulated trucks, graders).
- Advanced Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM): Applying RCM models, oil trend analysis, vibration diagnostics, and SAP maintenance software integration.
- MHSA Legal Accountability: Advanced legal compliance, risk management, and statutory reporting under Section 2.6.1 of the Mine Health and Safety Act.
- Commercial CVA Contract Governance: Managing multi-million-rand Customer Value Agreements, cost structure optimization, and commercial client negotiations.
What You Gain
Joining Barloworld Equipment on a permanent basis brings solid corporate stability, executive-level benefits, and clear enterprise career progression:
- Permanent Executive Appointment: Senior managerial appointment within the premier Caterpillar dealer network in Southern Africa.
- Competitive Global Grade 12 Package: Market-related executive salary accompanied by performance bonuses, vehicle allowances, medical aid, and pension contributions.
- Caterpillar OEM Masterclass Access: Continuous leadership training, global CAT technical certifications, and operational masterclasses.
- Enterprise Career Pathways: Opportunities to advance into Regional Operations Director, General Manager, or International Asset Management roles.
Experience & Qualifications
Essential Minimum Requirements:
- Grade 12 / Matric qualification (Compulsory).
- Recognized Trade Test qualification (Diesel Mechanic, Earthmoving Equipment Mechanic, or Electrician).
- National Diploma or Degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering.
- Minimum of 5 to 10 years of proven maintenance management experience overseeing underground mining equipment fleets.
- Direct, proven experience managing CAT underground machinery (loaders, haul trucks, graders).
- Background working within a contract maintenance or Customer Value Agreement (CVA) environment.
- Deep technical understanding of Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), condition monitoring, and SAP/CRM systems.
- Practical knowledge of the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) and qualification to hold a Section 2.6.1 legal appointment.
Interview Questions to Prepare For
Candidates applying on applyretail.co.za should prepare to answer the following interview questions during the selection process:
- “How do you structure a maintenance strategy to consistently maintain underground fleet availability above 85%?”
- Tip: Detail balancing planned preventive maintenance with proactive condition monitoring, managing component life-cycle changeouts, optimizing spare parts staging, and tracking MTBF metrics.
- “What key responsibilities and safety protocols do you prioritize when executing a Section 2.6.1 legal appointment under the MHSA?”
- Tip: Highlight conducting daily safety audits, enforcing machinery isolation procedures, investigating equipment incidents thoroughly, and maintaining strict statutory compliance records.
- “How do you handle a scenario where a major CAT underground machine suffers a catastrophic component failure under a contract maintenance agreement?”
- Tip: Explain initiating Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA), reviewing condition monitoring data trends, executing OEM warranty claims efficiently, and providing transparent timelines to mine management.
- “Why do you want to lead Barloworld Equipment’s contract maintenance team in Balfour?”
- Tip: Express your passion for heavy machinery reliability, your strong leadership track record in underground mining, and your commitment to driving customer profitability and site safety.
Career Advice for Applicants
To ensure your application stands out on applyretail.co.za:
- Highlight Trade Test, Degree & CAT Underground Fleet Experience: Explicitly feature your Trade Test certificate, Engineering Diploma/Degree, Grade 12 certificate, and specific experience with CAT underground machinery at the top of your CV.
- Emphasize MHSA Section 2.6.1 & RCM Expertise: Detail your hands-on experience holding legal appointments, executing RCM strategies, managing SAP maintenance modules, and leading CVA contracts.
- Confirm Balfour / Mpumalanga Commute: Verify that living in or commuting to Balfour, Mpumalanga, for full-time site management rosters is practical for you.
- Submit Complete Documentation: Upload your updated CV, certified qualification certificates, Trade Test certificate, ID document, and contactable references when applying.
How to Apply
- Click the “Apply Now” button below on applyretail.co.za.
- Upload your CV, Grade 12 certificate, Trade Test certificate, Engineering Diploma/Degree, ID document, and contactable references.
- Complete the online Barloworld Equipment application form for the Maintenance Manager Level 2 position in Balfour.
0 Comments