Engineering Manager

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POSITION PURPOSE AND NATURE

The Country Engineering Manager serves as the senior engineering leader for the South Africa portfolio, with accountability for engineering governance, technical assurance, statutory compliance, asset performance and maintenance delivery across multiple locations.

The role is responsible for ensuring that all engineering assets, building services and critical infrastructure are operated safely, maintained effectively and managed in accordance with South African legislation, client requirements and JLL standards.

As the principal technical authority for the portfolio, the Country Engineering Manager provides leadership across engineering operations, business continuity, capital projects, sustainability initiatives and lifecycle asset planning, ensuring engineering risks are effectively managed whilst supporting business objectives and operational excellence.

The role acts as a trusted advisor to clients and senior stakeholders, driving continuous improvement, engineering innovation and long-term asset strategies that deliver safe, resilient and cost-effective facilities.

A.  PRIMARY/KEY RESPONsibilities

·       Provide strategic leadership and governance of all engineering activities across the South Africa portfolio.

·       Act as the principal engineering authority and subject matter expert for technical, compliance and operational matters.

·       Ensure full compliance with all applicable legislation, standards, policies and contractual requirements.

·       Deliver safe, reliable and efficient operation of engineering systems and critical infrastructure.

·       Lead asset management, lifecycle planning and capital investment strategies.

·       Direct maintenance, compliance and engineering service delivery to achieve operational and business objectives.

·       Manage engineering risk, business continuity and infrastructure resilience.

·       Develop and lead engineering teams, promoting accountability, safety and continuous improvement.

·       Oversee engineering projects, infrastructure upgrades and change management activities.

·       Build effective relationships with clients, stakeholders, contractors and service partners.

·       Drive sustainability initiatives, energy optimisation and engineering innovation.

·       Ensure effective budget management and delivery of value-driven engineering solutions.

B.  DUTIES / ACCOUNTABILITIES (what the role is responsible / accountable for)

Governance & Compliance

·       Act as principal engineering authority and subject matter expert.

·       Ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, SANS standards, Electrical Installation Regulations and all applicable legislation.

·       Maintain compliance registers, statutory documentation and audit evidence.

·       Lead engineering audits, inspections, risk assessments and incident investigations.

·       Ensure permit-to-work, lockout/tagout and contractor control procedures are enforced.

·       Track statutory inspections and corrective actions to completion.

·       Own compliance dashboards; escalate overdue actions and risks.

Engineering Operations

·       Oversee operation and maintenance of HVAC, BMS, electrical infrastructure, UPS, standby generators, fire detection/suppression, mechanical plant, water systems and critical infrastructure.

·       Ensure maintenance is delivered per schedule and manufacturer specifications.

·       Monitor system reliability and operational risk; implement root-cause corrective actions for recurring failures.

·       Maintain critical environment resilience through contingency and emergency response planning.

Asset Management

·       Develop and maintain asset registers, lifecycle plans and 5–10 year renewal strategies.

·       Conduct condition assessments and identify asset risks.

·       Ensure CAFM data accuracy.

·       Produce capital investment and replacement strategies.

Contractor & Vendor Management

·       Manage specialist contractors and service providers; review technical submissions, RAMS and performance against SLAs.

·       Participate in tender evaluation and contractor selection.

·       Ensure contractor compliance with site safety procedures.

Financial Management

·       Prepare and manage OPEX/CAPEX budgets; monitor expenditure and identify cost optimisation.

·       Support business planning and forecasting.

·       Maintain financial accountability for engineering spend and projects.

Projects & Technical Support

·       Provide technical input across project lifecycle; review designs, specifications and commissioning plans.

·       Ensure new installations meet company and statutory standards.

Leadership & People Management

·       Lead engineering teams; conduct performance reviews, coaching and succession planning.

·       Ensure team competency and certification currency.

Reporting & Stakeholder Management

·       Produce monthly engineering/compliance reports; present risks and recommendations to clients and management.

·       Act as primary engineering point of contact; build strong client/stakeholder relationships.

·       Advise on asset performance and investment decisions.

C.  DIMENSIONS (List details in no. of sites, contract value no. of site(s), no. direct reports for this role

D.  KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (how the role performance is measured)

E.  REQUIREMENT PROFILE (required knowledge/qualifications/experience/skills & behaviours)

Essential Qualifications & Experience

Preferred Skills & Behaviours

Location:

On-site –Cape Town, ZAF, Johannesburg, ZAF

Job Tags:

Facility Operations

If this job description resonates with you, we encourage you to apply, even if you don’t meet all the requirements.  We’re interested in getting to know you and what you bring to the table!

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.

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