Job details

Zutari: Co-creating an engineered impact.

Zutari is a well-established, management-owned engineering firm with almost 90 years' experience. As human-centred engineering consultants and advisors, we are trusted by our clients, business partners, communities and other stakeholders across Africa.

We co-create engineering solutions that have a positive impact and improve people's lives. Zutari values inclusion and recognises the importance of a diverse, talented workforce, believing that people need other people to succeed.

What kind of talent do we pursue?

We employ people with the right attitude and a positive mindset, who are motivated by doing the right thing, getting things done and share a sense of urgency. People who have an impact in our teams and broader community. People who think differently and connect with those around them to co-create new opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.

Role responsibilities

The Senior Engineering Manager is accountable for engineering leadership and governance across multi-discipline projects in the Resources sector, ensuring the delivery of safe, compliant, high-quality engineering solutions across feasibility, FEED, detailed design and execution phases. This role leads engineering teams, provides technical assurance, and partners with Project Managers and Market leadership to deliver projects profitably and in line with Zutari standards.

Engineering leadership & governance

• Provide overall engineering management for complex projects in mining, petrochemical, oil & gas infrastructure, including multi-discipline integration.
• Establish and manage the project engineering execution framework (deliverables, workflows, approvals, document control, engineering change, and design assurance).
• Ensure compliance with relevant client specifications, Zutari standards, statutory requirements and industry codes.
• Lead engineering risk management: identify, mitigate and manage engineering risks, hazards, constructability and operability considerations.

Project delivery and performance

• Accountable for engineering scope delivery against programme, budget, quality and safety targets, coordinating across disciplines and stakeholders.
• Plan and resource engineering activities, including allocation of discipline leads and specialist capability.
• Provide input into project schedules, cost forecasts, progress reporting and change management.
• Support project commercial performance through effective scope definition, variation management support, and technical input to contract strategy where required.

Technical assurance and quality

• Ensure engineering outputs meet performance, safety, operability and maintainability expectations.
• Establish design review and verification processes: HAZOP / HAZID facilitation support, model reviews, design audits, value engineering and lessons learned.
• Review and sign off key technical deliverables and ensure appropriate technical delegation.

Client and stakeholder engagement

• Serve as the engineering interface to the client, EPC/EPCM partners, contractors and third parties.
• Build strong relationships with client engineering teams and support stakeholder confidence through credible technical leadership.
• Participate in technical presentations, design reviews, and steering committee/governance meetings.

People leadership and capability building

• Lead and mentor engineers and discipline leads; contribute to performance management and development planning.
• Promote a high-performance culture aligned with Zutari values: collaboration, accountability, inclusion and delivery focus.
• Contribute to graduate development and knowledge transfer, strengthening long-term engineering capability.

Business development support

• Provide technical and delivery input to proposals and pursuits (methodologies, execution plans, resourcing, schedules, technical differentiators).
• Support market leadership by identifying delivery improvements, technical innovation opportunities, and capability needs.

Minimum requirements

Qualifications

• BEng / BSc (Engineering) in a relevant discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Chemical, Metallurgical, or similar).
• Professional registration (Pr Eng / Pr Tech Eng or equivalent)
• Postgraduate qualification (MEng / MBA / MSc) advantageous.

Experience

• 20+ years engineering experience with significant exposure to mining and/or oil & gas / petrochemical / energy infrastructure projects.
• 15+ years in engineering management, engineering lead, discipline management, or project engineering leadership on multi-discipline projects.
• Experience across project phases including pre-feasibility / feasibility, FEED, detailed design and execution support.
• Demonstrated leadership in coordinating multi-discipline engineering teams and managing technical interfaces.
• Proven experience delivering within a consulting, EPCM, or owner’s engineering environment.

Technical and regulatory

• Working knowledge of applicable engineering codes, standards, QA systems, safety practices, and statutory compliance relevant to Resources sector projects.
• Familiarity with engineering design assurance processes such as design reviews, hazard studies (HAZID/HAZOP), and technical risk management.

We believe that a diverse workforce is key to our business success.  We seek the best people for our jobs based on their skills, qualifications, and experience.  We embrace the principle of equal opportunity in employment and work towards eliminating all forms of unlawful discrimination in our employment practices.  In support of diversity and the equal opportunity principle, preference will be given to individuals from designated groups in South Africa