Senior Engineer, Engineering and Railway Technology

Engineering; Railway; Technology

10 insights about our Senior Engineer (Engineering and Railway Technology) available for exploratory interviews. Ref: 615575

Our candidate the we are showcasing today is a Senior Engineer with the primary purpose of technology management, design, maintenance, testing, failure analysis, maintenance design, supplier development, process development and improvements, specification development, approval and quality control. Seeking a position as Principal Engineering Manager to work for a large company involved in developing and enhancing skills and capacity. Ideal future responsibilities: Management of a team of engineering specialists generating solutions to engineering challenges, and managing projects to develop those solutions to overcome challenges and meet business objectives. Continuous improvement of engineering production processes and designs. Testing and simulation of solutions and reporting.

1. Contribution Compass Profile (natural energy profiling tool): Conductor
2. Skill area of competence: Testing and measurement of mechanical components, especially metals, castings and rubber for railway applications – typically strain gauging, microscopy, failure analysis, fatigue testing. Development of specifications for railway components and the development and approval of production processes, such as casting and forging, pressing, milling, turning and heat treatment. Project and personnel management, including job descriptions, recruiting, disciplinary action, leadership, development and training, coaching and mentoring, and succession planning. Trained in the current leading management and leadership courses and methodologies including Crucial Conversations, Change Management, Inspirational Leadership, Generational leadership and emotional intelligence.
3. Career summary: 2 years – High strain-rate metal deformation, experimentation skills and techniques, and finite element analysis. 2 years – fatigue analysis of railway components. 6 years – Engineering management
4. Achievements: Performed laboratory stress analysis on railway coupling components. Integrated the results into a calculation-based life prediction based on metal fracture mechanics theory. Related back to operational experience and thus motivated extended maintenance cycles. Saved the railways about R500 000 since the revised maintenance cycles were implemented, without additional in-service failures. / Tracked and analysed in service failures over 3 years and separated fatigue from manufacturing defects. Clarified the distinction within the company and with suppliers and so convinced suppliers to improve their production process to reduce manufacturing defects. / Developed local supply and refurbishment of railway coupling components, ensuring compatibility and interchangeability with existing components and ensured local production strengthened and improved to international standards. / Analysed maintenance processes in certain areas of railway systems and identified and recommended improvements in the manufacturing and assembly processes that save rolling stock maintenance facilities hours per day across the country.
5. Years of experience range: 11 years plus
6. Nationality: South African.
7. Discipline: Mechanical Engineering
8. Qualifications/Affiliations/ Prof Registrations: MSc. Eng (Mechanical) / Pr. Eng – Professional Engineer (ECSA) / SASRE
9. Annual package range Total Fixed Cost of Employment (TFCE): ZAR 951 000 – 1.1 mil per annum.
10. Location Preference: Open to positions nationally (South Africa) and internationally.

Looking for a passionate and dedicated engineer and critical thinker, with experience in analysing engineering systems, such as vehicle production, maintenance and service life, and seeing the interaction in these systems. Proven experience in implementing improvements in processes and saving costs by engineering analysis, simulation and prediction of the effects of changes to systems with a desire to develop the region by growing and sharing engineering passion and excellence. Currently seeking a new opportunity to make a significant difference within an organisation that requires development of engineering solutions, analysing systems and identifying weaknesses. Re-engineering processes to eliminate waste and improve the final product. Coming up with solutions to obstacles and challenges and making sure they work “Fixing things”.

Candidate location: South Africa

Home & other languages: English, Afrikaans, Portuguese

Designation: Mechanical Engineer (Senior / Lead / Principal / Chief)

Highest qualification type: Masters

University: University of Cape Town

Company size: ‘10001 +

Division: Engineering / Design / Draughting / Drawing Office

Seniority level: Regional / Country / Area / General / Project Manager / Department Head

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Caucasian/White

Nationality: South African

Highest Formal Qualification:  BSc. Eng and MSc. Eng Mechanical

University in another country: UNISA

Current / most recent job title? Senior Engineer

Primary purpose of current/most recent position:

Technology Management, design, maintenance, testing, failure analysis, maintenance design, supplier development, process development and improvements, specification development, approval and quality control

Core elements or functions that must operate effectively in order to achieve primary purpose:

Management, project management, leadership, decision making, analysis, design, communication, direction and specification, testing and data analysis

Description of self, along with greater purpose and passions:

Passionate and dedicated engineer, and critical thinker, with deep experience in engineering system challenges and proven ability in improving processes and saving costs by engineering analysis, simulation and prediction of the effects of changes to systems. Highly self-motivated by the desire to develop the region by growing and sharing engineering passion and excellence. A natural extrovert, leader, mentor and communicator. Currently seeking a new opportunity to make a significant difference within an organisation that requires development of engineering solutions to new open up new opportunities.

Ideal business title:  Principal Engineer Engineering Manager

Key responsibilities and accountabilities of ideal position:

Management of a team of engineering specialists generating solutions to engineering challenges, and managing projects to develop those solutions to overcome challenges and meet business objectives. Continuous improvement of engineering production processes and designs. Testing and simulation of solutions and reporting.

Skill area of competence:

Testing and measurement of mechanical components, especially metals, castings and rubber for railway applications – typically strain gauging, microscopy, failure analysis, fatigue testing. Development of specifications for railway components and the development and approval of production processes, such as casting and forging, pressing, milling, turning and heat treatment. Project and personnel management, including job descriptions, recruiting, disciplinary action, leadership, development and training, coaching and mentoring, and succession planning. Trained in the current leading management and leadership courses and methodologies including Crucial Conversations, Change Management, Inspirational Leadership, Generational leadership and emotional intelligence.

Career summary:

Masters in high strain-rate metal deformation, learning experimentation skills and techniques, and finite element analysis. Published first peer- reviewed journal article. 2 years. Started fatigue analysis of railway components. 2 years. Developed into engineering management levels and gained management experience through leading an engineering team and being trained in popular leadership courses. 6 years.

Achievements: 

Performed laboratory stress analysis on railway coupling components. Integrated the results into a calculation-based life prediction based on metal fracture mechanics theory. Related back to operational experience and thus motivated extended maintenance cycles. Saved the railways about R500 000 since the revised maintenance cycles were implemented, without additional in-service failures.

Tracked and analysed in service failures over 3 years and separated fatigue from manufacturing defects. Clarified the distinction within the company and with suppliers and so convinced suppliers to improve their production process to reduce manufacturing defects.

Developed local supply and refurbishment of railway coupling components, ensuring compatibility and interchangeability with existing components and ensured local production strengthened and improved to international standards.

Analysed maintenance processes in certain areas of railway systems and identified and recommended improvements in the manufacturing and assembly processes that save rolling stock maintenance facilities hours per day across the country.

What do you absolutely love doing?

Analysing systems and identifying weaknesses. Re-engineering processes to eliminate waste and improve the final product. Coming up with solutions to obstacles and challenges and making sure they work. Fixing things.

Ideal company (culture and values):

I’m interested in finding a large company involved in developing and enhancing skills and capacity in Southern Africa, by making maximum use of resources and ensuring maximum possible value add in South Africa. Southern Africa has the resources and opportunity to become an international supplier, especially with the other BRICS nations but this requires application of engineering thinking to our unique skills challenges, and optimal use of resources, including international support and goodwill. Engineering in particular is required to turn the many great ideas into working industries.

Motivation to move (please select): Reached the ceiling

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