Phinda Assistant Technical Manager (iOCO0141)

iOCO; KwaZulu-Natal; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Phinda is seeking an experienced Assistant Technical Manager to lead maintenance across lodges, staff villages and reserve facilities. The role requires 3–5 years in maintenance leadership, with strong electrical, refrigeration and plumbing skills.

You will manage budgets, CAPEX projects, supplier negotiations, and supervise maintenance staff and contractors on site. This permanent position in KwaZulu-Natal involves coordinating with lodge managers, ensuring high standards, and contributing to

Qualifications

• 3–5 years’ experience in maintenance management in a similar-sized operation.
• Electrical, refrigeration and air-conditioning proficiency are essential.
• Experience with plumbing, water and sewage treatment, building, carpentry and general maintenance.
• Valid unendorsed SA driver’s licence is essential.

Responsibilities

• Advise on maintenance in lodges, staff villages and reserve to maintain high organisational standards.
• Guide budgeting for monthly maintenance and annual CAPEX budgets.
• Communicate with lodge-managers on maintenance needs and project progress.
• Oversee administration and financial processes related to maintenance including stock control.
• Train maintenance staff and oversee HR-related tasks as required by HR Manager.
• Negotiate with suppliers and deploy permanent maintenance staff at Phinda.
• Manage site construction/renovations and water treatment/grey water systems.
• Support IT network infrastructure maintenance and ensure clear communication channels.

Skills

Maintenance management

Budgeting

Contractors management

Team leadership

HR responsibilities

Job description

We are seeking an experienced and highly capable Assistant Technical Manager with 3–5 years’ maintenance management experience in a similar‑sized operation and a strong technical background in electrical, refrigeration and air‑conditioning, plumbing, water and sewage treatment, building, carpentry and general maintenance. The ideal candidate will have proven experience overseeing preventative and breakdown maintenance, managing maintenance teams, contractors, suppliers, budgets and CAPEX projects, while ensuring that lodges, staff villages and reserve facilities are maintained to the highest organisational standards.

What you'll do:

• Advise on all areas of maintenance in the lodges, staff villages and reserve – both preventative as well as the daily breakdown maintenance, in order for the lodges to be maintained to the highest possible organisational standard at all times.
• Guide budgeting processes for both the monthly maintenance budgets of the various business units as well as annual CAPEX budgets.
• Communicate with lodge-managers daily on maintenance needs/requirements and reporting on project progress.
• Oversight of all administration and financial processes relating to maintenance including ordering, issuing and stock control of supplies and tools and equipment.
• Training of plumbers, carpenters, wireman, painters and general maintenance staff.
• Employment of new staff members and carrying out any HR function that was required/instructed by the HR Manager or General Managers.
• Negotiating with suppliers.
• The deployment of the permanent maintenance staff at Phinda.
• The complete site-management of all building and renovation operations undertaken at the lodges and staff villages. This could mean that at stages an additional 50 – 90 casual contractors could be on‑site.
• The design, construction and maintenance of water purification systems.
• The design, construction and maintenance of grey water treatment plants.
• Plumbing.
• Electrical (domestic).
• Refrigeration and air conditioning.
• Building, carpentry and general maintenance.
• Support and assist in management and maintenance of IT network infrastructure.
• Maintain open communication channels with the lodge or operations managers and camp managers and ensure that clear feedback loops are in place.
• Hold frequent meetings with camp managers and the operations manager.
• Morning meetings with the other maintenance staff and make ensuring that good team work exists within the team.
• Oversee and manage lodge sustainability efforts relating to energy reducing projects such as solar installations and water saving initiatives.

Your Expertise:

• Must have at least 3 – 5 years’ experience as a Maintenance management in a similar sized operation.
• Must be experienced/qualified in at least one of the following disciplines - Electrical (single and three phase), Refrigeration and Air-conditioning.
• Must have demonstrable experience in the following areas of expertise:
• Plumbing, Sewage treatment systems, water treatment systems, building and general maintenance.
• Valid unendorsed SA driver’s license essential.

Competencies:

• Excellent administrative skills, with a focus on attention to detail on numbers and analysis
• Excellent time management skills
• Critical thinking skills: Ability to solve problems
• Teamwork / collaboration
• Ability to work under pressure
• Excellent communication: Good Interpersonal skills as well as being able to communicate clearly in both written and verbal format
• Patience
• Operate in an informal but highly driven and results oriented environment
• Self-driven, motivated and organized
• Comfortable in dealing with diverse cultures, languages and environments
• Drive, effect and enact change

Other information applicable to the opportunity:

• Permanent position
• Location: KwaZulu-Natal