Service Center Manager

Alfa Laval Spiral; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 700 000 - 900 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global engineering firm in Johannesburg, South Africa, is seeking a Service Centre Manager to lead a high-performing team in delivering exceptional service. This role involves managing customer relationships, driving continuous improvements, and ensuring operational excellence. The ideal candidate will have a mechanical engineering background with at least 10 years of experience in managing service centers or workshops, focusing on service culture and customer-centric approaches. This position offers a dynamic work environment and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Benefits

Exciting career growth opportunities

Excellent learning opportunities

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Qualifications

• 10 years of experience, including managing a service center or workshop.
• Experience with GPHE and rotating equipment - decanters and HSS.
• Ability to build relations internally and externally.

Responsibilities

• Lead and ensure quality in the Service Centre operations.
• Manage customer relationships for excellent service.
• Drive continuous improvements in safety and efficiency.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Customer focus

Leadership

Communication skills

Continuous improvement mindset

Education

Mechanical Engineer

Job description

We're glad you want to help us make a difference! We create better everyday conditions for people by contributing to a more sustainable future through engineering innovation. We love what we do and we're good at it, and we're now looking for a passionate Service Centre Manager at Alfa Laval Johannesburg South Africa who will be directly responsible for leading an energetic team in our workshop, ensuring quality and pace. This is an excellent opportunity to be part of the most dynamic and transforming Service team of Alfa Laval MEA.

About Us

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of first‑rate products in the areas of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling. Our team is dedicated to pushing boundaries and achieving excellence mainly in energy, the environment, food and the marine industry.

About the role

The individual will be responsible for leading, developing and securing a high‑performing Service Centre organization in line with the overall Service strategy and the Alfa Laval culture to: a) Create an excellent customer experience, b) Deliver service excellence in safety, quality, delivery and cost, and c) Meet and develop service market demands supporting service growth opportunities.

The main activities include the following

• Secure a strong QHSE culture within the service centres.
• Manage and develop capabilities needed to support the overall service strategy whilst leading and implementing the service transformational roadmap.
• Responsible for the Service Centre cost centre forecast and result including investments and managing progress against financial targets.
• Drive continuous safety and efficiency improvements as well as innovative processes and technologies and implement change management to adapt to new market demands and increase the competitiveness of the service centre.
• Support proactive service sales by lead generation in collaboration with service sales.
• Manage customer relationships internally and externally towards delivering excellent customer experience.
• Lead the Service Centre team and Field Service Team giving direction and ensuring that they are performing with a strong customer‑oriented mindset.
• Develop, motivate and coach direct reports and secure a proper competence development.
• Adapt quickly ensuring availability of internal and external resources based on customer demands.
• Identify and manage high‑quality sub‑suppliers for repairs and reconditioning and general purchases, optimizing cost and ensuring high‑quality service.
• Ensure that service jobs are executed according to importance in close cooperation with sales and deviations are reported and aligned with sales.
• Implement and follow up on relevant KPIs to measure and improve performance.
• Define best practice and share that with other Alfa Laval organizations.
• Manage and develop authorised workshops and service providers.
• Member of the regional Service Operations Management team.

Competencies, Educational Qualification, Years of experience

• Mechanical engineer with 10 years of experience, including managing a service centre or workshop. Ideally experience in GPHE and rotating equipment – decanters and HSS.
• Individuals with a strong service culture, customer focus, results‑driven, continuous improvement mindset, excellent people and communication skills, and an ability to build relations internally and externally and adapt quickly to changing circumstances.
• The person would be managing a total team size of 10‑15 employees.

Why Alfa Laval

• An exciting place to build your career with opportunities to expand your global network inside and outside of Alfa Laval with different nationalities.
• Excellent learning opportunities to work with our global leaders.
• We offer you an interesting and challenging position in an international, open and friendly environment where we help each other to develop and create value for our customers.

We care about diversity, inclusion and equity in our recruitment processes. We also believe behavioural traits can provide important insights into a candidate’s fit to a role. To help us achieve this we apply Pymetrics assessments and upon application you will be invited to play the assessment games.