ARTISAN CHIEF GRADE A: EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE

This position is for an Artisan Chief Grade A specialising in equipment maintenance within Government Printing Works (GPW) in Pretoria, a senior technical leadership role focused on keeping the organisation’s machinery and plant infrastructure in optimal working condition. The incumbent will be responsible for the full spectrum of maintenance management, from planning and scheduling to execution, quality assurance, and continuous improvement. As a chief artisan, the role also carries significant supervisory duties, including training, coaching, and managing the performance of subordinates, while ensuring that all work aligns with legislative frameworks and GPW policies.

To be considered, applicants must hold a Grade 10 or equivalent qualification, have completed an apprenticeship, and possess a Trade Test Certificate in Mechanical as a trade-tested fitter. A Grade 12 certificate is advantageous. The role requires at least ten years of post-apprenticeship relevant experience, with a minimum of three years at Artisan Foreman level. Candidates must be able to obtain a positive security clearance and hold a valid driver’s licence. A thorough understanding of the Public Service Act, Public Service Regulations, Labour Relations Act, Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHREQ) management requirements, Skills Development Act, PFMA, and Treasury Regulations is essential, along with specialised knowledge of processes and equipment.

The core duties involve ensuring efficient maintenance and repair of all GPW equipment. This includes analysing equipment specifications and capacity data, performing mathematical calculations to determine Reliability Centered Maintenance schedules, and scheduling maintenance according to established manufacturing sequences and lead times. The artisan chief must compile and update maintenance schedules to build an accurate history for each machine, participate in generating an eight-week rolling Equipment Plan to maximise machine availability, and monitor the timely issuing of maintenance plans to Factory Managers. Root cause analyses on machine breakdowns must be performed and reported on, while work order status and backlog are managed from submission to completion. Quality assurance is a key responsibility, requiring the incumbent to confer with department supervisors, review factors affecting maintenance quality, implement mitigating measures, and prepare maintenance and repair reports. The role also involves developing and implementing programs to improve Mean Time To Repair and Mean Time Between Failure, reduce rework and complaints, and embed continuous improvement across all maintenance activities.

The position carries responsibility for managing safety, health, environment, risk, and quality (SHERQ) within the division, including complying with OHSA requirements, monitoring plant-related safety risks, and participating in SHERQ activities. Supervisory duties include overseeing training programmes, allocating work, conducting quality assurance on subordinates’ work, performing performance assessments, and managing attendance, leave, and discipline in line with HR prescripts. The incumbent will also contribute to developing, reviewing, implementing, and complying with relevant procedures and policies, while staying current with new developments in the functional area. This is an OSD-graded post, and applicants should note that security clearance and a valid driver’s licence are mandatory conditions of employment.