To manage, lead and grow the Northern Cape site by ensuring safe, compliant and efficient inspection, sampling and sample-preparation operations, while supporting business development, client retention, revenue growth and the SGS management system
Operational leadership
• Plan, organise and control all Northern Cape site operations, including field sampling, inspection, sample preparation, dispatch, reporting support and site administration.
• Schedule personnel, vehicles, equipment and tools to meet client requirements safely, efficiently and within agreed turnaround times.
• Manage daily operational performance, productivity, overtime, turnaround time, service quality and adherence to work instructions.
• Ensure adequate manpower, equipment, consumables, PPE, vehicles and site resources are available for efficient operations.
• Support site supervisors, the HSE coordinator and quality coordinator in resolving operational, safety and quality issues.
• Maintain effective communication between the site, Regional Manager, HOD of Trade, clients and support functions.
Technical, quality and safety control
• Implement and maintain technical procedures, operational procedures, sampling instructions, sample-preparation controls and inspection requirements.
• Ensure all work complies with SGS policies, the SGS Code of Integrity, QHSE requirements, client instructions and applicable South African legislation.
• Apply the Check Status process and Stop Work Authority whenever risks are not clearly controlled or understood.
• Monitor quality control, data integrity, equipment condition, calibration status, traceability, chain of custody and sample security.
• Record the basis for opinions and interpretations and ensure these are only issued by designated authorised personnel.
• Participate in Operational Integrity projects, safety campaigns, audits, investigations and corrective actions.
People management
• Lead, coach and monitor staff performance, discipline, attendance, training needs, competency records and safe work behavior.
• Ensure new and existing staff are trained and competent for sampling, inspection, sample preparation, reporting support and safety-critical activities.
• Promote a professional, client-focused, ethical and accountable site culture.
Financial and administrative control
• Manage petty cash usage, site assets, consumables, stock usage, overtime and other controllable site costs.
• Provide monthly workload, opportunity, cost and operational performance updates to management.
• Support complaint, claim, nonconformance and improvement-request investigations with facts, records and corrective actions.
Build and maintain a Northern Cape client pipeline covering existing clients, potential clients, mining operations, stockyards, sidings, logistics providers and related commodity stakeholders.
• Conduct planned client visits and technical engagements to understand upcoming work, pain points, service gaps, tender opportunities and competitor activity.
• Identify opportunities to grow inspection, sampling, sample preparation, moisture, size, quality, stockpile, vessel/rail/truck and related trade services where applicable.
• Support the Regional Manager with quotations, proposals, tenders, pricing inputs, scope definition, method statements and service-level discussions.
• Maintain a simple opportunity register showing client, commodity, service need, value estimate, probability, next action and expected close date.
• Track lost work, client complaints, turnaround issues and market feedback, and propose actions to retain or win business.
• Represent SGS professionally in the region and strengthen confidence in the site through reliable delivery, technical support and rapid issue resolution.
• Report monthly on business development activity, revenue risk, new leads, upcoming projects, cross-selling opportunities and support required from management.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and training
• Minimum qualification - Matric / Grade 12.
- Advantage: Degree in quality/metallurgy/Chemical engineering
• Sampling, inspection, laboratory, mineral processing, logistics or other relevant technical qualification is preferred.
• SHE / HSE knowledge and practical risk-assessment training.
• ISO/IEC 17025 awareness or VLC SANAS ISO 17025 course, where applicable to the site scope.
• Valid Code B driver’s licence required due to site travel and client visits.
Experience
• Minimum 3 years management or supervisory experience in inspection, sampling, sample preparation, mining, minerals, trade, logistics or a related operational environment.
• Experience scheduling staff, vehicles, shifts, equipment and site resources.
• Experience with safety, quality, client communication, operational reporting and complaint resolution.
• Experience in business development, client relationship management, quotations, proposals or revenue growth is strongly preferred.
• Practical knowledge of bulk commodity sampling and sample preparation is essential.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Leadership and operational skills
• Ability to lead teams, allocate work, monitor performance and hold staff accountable.
• Strong planning, scheduling, prioritisation and resource-control capability.
• Ability to solve operational problems quickly while protecting safety, quality and client service.
• Strong understanding of sampling, inspection, sample preparation, chain of custody and field controls.
Commercial and business development skills
• Client relationship management, professional communication and confidence in client-facing discussions.
• Ability to identify opportunities, prepare basic commercial inputs, support proposals and follow up leads.
• Commercial awareness of revenue, margin, cost control, overtime, utilisation and service profitability.
• Ability to prepare monthly revenue, opportunity and operational performance updates.
Quality, safety and compliance skills
• Practical HSE risk management, Stop Work Authority, incident reporting and corrective-action follow-up.
• Understanding of quality systems, document control, equipment status, traceability, nonconformances and data integrity.
Communication and personal competencies
• Good written and verbal English communication skills.
• Numeracy and calculation capability for operational, commercial and technical checks.
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook and basic operational reporting.
• Delivers results, adapts to change, acts ethically and maintains confidentiality.
Safe operations: zero tolerance for uncontrolled risk, with timely close-out of incidents, observations and corrective actions.
• Quality and compliance: adherence to methods, work instructions, traceability, equipment status and management-system requirements.
• Operational delivery: on-time service delivery, effective scheduling, controlled overtime and efficient use of site resources.
• People performance: staff competence, attendance, discipline, productivity and adherence to professional conduct.
• Client service: complaint response, client engagement, issue resolution and retention of existing business.
• Business growth: new leads, proposals supported, revenue opportunities identified and monthly business development reporting.
• Financial control: revenue updates, petty cash control, consumable usage, site-cost discipline and accurate operational records.
Compliant with all SGS QOH&S, HR, Operational Integrity, ethics and management-system policies and procedures.
• Granted sufficient authority to achieve the responsibilities of the role in line with relevant SGS authority policies.
• Responsible for the daily safety and health of employees at the site on behalf of SGS management, and for escalating unresolved risks or resourcing issues.
• Keep up to date with SGS inspection, sampling and operational policies and apply the correct policy to avoid misunderstanding during inspections.
• Cease work or equipment use where safety, quality, integrity, legal compliance or client confidence may be compromised, and take action to address the issue.
• Initiate improvement requests, nonconformance reports and corrective actions where deviations, risks or improvement opportunities are identified.
• Adhere to all QHSE requirements of the SGS management systems.