MOSTERN MBILIMA

Role Scope
Overall engineering leadership for underground mining and concentrator operations, with full accountability for Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation and Civil maintenance functions supporting production, safety, and statutory compliance.

Key Achievements & Impact

• Provide strategic leadership for all engineering maintenance activities sustaining continuous underground and plant production.
• Lead, mentor, and supervise a combined workforce of 50+ engineers, artisans, supervisors, and contractors.
• Increased overall plant and equipment availability by approximately 6–8% through disciplined planning, backlog control, and reliability initiatives.
• Reduced unplanned downtime by over 20% by enforcing structured RCA, defect elimination, and proactive maintenance practices.
• Managed engineering budgets and delivered significant cost savings.
• Maintained zero fatal accidents and strengthened safety compliance through audits, risk assessments, and leadership visibility.
• Established maintenance KPI frameworks tracking MTBF, MTTR, maintenance schedule compliance, and equipment availability.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineering strategy, asset integrity, and statutory compliance
• Maintenance planning, shutdown coordination, and execution
• Contractor and OEM management
• Budget forecasting and expenditure control
• Cross-functional coordination with Operations, Processing, and HSE

Plant Responsibility
Raw Material Handling • Flash Smelting Furnace • WHB Boiler • ESP • Anode Furnaces

Key Achievements & Impact

• Improved availability of critical smelting assets from ~80% to consistently above 90%.
• Planned and executed major annual shutdowns for smelter sections, delivering:
  Zero lost-time injuries
  Early completion against schedule
  Improved start-up reliability
• Reduced breakdown frequency and downtime by approximately 25% through RCA and condition-based maintenance initiatives.
• Delivered 5–10% maintenance cost through inhouse projects.
• Led the replacement of a multi-coil steam dryer rotor under high-risk conditions with zero safety incidents.
• Authored and implemented Safe Maintenance Procedures (SMPs) and SWPs enhancing safety and compliance.
• Led and developed teams of 20 artisans and technicians in a 24/7 production environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Preventive, corrective, and breakdown maintenance execution
• Reliability improvement initiatives (FMEA, RCA)
• Statutory inspections and legal compliance
• SAP PM reporting, data analysis, and KPI tracking
• Safety leadership and risk management

Key Achievements & Impact

• Successfully delivered multiple capital and improvement projects from concept to commissioning.
• Led Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) retrofit project, overseeing Pre-assembly, dismantling of old units
  and Erection of new ESP
  Cold commissioning, hot commissioning, and final handover
• Replaced electric heaters with HFO steam heaters, achieving energy cost reductions.
• Coordinated mechanical, electrical, civil, and instrumentation contractors across simultaneous work fronts.
• Maintained strong safety compliance with no major incidents during project execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Scope development, WBS creation, and resource planning
• Technical procurement and tender adjudication
• Supplier drawing review and approval
• Project scheduling and progress tracking
• Commissioning, performance testing, and handover

Key Achievements & Impact

• Led a team of 10 technicians in planning and executing maintenance activities for mechanical equipment in a Sulphur Burning Acid Plant, including pumps, conveyor belts, filter, furnace , boilers,compressors, heat exchangers, and vessels.
• Provided technical expertise in troubleshooting and resolving mechanical issues, ensuring minimal downtime and production disruptions.
• Implemented reliability engineering practices, conducted failure analysis, and developed strategies for preventing future failures and improving equipment performance .maintaining availability above 90%
• Managed mechanical engineering projects, including equipment upgrades, new system installations, and process optimization initiatives, ensuring successful implementation within set budgets and timelines.
• Ensured compliance with safety protocols and regulatory standards, conducting risk assessments and implementing corrective actions to mitigate potential hazards.
• Oversaw inspections of mechanical equipment and components, ensuring adherence to quality standards and addressing any defects or deviations.
• Developed and maintained technical documentation, including equipment specifications, maintenance manuals, SMPs, and engineering drawings.
• Mentored and provided guidance to junior engineers and technicians, conducting training programs to enhance their technical skills and safety awareness.
• Identified opportunities for energy optimization and cost reduction in mechanical systems, implementing measures to improve energy efficiency and enhance overall plant performance.

• Assisted in planning and executing maintenance activities for mechanical equipment in a copper smelter, including crushers, conveyors, pumps, and furnaces.
• Conducted troubleshooting and repairs of mechanical systems to ensure uninterrupted operations.
• Collaborated with project teams in the implementation of equipment upgrades and modifications, ensuring adherence to timelines and budget.
• Monitored equipment performance, collected data, and analyzed trends to identify opportunities for process optimization and efficiency enhancement.
• Maintained accurate records of maintenance activities, downtime, and equipment performance metrics.
• Participated in cross-functional collaboration with electrical engineers, metallurgists, and operations personnel to achieve production targets and resolve technical issues.
• Nchanga Smelter