Senior Manager Rail, Electrical & Instrumentation

Sasol is a global integrated chemicals and energy company with a 75-year heritage. Through our talented people, we use our expertise and selected technologies to safely and sustainably source, manufacture and market chemical and energy products globally. When you join Team Sasol, you are joining a company that puts people at the center of everything we do.

Sasol invests in its employees along every stage of the career path and offers development opportunities to help you cultivate your career in a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion.

Job Requisition ID

13138

Closing Date

29 Septembe 2026

OME

MSA: Energy Marketing & Sales

Location

Secunda

Purpose of Job

The Senior Manager: Rail, Electrical & Instrumentation is accountable for providing strategic leadership, governance, technical direction and regulatory oversight of all Railway, Electrical and Instrumentation assets within Secunda Tank Farm Operations. The role ensures the safe, reliable, compliant and cost-effective operation of rail infrastructure, locomotives, signaling systems, telecommunications, weighbridges, electrical distribution networks, instrumentation, automation and control systems to support sustainable business performance and maintain Sasol's license to operate.

• Accountable for asset lifecycle management, maintenance strategy, engineering governance, operational risk management, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement across Rail and E&I assets.
• Ensure the availability, reliability, and cost-effectiveness of Rail, Electrical, and Instrumentation assets to support safe and uninterrupted production.
• Lead the effective maintenance of plant Electrical and Instrumentation equipment and rail infrastructure to achieve world-class asset performance, reliability, and operational excellence.
• Provide strategic leadership, governance, and technical direction for the Railway, Electrical, and Instrumentation maintenance functions to ensure safe, sustainable, and compliant operations.
• Ensure compliance with Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) permit conditions, directives, statutory requirements, engineering standards, and all applicable Electrical and Instrumentation governance requirements.

Key Accountabilities

Asset Management, Reliability and Lifecycle Planning

• Accountable for asset lifecycle management, maintenance strategy, operational reliability, engineering governance and continuous improvement of Railway, Electrical and Instrumentation assets.
• Ensure the availability, reliability and cost effectiveness of Railway, Electrical and Instrumentation assets to support safe and uninterrupted production.
• Ensure effective maintenance of plant Electrical and Instrumentation equipment and rail infrastructure.
• Maintain assets within agreed operating envelope conditions and approved engineering standards.
• Maintain assets to established performance, reliability and safety standards.
• Develop lifecycle management plans for railway, electrical and instrumentation assets.
• Develop long-term renewal plans and asset replacement strategies.
• Improve asset reliability through predictive, preventative and condition-based maintenance strategies.
• Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), asset availability and operational performance.
• Support digitalization initiatives, predictive maintenance technologies and Industry 4.0 implementation.

Maintenance Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of maintenance systems, maintenance standards and best practices.
• Establish and continuously improve maintenance methodologies, maintenance systems and work management processes.
• Align the right skills and technical resources to the right challenges and asset performance priorities.
• Identify technical problems, operational constraints and improvement opportunities.
• Benchmark best practices, technologies and optimal maintenance solutions against industry leaders.
• Implement sustainable improvement solutions that enhance safety, reliability, asset performance, cost efficiency and operational effectiveness.
• Continuously improve products, services, systems and business processes

Regulatory Compliance, Governance and Railway Safety

• Ensure full compliance with Railway Safety Regulator (RSR) permit conditions, directives, Safety Management System requirements, engineering standards, legal requirements and Sasol governance frameworks.
• Accountable for maintaining railway safety compliance and safeguarding Sasol's railway operating licence.
• Lead the implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of governance systems, engineering controls and compliance programs for Rail and E&I assets.
• Manage standards, governance requirements and legal compliance applicable to Railway, Electrical and Instrumentation systems.
• Ensure continuous improvement of safety performance and key SHE metrics to achieve Zero Harm and maintain licence to operate.
• Manage operational, engineering and maintenance risks by ensuring risks are proactively identified, assessed, mitigated and monitored to acceptable levels.

Strategic Leadership and Technical Stewardship

• Provide strategic leadership, governance and technical direction for the Railway, Electrical and Instrumentation maintenance functions.
• Provide overall leadership of electrical distribution systems, instrumentation, process control systems, automation systems and associated technologies.
• Provide overall leadership of railway infrastructure, permanent way, locomotives, signaling and interlocking systems, telecommunications, weighbridge systems and associated railway operational assets.
• Lead the development and execution of long-term asset management strategies aligned to business objectives.
• Drive operational excellence through continuous improvement, innovation, digital transformation and modernisation initiatives across the Rail and E&I portfolio.
• Provide technical leadership and governance for major capital projects, infrastructure upgrades, asset renewal programs and strategic investment initiatives.

Capital Planning and Project Leadership

• Participate in and lead engineering design decisions to ensure optimal asset functionality, reliability and maintainability.
• Manage implementation of strategic projects, shutdown activities and infrastructure upgrades.
• Lead asset modernisation initiatives and infrastructure renewal programmes.
• Input into the 5-year rolling capital investment plan and long-term asset strategy.
• Ensure capital projects deliver targeted business value, operational improvements and risk reduction.

Maintenance Planning, Budget and Cost Management

• Compile and manage annual maintenance budgets and long-term expenditure forecasts.
• Control costs and ensure maintenance activities are executed within approved budgets while achieving business performance targets.
• Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling and execution to optimise asset reliability and resource utilisation.
• Manage shutdown planning and execution to ensure safe, effective and efficient delivery.
• Manage maintenance spares, materials and inventory strategies to support operational continuity and optimise working capital.

Stakeholder Integration and Value Chain Alignment

• Demonstrate One Sasol behaviour by ensuring decisions and priorities support the broader Sasol Value Chain.
• Manage complex internal and external stakeholder interfaces effectively.
• Build strong partnerships with Operations, Engineering, Projects & Engineering, Supply Chain, Regulatory Authorities and external service providers.
• Integrate maintenance, operations and project activities to maximise business value.
• Report to the Head: Secunda Tank Farm Operations on system availability, asset performance, maintenance exec