At First Quantum, we free the talent of our people by taking a very different approach which is underpinned by a very different, very definite culture – the “First Quantum Way”.
Working with us is not like working anywhere else, which is why we recruit people who will take a bolder, smarter approach to spot opportunities, solve problems and deliver results.
Our culture is all about encouraging you to think independently and to challenge convention to deliver the best result. That’s how we continue to achieve extraordinary things in extraordinary locations.
Job description:
Job Summary
The Lead, Engineering Development oversees technical growth for graduates and senior staff in FQML’s Engineering, Maintenance, and Support Services. This role designs, implements, and refines development programs—especially the Senior Proficiency Framework—to align with FQM’s Asset Management Framework, national training standards, and workforce goals.
By promoting continuous learning, the role helps maintenance personnel build skills and motivation to support safe, reliable, and cost-effective asset performance throughout the asset lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Senior Proficiency Framework Development and Implementation
- Establish a structured, adaptable framework for Engineering, Maintenance, and Support Services, ensuring alignment with operational needs and consistency across global sites.
- Lead the deployment of FQM’s Senior Proficiency Framework.
- Define competency-based career pathways for senior engineering and maintenance staff in line with the Asset Management Framework (Commitments 5, 7, and 14).
- Ensure integration with Group reliability, asset management, and operational excellence programs.
- Incorporate site-specific requirements into a unified framework.
- Track key performance indicators and report on skills development outcomes.
- Align framework outputs with career progression and workforce planning.
- Partner with HR to maintain structured job grades, competitive compensation, and performance-based incentives.
Artisan Development
- Align artisan development initiatives with the Senior Proficiency Framework.
Support creation of practical, industry-focused training modules under the Artisan Proficiency Framework.
Talent and Capability Building
- Drive development of a skilled, motivated technical workforce in line with Commitment 14 – People and Talent Management.
- Collaborate with site leadership to identify skill gaps and implement targeted development plans.
- Foster a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement among artisans and technicians.
- Management of succession plans in collaboration with group resources.
Knowledge
- Competency Frameworks & Workforce Development: In-depth understanding of technical education systems, competency-based frameworks, and industry training standards.
- Asset Management Principles: Familiarity with FQM’s Asset Management Framework and its integration with reliability and operational excellence programs.
- Engineering & Maintenance Practices: Strong knowledge of engineering principles, maintenance strategies, and lifecycle asset management.
- National & International Standards: Awareness of national qualifications frameworks and global best practices in technical training.
- HR and Workforce Planning: Understanding of job grading structures, career progression models, and performance-based reward systems.
Skills
- Program Design & Implementation: Ability to design, deploy, and refine structured development programs for technical personnel.
- Project Management: Proficiency in planning, executing, and monitoring complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Strong collaboration skills to work effectively with HR, site leadership, and training departments.
- Data Analysis & Reporting: Capability to track KPIs, analyze skills development outcomes, and prepare clear reports.
- Facilitation & Coaching: Skilled in mentoring, coaching, and facilitating learning for senior engineers and artisans.
- Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication for presenting frameworks and influencing leadership.
Attributes
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to align workforce development initiatives with organizational goals and operational needs.
- Cultural Awareness: Effective in diverse environments and committed to local skills development.
- Results Orientation: Focused on measurable outcomes, continuous improvement, and accountability.
- Leadership & Influence: Inspires confidence, drives change, and promotes a culture of ownership and excellence.
- Ethical & Professional Integrity: Maintains high standards of fairness, transparency, and compliance.
Experience
- Competency Frameworks & Workforce Development: Demonstrated experience (3+ years) designing, implementing, and maintaining competency‑based development programs for technical disciplines in Engineering and Maintenance. This should include building progression pathways, assessment methods, and governance routines across multiple sites or business units.
- Asset Management & Reliability Alignment: 4–6 years working within formal Asset Management contexts (e.g., AM frameworks, reliability and operational excellence programs), with evidence of translating framework commitments into practical development pathways and KPIs. Experience coordinating with Group/Corporate functions to ensure consistency is essential.
- Engineering & Maintenance Domain Exposure: 6–8 years in industrial or mining environments, partnering closely with maintenance and engineering teams on lifecycle asset management, skills uplift, and performance enablement (e.g., planning, execution, feedback loops). Direct exposure to workshop or plant operations is a requirement.
- Standards & Accreditation: Practical engagement with national qualifications frameworks and industry training standards (e.g., developing or mapping modules to standards, preparing for audits, running assessments). Experience collaborating with training bodies and site training departments on curriculum/assessment integrity.
- HR Partnership & Workforce Planning: Has experience collaborating with HR teams on job grading, career progression mapping, compensation and incentive alignment, and succession planning for technical positions. Capable of connecting development results to performance management and workforce planning.
- Project and Stakeholder Leadership: Proven track record (5+ years) project‑managing multi‑stakeholder initiatives end‑to‑end—chartering, timelines, risks, communications—and influencing senior leaders, site leads, and training teams to drive adoption.
- Data‑driven reporting: Hands‑on experience setting up and using skills development KPIs, dashboards, and reporting cadences to measure proficiency uplift, program effectiveness, and ROI; able to present insights and action plans to leadership.
- Facilitation & Coaching: Experience facilitating learning for engineers and senior staff (e.g., workshops, clinics, coaching circles) and enabling a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement at the front line.
- Change Leadership & Cultural Agility: Evidence of leading change across diverse sites—aligning frameworks while respecting local realities; building trust, sustaining momentum, and modeling high ethical and professional standards.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Postgraduate qualification (e.g., MSc Engineering Management, Asset Management, or Organizational Development) is an advantage.
- Professional certifications in Asset Management (ISO 55000), Reliability Engineering, or Workforce Development highly desirable.
- ZAQA validated qualifications.
Professional Accreditation
- Membership in a recognized engineering body (e.g., Engineering Institute of Zambia, or equivalent international body).
- TEVETA or similar accreditation experience for technical training programs is preferred.
Specialized Training
- Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) or equivalent.
- HR training in Competency Frameworks, Job Grading, and Workforce Planning is preferred.
Technical & Leadership Credentials
- Demonstrated ability to design and implement competency-based frameworks for technical roles.
- Proven track record in change management, stakeholder engagement, and cultural transformation across diverse sites.
- Strong data literacy for KPI tracking, dashboard reporting, and ROI analysis.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering or related technical discipline
- 3+ years designing, implementing and maintaining competency-based development programs for technical disciplines
- 4-6 years working within formal Asset Management contexts (e.g., ISO 55000 alignment, reliability programs)
- 6-8 years' experience in industrial or mining environments with direct exposure to workshop or plant operations
- 5+ years project-managing multi-stakeholder initiatives end-to-end (charter, timelines, risks, communications)
- Hands-on experience setting up and using skills development KPIs, dashboards and reporting cadences
- Experience facilitating and coaching senior engineers, artisans and technicians (workshops, clinics, coaching circles)
- Practical engagement with national qualifications frameworks and industry training standards (mapping modules, audits, assessments)
- Experience collaborating with HR on job grading, career progression mapping, compensation alignment and succession planning
- Membership in a recognised engineering body (e.g., Engineering Institute of Zambia) or equivalent accreditation
- ZAQA validated qualifications
- Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2) or equivalent
- Postgraduate qualification (e.g., MSc Engineering Management, Asset Management, Organizational Development)
- Professional certifications in Asset Management, Reliability Engineering or Workforce Development (highly desirable)
- Experience with TEVETA or similar accreditation processes for technical training programs
What We Do
First Quantum Minerals Ltd. is a global mining company producing copper and nickel, as well as gold and cobalt. Our growing portfolio of operations and projects spans four continents and employs around 20,000 people. We are well-known for our ‘can do’ attitude and specialist technical, project management, engineering, construction and operational skills, which allow us to develop and successfully run complex mines and minerals processing plants. We strive to go beyond the goals set by other companies. After 25 years of operations we are now one of the world’s top 10 copper producers and we focus on providing a tangible benefit from everything we do for employees, investors and the many communities that host our operations. From our initial operation reprocessing tailings facilities in Zambia, to the recently completed giant Cobre Panama operation, we have recorded many significant commercial and technical achievements over the past two decades. By 2021, the combined output of our mines will be more than 800,000 tonnes of copper per year.
