Heavy Equipment Manager

General Description Responsible to the Regional Workshop Manager for effectively leading and managing the heavy equipment fleet and all associated maintenance activities. The Heavy Equipment Manager is responsible for the technical performance, reliability, availability and allocation of heavy equipment, ensuring that assets are maintained and repaired to the required standards, within agreed timeframes and at controlled cost. The role requires a strong technical background across ABI, Kubota, SANY, Hyundai and Klemm equipment, combined with the ability to develop and implement effective maintenance and repair strategies. The role will work closely with Operations, Workshop, Stores, Procurement, Finance and other cross-functional teams to provide practical, timely and commercially sound solutions. The Heavy Equipment Manager will provide regular performance updates to Senior Management and act as an all-round solution provider for technical and operational equipment requirements.

Key Responsibilities Lead and manage the heavy equipment maintenance and repair function, ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operation of the fleet.

Maintain a strong technical focus across ABI, Kubota, SANY, Hyundai and Klemm equipment, providing technical guidance, fault-finding support and repair solutions.

Develop and implement preventative, predictive and corrective maintenance strategies to improve equipment reliability, availability and lifecycle performance.

Establish clear repair priorities and ensure equipment is returned to a ready state within agreed turnaround times and operational requirements.

Monitor equipment availability, utilisation, downtime, breakdowns and repair turnaround time, identifying trends and implementing corrective actions.

Ensure all maintenance and repair activities comply with safe working practices, applicable legislation, Action’s HSE policies and required technical standards, including LOTO, tool calibration and lifting controls.

Provide leadership, coaching and technical development to supervisors, technicians and operators, identifying competency gaps and implementing appropriate training and development plans.

Manage maintenance budgets and exercise effective cost control across labour, parts, external repairs and other equipment-related expenditure.

Work closely with Procurement, Stores and Finance to control parts consumption, inventory levels, vendor performance and maintenance expenditure.

Ensure accurate maintenance records, work orders, inspection records and equipment history are maintained and available for operational and management review.

Establish and monitor KPIs covering equipment availability, reliability, maintenance cost, utilisation, turnaround time, compliance and overall fleet performance.

Work closely with Operations and other stakeholders to provide practical solutions to equipment issues, balancing technical requirements, operational priorities, time constraints and commercial considerations.

Act as an all-round solution provider for heavy equipment matters, taking ownership of issues through to resolution and escalating risks or constraints when required.

Prepare and present regular reports to management covering fleet condition, maintenance performance, costs, availability, risks and improvement actions.

• Work with Operations to distinguish between equipment-related productivity constraints and operator or operational issues, ensuring the correct action is taken and accountability is clearly established.
• Ensure operators complete and submit required daily/pre-start equipment checks and that identified defects are communicated promptly to the appropriate maintenance team.
• Review daily equipment productivity and utilisation against planned output and operating hours, identifying under-utilisation, excessive idle time, recurring operator-related issues or equipment performance concerns and implementing corrective actions.
• Establish a clear daily reporting process between the field and Workshop so equipment defects, maintenance concerns and operational requirements are identified, communicated and actioned without unnecessary delay.
• Maintain clear daily communication between Operations, operators and Workshop regarding equipment productivity, operating hours, utilisation, breakdowns, defects, maintenance requirements and any issues affecting equipment performance.
• Provide day-to-day oversight of machine operators in coordination with Operations, ensuring equipment is operated safely, correctly and efficiently and that operator performance supports agreed productivity requirements.
• Assess operator competency, identify training and development gaps, and ensure operators are suitably trained and competent for the equipment assigned to them.
• Develop and implement structured training programmes for machine operators, covering safe operation, equipment-specific procedures, daily inspections, basic troubleshooting, efficient machine utilisation and good operating practices.

Qualification Requirements Education Associate's degree, trade certification, diploma or equivalent technical qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Heavy Equipment Maintenance, Industrial Maintenance or a related discipline.

Experience Minimum of 10 years' experience in heavy equipment, workshop, fleet maintenance or heavy maintenance operations.

Strong hands-on technical background with ABI, Kubota, SANY, Hyundai and Klemm equipment.

Proven experience developing and implementing maintenance and repair strategies for a diverse heavy equipment fleet.

Proven experience in fleet allocation, equipment availability and operational planning.

Proven experience with budgeting, financial analysis and maintenance cost control.

• Ability to analyse daily productivity, operating hours, downtime and maintenance information and convert this into practical corrective actions.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to establish clear and timely communication between field operators, Operations and Workshop.
• Strong ability to manage day-to-day operator performance, productivity and equipment utilisation in partnership with Operations.
• Demonstrable ability to develop and deliver operator training programmes and assess operator competency.

Must-have Skills Strong technical diagnostic and problem-solving capability across heavy equipment.

Strong understanding of preventative, predictive and corrective maintenance strategies.

Demonstrable ability to manage repair priorities and achieve agreed time compliance and turnaround targets.

Strong leadership, training and people-development skills.

Ability to work effectively with Operations, Workshop, Stores, Procurement and Finance.

Commercial awareness with a strong focus on cost control, equipment availability and fleet utilisation.

Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage changing schedules, operational pressures and shifting priorities.

Ability to act as an all-round solution provider, taking ownership of technical and operational problems through to resolution.

Proficiency in MS Office Suite and experience with ERP / fleet maintenance systems.

Familiarity with ISO Standards (9001, 14001, 45001) and relevant HSE requirements.

Strong knowledge of drilling activities, drilling equipment and associated accessories, including their operation, maintenance, inspection, repair and field application.

Utilisation of telemetry and equipment data to effectively identify trends, monitor productivity and equipment performance, identify early indicators of potential failures, and implement proactive maintenance strategies to reduce unplanned downtime.