Plant Supervisor
South Deep, South Africa, 1780
South Deep is recruiting!
This is an opportunity to bring your expertise to a dynamic and engaged team of professionals, working together to become the beacon of pride for our people, our communities, our stakeholders, and our shareholders.
At South Deep, we value each person’s individual and collective contribution and support your ongoing development, helping you to achieve your career and our business aspirations.
POSITION: Plant Supervisor
JOB GRADING: C – Upper
DEPARTMENT: Metallurgical Plant
SITE: South Deep Gold Mine
The Supervisor: Metallurgical Plant is responsible for monitoring and optimising the performance of the Metallurgical Plant. This includes leading and supervising plant operation teams and shifts to maximise plant throughput and recovery, ensuring cost efficiency, adherence to established operating procedures and metallurgical guidelines. The role requires effective leadership in managing employees and continuous collaboration with internal and external stakeholders across the mining operation.
Minimum Requirements:
- Grade 12 or equivalent
- Minimum of 5 years’ experience in an automated metallurgical processing plant environment
- At least 3 years’ supervisory experience within a Metallurgical Gold Plant
- Demonstrated knowledge and application of:
- In-line Leach Reactors (e.g. Gekko);
- Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) and Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP);
- Smelt house operations and processes;
- Automated sampling systems;
- Process control optimisation; and
- International Cyanide Management Institute (ICMI) Cyanide Code standards
- Be declared medically fit for the position and environment, as determined by a risk-based medical examination at the Gold Fields Occupational Health Centre and pass a Heat Tolerance Screening test and such other tests or assessments as may be required to evaluate the applicant’s suitability for employment
NOTE: All required documentation must be uploaded to your online application to be considered for shortlisting
Key Competencies:
- Proven safety leadership capability with established safety campaign delivery record
- Proficient with safety regulations and procedures specific to Metallurgical operations
- Working knowledge and application of Safety Management and Quality Control systems
- Accomplished frontline team and people leader with advanced inter and intra-team collaboration
- Ability to cope with ambiguity with high personal resilience, change adaptability and working independently
- Demonstrated proficiency in problem-solving and the ability to make informed decisions swiftly
- Sound spoken and written English communication skills
- Ability to perform smelting and furnace activities in compliance with (ICMI Cyanide Code) principles
- Strong knowledge of smelting and metallurgical processes, including furnace operations, slag handling, and metal recovery
- Computer literate with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Ensure the Health and Safety of self and team members by applying relevant standards and procedures in the planning and execution of operational activities
- Contribute to the culture of Zero Harm by participating in and contributing to operational safety campaigns, applying relevant legislative, operational and safe work standards and regulations and, instituting and monitoring appropriate remedial actions as required
- Champion the company’s strategies and initiatives to promote a respectful, diverse and inclusive workplace culture
- Supervise and monitor end-to-end automated metallurgical plant operations, including ore milling, leaching, Carbon-in-Pulp (CIP)/Carbon-in-Leach (CIL) circuits, smelting, gold recovery, and tailings disposal to ensure safe, continuous, and efficient production
- Utilise integrated plant control systems to monitor and adjust key operational parameters such as pressure, temperature, and chemical dosing, ensuring optimal recovery, safety compliance, and production efficiency
- Analyse real-time process data, alarms, and historical trends to identify deviations, inefficiencies, and improvement opportunities, supporting continuous optimisation of automated plant performance
- Coordinate with plant operators, metallurgists, technicians, and maintenance teams to respond to system alerts, implement corrective actions, and ensure effective troubleshooting of process disruptions
- Generate and review automated production reports (daily, weekly, monthly) covering performance, recovery rates, downtime, alarms, and incidents to support decision-making and operational improvement
- Initiate and manage interventions during process interruptions, equipment failures, or safety breaches using system feedback and established response protocols to minimise downtime and risk
- Support maintenance planning, shutdown scheduling, and execution of work orders to ensure reliability and availability of automated plant systems and equipment
Closing Date: 22 June 2026
Please note that the Gold Fields code of conduct strictly prohibits the exchange of any payment as part of its recruitment process.
Should you require any assistance or have any challenges in applying for a position, please contact the Recruitment hub on 011 411 1387
Creating enduring value beyond mining
Gold Fields is committed to advancing its Employment Equity (EE) strategy through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). All Historically Disadvantaged South Africans (HDSA) and differently abled candidates may apply.