Head of Mechanical Maintenance – Dangote Cement Tanzania

Job Title: Head of Mechanical Maintenance
Company: Dangote Cement PLC
Location: Mtwara Plant, Tanzania
Date Posted: 30 July 2026
Job Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Permanent
Application Deadline: August 2026

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About Dangote Cement Tanzania

Dangote Cement Tanzania is seeking a highly competent and results-driven Mechanical Maintenance Head to provide technical leadership, improve equipment reliability, develop maintenance teams, and sustain safe production at the plant’s designed capacity.

The successful candidate will be a hands-on leader with strong field presence, capable of transforming technical analysis into practical actions that improve plant performance.

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Job Purpose

The Head of Mechanical Maintenance will provide strategic and operational leadership for all mechanical maintenance activities across the integrated cement plant.

The role is responsible for:

• Maximizing equipment availability.
• Reducing unplanned plant stoppages.
• Strengthening preventive and predictive maintenance systems.
• Improving asset reliability.
• Managing maintenance costs.
• Developing a high-performing mechanical maintenance organization.

The position requires strong ownership of mechanical performance and close collaboration with Production, Engineering, Safety, and other plant functions.

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Key Responsibilities

1. Maintenance Strategy and Reliability Management

• Develop and implement the plant mechanical maintenance strategy aligned with:
  • Production targets.
  • OEM recommendations.
  • Statutory requirements.
  • Dangote standards.
• Manage:
  • Preventive maintenance.
  • Predictive maintenance.
  • Condition-based maintenance.
  • Corrective maintenance programs.
• Improve equipment reliability through:
  • Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
  • Failure elimination.
  • Bad-actor management.
  • Life-cycle planning.
  • Continuous improvement initiatives.
• Establish maintenance standards for:
  • Lubrication.
  • Alignment.
  • Balancing.
  • Vibration monitoring.
  • Thermography.
  • Oil analysis.
  • Equipment inspections.
• Ensure accurate maintenance records through CMMS/SAP systems, including:
  • Equipment history.
  • Bills of materials.
  • Maintenance tasks.
  • Backlog priorities.

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2. Plant Equipment and Technical Management

Lead mechanical maintenance activities for major cement plant equipment including:

• Crushers.
• Stackers and reclaimers.
• Raw mills.
• Coal mills.
• Rotary kilns.
• Preheaters.
• Clinker coolers.
• Cement mills.
• Separators.
• Packing plants.
• Bulk loading systems.

Ensure reliability of:

• Gearboxes.
• Girth gears.
• Pinions.
• Bearings.
• Couplings.
• Hydraulic systems.
• Fans.
• Compressors.
• Pumps.
• Conveyors.
• Elevators.
• Feeders.
• Dust collectors.
• Utility equipment.

Maintain mechanical integrity of kiln systems including:

• Kiln shell.
• Tyres.
• Rollers.
• Thrust rollers.
• Drive systems.
• Seals.
• Cooler systems.

Manage precision maintenance activities such as:

• Hot and cold alignment.
• Laser alignment.
• Balancing.
• Welding.
• Fabrication.
• Machining.
• Non-Destructive Testing (NDT).
• Dimensional inspections.

Coordinate OEM and specialist support for:

• Major failures.
• Equipment upgrades.
• Overhauls.
• Performance restoration.

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3. Shutdown and Project Management

• Lead annual shutdowns and major maintenance overhauls.
• Manage shutdown activities from:
  • Scope development.
  • Resource planning.
  • Risk assessment.
  • Execution.
  • Quality control.
  • Commissioning.
  • Lessons learned.
• Ensure shutdown readiness including:
  • Drawings.
  • Work procedures.
  • Manpower.
  • Tools.
  • Lifting plans.
  • Permits.
  • Materials.
  • Spare parts.
  • Contingency plans.
• Manage mechanical CAPEX projects within approved:
  • Budget.
  • Schedule.
  • Scope.
• Participate in:
  • Design reviews.
  • Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT).
  • Installation.
  • Commissioning.
  • Performance testing.

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4. Safety, Compliance and Work Quality

• Demonstrate visible safety leadership across mechanical operations.
• Enforce compliance with:
  • Permit-to-work systems.
  • Lockout/Tagout (LOTO).
  • Confined-space procedures.
  • Hot-work permits.
  • Work-at-height requirements.
  • Lifting safety standards.
• Ensure all maintenance activities have:
  • Risk assessments.
  • Method statements.
  • Isolation plans.
  • Quality inspection checkpoints.
• Maintain compliance with:
  • Tanzanian regulations.
  • Environmental requirements.
  • Company standards.
  • Engineering best practices.
• Investigate:
  • Incidents.
  • Near misses.
  • Unsafe conditions.
• Maintain high standards in:
  • Housekeeping.
  • Workshop management.
  • Equipment guarding.
  • Crane and lifting equipment control.
  • Tool management.

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5. Cost, Spare Parts and Contractor Management

• Prepare and control mechanical maintenance budgets.
• Improve maintenance cost efficiency while protecting asset reliability.
• Optimize critical spare parts based on:
  • Equipment criticality.
  • Lead time.
  • Consumption.
  • Failure impact.
  • Obsolescence risk.
• Review:
  • Technical specifications.
  • Purchase requests.
  • Supplier quotations.
  • Vendor proposals.
• Manage contractors through:
  • Clear work scopes.
  • Competency assessments.
  • Safety compliance.
  • Performance monitoring.
  • Quality verification.
• Evaluate repair-versus-replacement decisions using life-cycle cost analysis.

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6. Leadership and Team Development

• Lead and develop the mechanical maintenance team.
• Establish:
  • Clear objectives.
  • Daily coordination systems.
  • Performance reviews.
• Develop succession plans and competency frameworks for:
  • Engineers.
  • Supervisors.
  • Technicians.
  • Welders.
  • Fitters.
  • Maintenance planners.
• Collaborate with:
  • Production.
  • Process Engineering.
  • Electrical.
  • Automation.
  • Quality.
  • Mining.
  • Procurement.
  • Health and Safety teams.
• Lead reliability reviews and provide recovery plans for plant challenges.
• Promote a culture of:
  • Safety.
  • Accountability.
  • Teamwork.
  • Technical excellence.
  • Continuous improvement.

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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Equipment Availability

• Achieve reliability and availability targets for critical production sections.

Unplanned Downtime

• Reduce mechanical failures and production losses.

Maintenance Compliance

• Improve preventive maintenance completion and work-order quality.

Shutdown Performance

• Deliver safe shutdowns within scope, budget, and schedule.

Cost Control

• Optimize maintenance cost per ton and repair quality.

Asset Health

• Improve equipment condition, lubrication compliance, and reliability.

Safety Performance

• Maintain zero fatalities and minimize workplace incidents.

People Development

• Improve team competency, succession readiness, and engagement.

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Minimum Qualifications and Experience

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in:

• Mechanical Engineering from a recognized institution.

Added advantage:

• Master’s Degree.
• Professional Engineering certification.

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Experience Requirements

Minimum:

• 20 years of progressive mechanical maintenance experience in heavy industry.
• At least:
  • 15 years in cement plant operations.
  • 6 years in senior mechanical leadership roles.

Required experience:

• Integrated cement plant operations.
• Kiln systems.
• Grinding mills.
• Crushers.
• Material handling systems.
• Packing systems.
• Utility systems.
• Major shutdown management.
• Reliability programs.
• Maintenance budgets.
• Contractor management.
• Multidisciplinary team leadership.

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Technical Competencies

Strong knowledge of:

• Rotating equipment maintenance.
• Precision maintenance techniques.
• Kiln mechanical systems.
• Alignment and roller condition monitoring.
• Grinding and crushing equipment.
• Conveying and packing systems.
• Hydraulics and pneumatics.
• Lubrication and filtration systems.
• Predictive maintenance.
• Condition monitoring.
• Welding and fabrication.
• Machining.
• NDT inspection.
• Shutdown planning.
• Project execution.
• Commissioning.
• RCA and FMEA.
• Equipment criticality assessment.
• Inventory optimization.
• Contractor management.

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Leadership Competencies

The ideal candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong field leadership presence.
• Ownership and accountability.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Fast and effective decision-making during breakdowns.
• Data-driven problem solving.
• Strong engineering judgment.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to influence teams and contractors.
• Safety commitment and integrity.
• Coaching and knowledge transfer capability.

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Working Conditions

• Plant-based role requiring regular presence in:
  • Production areas.
  • Workshops.
  • Shutdown work sites.
• Availability required during:
  • Major breakdowns.
  • Shutdowns.
  • Plant emergencies.
• Ability to work safely around:
  • Heat.
  • Dust.
  • Noise.
  • Heights.
  • Confined spaces.
  • Heavy machinery.

with appropriate PPE and safety controls.

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Equal Opportunity Statement

Dangote Cement Tanzania provides equal employment opportunities based on merit, competence, and organizational requirements.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit their applications through the official recruitment channel provided in the vacancy announcement.

Position: Head of Mechanical Maintenance
Company: Dangote Cement Tanzania
Location: Mtwara Plant
Job Type: Full-Time / Permanent
Deadline: August 2026

Applicants should carefully review the requirements and ensure they meet the technical experience and leadership criteria before applying.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY