We are one of the world's largest producers and marketers of copper with our mining and development projects within the key mining regions of Africa & the Americas.

Summary

Glencore Copper Africa is seeking a Projects Operational Readiness & Major Shutdown Manager – Africa to support the growth and delivery of our project portfolio across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Based in Johannesburg, this role provides leadership in Operational Readiness (OPR) and Major Shutdown Readiness across a diverse mix of brownfield and greenfield capital projects, with regular travel to DRC operations as required.

The Opportunity

The primary purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate the Operational Readiness (OPR) and Major Shutdown Readiness strategy across Glencore Copper Africa’s projects portfolio. You will ensure that each project—particularly those requiring major plant tie-ins, brownfield interfaces, and high-risk shutdown interventions—is fully prepared for safe, efficient, and reliable operation at handover.

The role includes a strong focus on major shutdown planning and execution readiness, ensuring optimal alignment between project teams, commissioning, maintenance, construction, and operations to support safe tie-ins, minimal downtime, and stable ramp-up.

In this role, you will:

• Lead Operational Readiness (OPR) across multiple capital projects in the DRC, ensuring people, processes, and assets are ready for commissioning, start-up, ramp-up, and steady operations.
• Represent the owner/operator perspective to ensure that project design, engineering, and execution practices support long-term stable operations.
• Drive operational capability and readiness improvements across sites and projects.

Major Shutdown Management Responsibilities

• Provide oversight and leadership across major shutdown projects, including large-scale tie-ins, infrastructure cut-overs, processing circuit integrations, and multi-area complex shutdown packages.
• Lead the development of Major Shutdown Execution Plans, including scope definition, critical path identification, Simultaneous Operations (SIMOPS) management, isolation strategies, barricading plans, and contractor readiness.
• Integrate major shutdown schedules with Operations, Maintenance, Construction, and Commissioning to ensure predictable and safe execution.
• Facilitate critical shutdown reviews (ORR, HSEC readiness, SIMOPS risk assessments, Go/No-Go reviews) for all major shutdown events.
• Lead readiness assessments for complex brownfield interfaces and high-risk execution environments.
• Support execution and ramp-up activities during major shutdowns to ensure timely and stable restoration of operational performance.
• Ensure major shutdown learnings are captured, documented, and embedded into future shutdown events across the Africa portfolio.

General OPR Accountabilities

• Review engineering updates, design changes, and scope developments to anticipate operational impacts and mitigate risks.
• Ensure adherence to Glencore engineering standards, shutdown protocols, HSEC requirements, and legal obligations across the project lifecycle.
• Develop and maintain integrated OPR and shutdown readiness schedules and ensure alignment with project milestones and operational calendars.
• Prepare and manage OPR and major shutdown cost estimates for inclusion in capital approvals and execution plans.
• Support transitions between construction, commissioning, start-up, major shutdown execution, and steady-state operations.
• Lead OPR and major shutdown-related audits, governance reviews, and documentation management processes.

Your training, skills & expertise checklist:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, Business, or related field (asset management or operational excellence advantageous).
• Professional certification (e.g., PMI PMP) desirable.
• 15+ years’ experience in Project Management, Operational Readiness, Commissioning, and Major Shutdown Management within the mining and metals industry.
• Proven capability in leading complex brownfield shutdowns, tie-ins, and multi-disciplinary execution teams.
• Strong knowledge of engineering standards, shutdown methodologies, maintenance practices, commissioning processes, and HSEC systems.
• Excellent leadership, facilitation, analytical, and contractor management abilities.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen including major shutdown budgeting and cost estimation.
• Effective interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills across senior and operational stakeholders.
• Johannesburg-based with frequent travel to DRC project sites.
• French an advantage.

Glencore is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone can achieve their full potential, regardless of their backgrounds. We aim to ensure that all perspectives and cultures, however numerous and varied, are welcomed, essential to our operations, and respected by each of our employees. We treat all our employees fairly and with dignity.