Plant Maintenance Engineer - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

About Saudi Gold Refinery

Saudi Gold Refinery (SGR) is a Saudi mining and precious-metals company specialized in the refining of gold and precious metals, bullion production, and value-added precious-metal services. Operating within the Kingdom's mining value chain, SGR is aligned to the Vision 2030 mining pillar and to the regulatory framework set by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) and applicable Saudi and international standards. We produce responsibly sourced, traceable, and certified bullion, operate to LBMA Good Delivery and ISO-aligned quality standards, and invest in the people, processes, and controls behind every bar we produce.

Role Overview

Saudi Gold Refinery (SGR) is seeking a Plant Maintenance Engineer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to ensure the mechanical and electrical reliability of our gold refining and bullion production assets. This role focuses on executing preventive and corrective maintenance plans for critical equipment including acid plants, electrolytic cells, and casting lines. The engineer will drive operational continuity by minimizing unplanned downtime and adhering to strict safety and quality standards required for LBMA Good Delivery status.

The Plant Maintenance Engineer will report directly to the Plant Superintendent and will play a key role in maintaining the integrity of our downstream processing infrastructure. This position requires a proactive approach to asset management, contractor supervision, and safety compliance within a 24/7 industrial operating environment.

Key Responsibilities

The Plant Maintenance Engineer will be responsible for the following key areas of work.

Preventive Maintenance Execution

The role develops and implements comprehensive preventive maintenance schedules for all critical machinery to ensure consistent production output. This includes routine inspection and servicing of Miller process furnaces, Wohlwill cells, and associated auxiliary systems.

Corrective Maintenance Leadership

This position leads rapid response efforts for equipment failures to restore operational capacity within defined timeframes. The engineer diagnoses root causes of mechanical and electrical faults and implements permanent solutions to prevent recurrence.

Safety and Permit Compliance

The engineer enforces strict adherence to Permit-to-Work and Lockout/Tagout procedures for all maintenance activities involving hazardous energy sources. They ensure that all work permits are correctly issued, monitored, and closed in accordance with SGR HSE policies.

Contractor Performance Management

This role supervises external maintenance contractors to ensure their work meets SGR's technical specifications and safety standards. The engineer evaluates contractor performance regularly and addresses any deviations from agreed service levels immediately.

Asset Integrity and Reliability

The position utilizes reliability-centered maintenance principles to extend the lifecycle of plant assets and optimize maintenance costs. This involves analyzing failure data and implementing engineering improvements to enhance equipment robustness.

Spare Parts Inventory Control

The engineer manages the inventory of critical spare parts to balance operational readiness with cost efficiency. They coordinate with procurement to ensure timely availability of materials while minimizing excess stock levels.

Regulatory and Audit Support

This role maintains accurate maintenance records and calibration certificates to support internal audits and external regulatory inspections. The engineer ensures compliance with SASO standards and LBMA requirements for equipment traceability.

Technical Documentation Management

The position updates and maintains technical drawings, manuals, and maintenance logs in the central document control system. This ensures that all operational staff have access to current and accurate equipment information.

HSE Incident Investigation

The engineer participates in the investigation of maintenance-related incidents and near misses to identify systemic issues. They develop and track corrective actions to enhance the overall safety culture within the maintenance team.

Budget and Cost Monitoring

This role monitors maintenance expenditures against the approved annual budget and reports variances to management. The engineer identifies cost-saving opportunities through improved maintenance practices and localized sourcing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Mining, Industrial Engineering from an accredited institution.
• At least five years of relevant experience in maintenance engineering within mining.
• Strong technical knowledge of rotating equipment, hydraulic systems, and high-voltage electrical infrastructure.
• Proficiency in using Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) for planning and tracking work orders.
• In-depth understanding of occupational health and safety regulations including PTW and LOTO protocols.
• Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings, P&IDs, and technical manuals.
• Excellent command of English for technical communication and reporting, with Arabic language skills preferred.
• Valid Saudi driving license and willingness to work on-call rotations for emergency maintenance support.

Preferred / Nice-to-have

• Professional certification in maintenance and reliability such as CMRP or CRL.
• Training in Root Cause Analysis techniques like Six Sigma or TapRoot.
• Previous experience in managing multicultural teams and external contractors in a Saudi industrial setting.

Success Metrics

• Planned maintenance compliance rate exceeds 90 percent for all critical production assets.
• Unplanned downtime is reduced by 15 percent compared to the previous annual baseline.
• Zero recordable safety incidents occur within the maintenance department during the evaluation period.
• Maintenance budget variance remains within plus or minus 5 percent of the approved annual forecast.
• Spare parts inventory turnover ratio improves by 10 percent through optimized stock levels.
• Contractor performance scores average above 85 percent on quarterly safety and quality evaluations.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Saudi Gold Refinery welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. Hiring decisions are made based on role requirements, skills, experience, and alignment with Saudization and Vision 2030 priorities.