Unitrans Malawi Ltd

Closing Date 2026/07/08

Reference Number UNI260624-5

Job Title Workshop Foreman

Business Unit / Division Agriculture

Contract Nchalo Admin

Job Type Classification Permanent – Normal

Duties & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Workshop and Fleet Operations

• Plan, schedule, and allocate work to workshop personnel in line with operational priorities and fleet availability requirements.
• Oversee and implement the fleet maintenance programme to ensure optimal vehicle uptime and compliance with maintenance standards.
• Attend to mechanical and operational breakdowns and ensure timely repairs to minimise downtime.
• Develop, implement, and monitor preventive and planned maintenance schedules for vehicles and equipment.
• Monitor job progress, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to reduce delays and inefficiencies.
• Ensure effective utilisation of labour, tools, equipment, and workshop resources.
• Oversee Wearcheck programme and oversee wearcheck results implementation and feedback.
• Oversee Tyre Management programme (Budini) and ensuring optimum utilization and cost effective use of tyres without compromising safety.

Supervision and People Management

• Lead, manage, and motivate a shift or team of skilled and semi-skilled artisans and support staff.
• Allocate tasks based on skill levels, experience, and operational workload requirements.
• Manage team performance against operational, safety, and quality targets.
• Provide on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring to enhance technical skills and productivity.
• Participate in performance management, discipline, and grievance processes in accordance with company policies and labour legislation.

Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (SHEQ)

• Ensure the successful implementation, monitoring, and management of all SHEQ procedures within the workshop.
• Enforce compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental legislation, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Conduct regular toolbox talks, safety meetings, and workplace inspections.
• Ensure machinery, tools, vehicles, and equipment are operated safely and maintained to statutory and company standards.
• Report, investigate, and implement corrective actions relating to incidents, accidents, and near misses.

Quality Control

• Inspect completed maintenance and repair work to ensure compliance with specifications, quality standards, and workmanship requirements.
• Address quality defects or rework issues promptly and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Promote continuous improvement, standardisation, and adherence to SOPs within the workshop and fleet operations.

Stock, Cost and Asset Management

• Manage stock levels of spare parts, consumables, and workshop supplies to ensure availability of critical spares.
• Oversee the purchase requisitions and replacement of parts, tools, and equipment in line with operational needs and budget constraints.
• Monitor and control vehicle and fleet maintenance costs to acceptable and approved levels.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising safety, quality, or compliance.

Administrative and Reporting Duties

• Ensure accurate completion and submission of job cards, work orders, breakdown reports, and time records.
• Maintain maintenance histories and records for fleet and workshop assets.
• Compile and submit operational, cost, and performance reports as required.
• Maintain accurate, orderly, and compliant workshop and fleet documentation.
• Track fleet availability, breakdown trends.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with internal departments, suppliers, service providers, and contractors to support workshop and fleet operations.
• Provide technical advice and operational feedback to management.
• Ensure effective communication between workshop teams, fleet users, and management.

Qualifications

• Qualified artisan / trade certification (Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, Millwright, or equivalent)
• Must have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Supervisory or management qualification (advantageous)

Experience

• 10 years experience in the maintenance of Bell Equipment with a thorough knowledge of diesel engines, transmissions, hydraulics and general heavy duty plant maintenance.
• Technical experience in a workshop or fleet maintenance environment
• At least 2–3 years’ experience in a supervisory or foreman role
• Sound hands-on auto-electrical knowledge is also a requirement

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong technical expertise in vehicle, plant, or equipment maintenance
• Sound fault-finding and breakdown management capabilities
• Knowledge of fleet maintenance systems, workshop processes, and safety standards
• Planning, scheduling, cost control, and stock management skills
• People management and leadership capability
• Computer literacy (CMMS/job cards, reporting systems, MS Office)

Competencies

• Leadership and team facilitation
• Problem-solving and sound decision-making
• Cost awareness and accountability
• Attention to detail and quality orientation
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Ability to work under pressure and manage priorities

Strong commitment to SHEQ and continuous improvement

• Plan, schedule, and allocate work to workshop personnel in line with operational priorities and fleet availability requirements.
• Oversee and implement the fleet maintenance programme to ensure optimal vehicle uptime and compliance with maintenance standards.
• Attend to mechanical and operational breakdowns and ensure timely repairs to minimise downtime.
• Develop, implement, and monitor preventive and planned maintenance schedules for vehicles and equipment.
• Monitor job progress, identify bottlenecks, and implement corrective actions to reduce delays and inefficiencies.
• Ensure effective utilisation of labour, tools, equipment, and workshop resources.
• Oversee Wearcheck programe and oversee wearchek results implemantation and feedback.
• Oversee Tyre Management programe (Budini) and ensuring optimum utilazation and cost effective use of tyres without compromising safety.
• Lead, manage, and motivate a shift or team of skilled and semi-skilled artisans and support staff.
• Allocate tasks based on skill levels, experience, and operational workload requirements.
• Manage team performance against operational, safety, and quality targets.
• Provide on-the-job training, coaching, and mentoring to enhance technical skills and productivity.
• Participate in performance management, discipline, and grievance processes in accordance with company policies and labour legislation.
• Ensure the successful implementation, monitoring, and management of all SHEQ procedures within the workshop.
• Enforce compliance with occupational health, safety, and environmental legislation, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Conduct regular toolbox talks, safety meetings, and workplace inspections.
• Ensure machinery, tools, vehicles, and equipment are operated safely and maintained to statutory and company standards.
• Report, investigate, and implement corrective actions relating to incidents, accidents, and near misses.
• Inspect completed maintenance and repair work to ensure compliance with specifications, quality standards, and workmanship requirements.
• Address quality defects or rework issues promptly and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Promote continuous improvement, standardisation, and adherence to SOPs within the workshop and fleet operations.
• Manage stock levels of spare parts, consumables, and workshop supplies to ensure availability of critical spares.
• Oversee the purchase requisitions and replacement of parts, tools, and equipment in line with operational needs and budget constraints.
• Monitor and control vehicle and fleet maintenance costs to acceptable and approved levels.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising safety, quality, or compliance.
• Ensure accurate completion and submission of job cards, work orders, breakdown reports, and time records.
• Maintain maintenance histories and records for fleet and workshop assets.
• Compile and submit operational, cost, and performance reports as required.
• Maintain accurate, orderly, and compliant workshop and fleet documentation.
• Track fleet availability, breakdown trends.
• Liaise with internal departments, suppliers, service providers, and contractors to support workshop and fleet operations.
• Provide technical advice and operational feedback to management.
• Ensure effective communication between workshop teams, fleet users, and management.

• Strong technical expertise in vehicle, plant, or equipment maintenance
• Sound fault-finding and breakdown management capabilities
• Knowledge of fleet maintenance systems, workshop processes, and safety standards
• Planning, scheduling, cost control, and stock management skills
• People management and leadership capability
• Computer literacy (CMMS/job cards, reporting systems, MS Office)
• Leadership and team facilitation
• Problem-solving and sound decision-making
• Cost awareness and accountability
• Attention to detail and quality orientation
• Effective verbal and written communication
• Ability to work under pressure and manage priorities
• Strong commitment to SHEQ and continuous improvement

• Qualified artisan / trade certification (Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive, Millwright, or equivalent)
• Must have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering
• Supervisory or management qualification (advantageous)