Fixed Plant Reliability Engineer in Preston

SO4 is on a mission to produce world‑class Sulphate of Potash (SOP). Our Lake Way asset is in the Goldfields region of Western Australia, 15 kms south of Wiluna. With our first product successfully delivered and operations ramping up, we are entering an exciting phase of growth. Be a part of this exhilarating new chapter and join an innovative and forward‑thinking mining company at the forefront of a new industry in Australia, focused on sustainability and making a change. Our values guide the way we work every day: People | Ownership | Nurture | Drive | Safety. We value integrity, accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement while ensuring the safety of our people and the sustainability of our operations.

About the Role

Reporting to the Maintenance Superintendents on a 2/2 roster, you will be responsible for assessing the risk and reliability associated with assets in SO4’s business operations, focusing on uptime optimisation, cost reduction and extending the lifecycle of critical equipment through data‑driven strategies and proactive maintenance planning.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) to identify potential causes of equipment failure and develop mitigation strategies.
• Perform root cause analysis (RCA) on recurring failures and implement corrective actions.
• Analyse overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) to benchmark productivity and identify loss drivers.
• Develop and oversee proactive maintenance plans in collaboration with engineering, maintenance and operations teams to prevent unplanned downtime.
• Evaluate asset performance trends using statistical tools and recommend process or design improvements.
• Lead lifecycle asset management initiatives, including risk assessments and reliability‑centered maintenance (RCM) programs.
• Develop KPIs including mean time to repair, mean time between failure, mean cost to repair, total cost of maintenance, uptime and Pareto of failures.
• Work with planners and maintenance superintendents to minimise the total cost of maintenance by optimising shutdown time and maximising the time between shutdowns.
• Develop value positions for the holding of spares on site and optimise spares holding based on the reliability of the plant.
• Provide guidance, coaching and training to operators and maintainers on reliability principles and the correct way to operate and maintain equipment.
• Actively promote safety, participate in safety reviews and ensure statutory maintenance has a fully documented inspection and reporting process compliant with legislative requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across the site related to engineering and reliability and seek ways to control costs within operating budgets.
• Utilise CMMS/EAM systems (including Pronto) and statistical analysis software (Minitab, JMP, MATLAB) to support data‑driven decision making.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, electrical, industrial engineering or a related field.
• Minimum 2–5 years industry experience with a broad range of fixed and rotating equipment in mining, heavy industry or manufacturing.
• Experience with FMEA, Weibull analysis, OEE evaluation and RCA.
• Experience with software such as Minitab, JMP, MATLAB, CMMS/EAM, Pronto & INX.
• Strong analytical, reporting and stakeholder communication skills.

Benefits

• Permanent full‑time opportunity.
• Healthy and competitive salary.
• FIFO ex Perth, short commute direct to site.
• 14:14 Lifestyle FIFO roster ex Perth.
• Team social events.
• 8 weeks of paid parental leave, including return to work incentive.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Wellness App.
• Salary packaging (Novated lease vehicles, electronic devices, education expenses, FIFO travel and FIFO airport car parking).
• Salary sacrificing for superannuation.

Equal Employment Opportunity

SO4 celebrates diversity and encourages applicants from culturally diverse backgrounds to apply, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities.