Fire Risk Engineer

Kamoto Copper Company Société Anonyme, KCC SA in acronym, is a Congolese company operating in Kolwezi, capital of the province of Lualaba, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

KCC SA exploits copper and cobalt ores on a large scale. It includes an underground mine, open-pit mines and integrated metallurgical facilities. The operation has one of the largest copper reserves in the world, with a current life of over 25 years.

As an industrial mining company, we provide safe workplaces and support the sustainable development of the local economy. We maintain a constructive and open dialogue with the communities that host us, as well as with the provincial and national government.

job description

Under the direct supervision of the Emergency Response Manager ; the incumbent is responsible for ensuring the inspection, testing, maintenance, regulatory compliance and continuous operational availability of all fire protection systems on the mine site.
They will be responsible for ensuring that detection, alarm, and automatic or manual fire suppression systems are fully functional and ready to respond in case of an emergency. As a technical expert, they will support engineering, maintenance, HSE, and emergency response teams to mitigate fire risks. Finally, they will oversee the management of temporary system degradations, monitor specialized contractors, and implement corrective actions resulting from audits and incident investigations.

He/She will have, among other things, the following responsibilities (non-exhaustive):

•    Ensuring the operational availability of fire protection systems : This includes rigorously inspecting and verifying the working condition of all fixed and portable equipment on site (fire extinguishers, hydrants, sprinkler systems, foam systems, gas detection systems, and fire suppression systems for mining vehicles). This includes the early identification of faults, risks of isolation, or maintenance delays, while ensuring the immediate return to service of installations after work or breakdowns.
•    Planning and overseeing inspection, testing, and maintenance (ITM) activities : This includes developing and updating maintenance schedules according to approved standards, manufacturer recommendations, and mining industry legal requirements. It also includes directly monitoring tests conducted by contractors, validating work orders and service certificates, and rigorously verifying that no intervention leaves a system bypassed or permanently damaged.
•    Ensuring the technical compliance and quality assurance of installations : This includes verifying the conformity of systems with company standards, insurer requirements, and applicable local regulations. It also includes the technical review of plans, industrial drawings, and specifications for new installations, modifications, or expansion projects, as well as active participation in commissioning tests prior to final acceptance.
•    Assessing and mitigating fire risks in operational areas : This includes conducting regular inspections to identify hazards related to the storage of combustible materials and flammable liquids, hot work, electrical rooms, conveyors, and machine shops. It also includes recommending practical control measures to eliminate ignition sources, limit flame spread, and support change management (CM) analyses.
•    Managing system degradation protocols and emergency preparedness : This includes strict control of scheduled interruptions, isolations, or shutdowns of fire safety devices to prevent unplanned outages. It also includes implementing rigorous compensatory measures (temporary fire guards, restrictions on hot work) and transparent communication of the status of degraded systems to affected departments and emergency response teams.
•    Coordinate and manage contractors, suppliers, and service providers : This includes verifying the technical skills, quality of work delivered, safety compliance, and legal documentation of each subcontractor working on-site. It also includes analyzing service reports, quotes, and repair recommendations, while ensuring strict adherence to work permit, lockout/tagout (LOTO), and lockout/tagout procedures.
•    Maintaining up-to-date technical documentation and the safety asset register : This includes the rigorous management of a current inventory register where each protective component has a unique identification number. It also includes the systematic archiving of schematics, cause-and-effect matrices, test certificates, maintenance records, and fault logs, ensuring that the documentation accurately reflects the actual condition of the plant's installations.
•    Providing technical support during incident investigations and analysis : This includes actively participating in investigations following a fire, alarm activation, accidental discharge of extinguishing agent, or equipment failure. This includes collecting physical evidence, analyzing alarm history, identifying root causes, and integrating lessons learned into the site's continuous improvement plans.
•    Developing skills, awareness, and operational support for teams : This includes conducting fire safety awareness sessions for operations, maintenance, HSE, and subcontractor staff. It also includes training teams on alarm configuration, damage reporting procedures, hydrant access and extinguisher operation, as well as providing technical support during emergency simulation exercises.
•    Establish governance reports and drive continuous improvement : This includes the periodic preparation of performance reviews, critical failure summaries, degradation reports, and audit summaries for senior management. It also includes rigorously monitoring the completion of corrective actions, evaluating supplier performance, and proposing technological innovations to continuously optimize the site's resilience to fire risk.

Job requirements 

Qualifications and experience

•    Hold a university degree (Bachelor's) in Civil Engineering or Engineering Technician in Electromechanics, Mechanics or Electricity, ideally supplemented by a specialization or certification in fire protection, or a degree in fire safety engineering or similar discipline.
•    Have a minimum of five (05) to seven (Seven) years of progressive experience in the management, maintenance or engineering of fire protection systems in a copper and cobalt mining environment.
•    Holding international certifications in fire protection (NFPA, CFPA, CFPS) would be a major asset.

Technical skills.

•    NFPA standards or insurer standards such as FM Global ).
•    Have a solid knowledge of detection systems (smoke, heat, flame, gas detection) and suppression systems (water networks, sprinklers, deluges, foam systems, clean agents/gas).
•    Ability to read, interpret and audit engineering plans, architectural drawings (P&IDs), electrical diagrams and cause-and-effect matrices.
•    Possess skills in managing automatic fire suppression systems installed on heavy mobile mining equipment.
•    Having mastery of risk analysis methodologies (HAZOP, FMEA) and root cause analysis tools for incidents (Root Cause Analysis).
•    Proficiency in computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) and reporting tools.

Attitude and behavior

•    Vigilance and rigor: Absolute attention paid to technical details and refusal to compromise on the safety and conformity of emergency equipment.
•    Responsiveness and stress management: Ability to make quick, calm and effective decisions during emergencies or critical system failures.
•    Influential leadership and communication: Ability to collaborate and communicate clearly with a variety of stakeholders (from field operators to senior management).
•    Integrity and professional ethics: Rigorous honesty in reporting non-conformities, risks of isolation or defects in safety equipment.
•    Analytical and problem-solving skills: A structured and methodical approach to identifying the origin of a technical malfunction and proposing sustainable solutions.

KCC SA does not accept applications submitted by people under the age of eighteen (18). In accordance with article 1 of the Labor Code of the Democratic Republic of Congo, KCC SA receives all applications without distinction or discrimination. However, as part of its Equal Opportunity, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, applications from women are strongly encouraged.

In accordance with our Compliance Policy and Code of Conduct, KCC SA or its employees do not receive any remuneration or benefits of any kind at any stage of the recruitment process. Violators are subject to legal action.

Any act or attempt of bribery related to this job application must be reported via the Glencore Group Raising Concerns Programme channels. Please scan the QR code to access the channels.

Furthermore, KCC SA pursues the objective of a transparent, fair and equitable recruitment process and, therefore, does not tolerate any interference or intervention in any way whatsoever in its recruitment process. Any failure on this point will result in the immediate disqualification of the candidate concerned.