Physical Availability Manager

Career Area:

Product Support

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other.  We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

Important Information:
Dear candidates, please submit your application in English language. Otherwise, your CV’s might not be considered for this recruitment process.

Role Overview:

The Physical Availability (PA) Manager is responsible for improving and sustaining fleet performance at site level across assigned operations in Africa.

The role focuses on ensuring that equipment is consistently available to meet production needs by working closely with customers, dealers, and internal teams. It combines a strong understanding of mining operations with a data-driven approach to identify performance gaps, define clear actions and drive execution on site.

Acting as a central point of coordination, the PA Manager aligns all stakeholders around common availability targets, supports the resolution of issues impacting uptime and ensures that improvement plans are implemented and sustained over time.

The position requires someone who can operate both strategically and practically able to interpret performance data, engage confidently with site teams and drive measurable outcomes in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own and drive Physical Availability performance across assigned sites and fleets

• Establish clear performance baselines (uptime, MTTR, MTBF) and track against agreed targets

• Lead development and execution of structured recovery plans for fleets below target

• Identify top downtime drivers and implement targeted corrective actions

• Ensure sustainability plans are in place for fleets meeting targets

• Act as the primary interface between customers, dealers and Caterpillar teams

• Build strong, trust-based relationships across multiple sites and regions

• Facilitate alignment on priorities, resources and execution timelines

• Lead weekly and monthly performance reviews, ensuring clear governance and accountability

• Maintain accurate reporting of performance metrics (R3, R6 and YTD)

• Identify risks early and drive timely escalation and resolution (technical, operational, parts or commercial)

• Leverage data and analytics to drive continuous improvement and decision making

• Support aftermarket growth through improved performance and CVA alignment

• Contribute to capability uplift across dealer and site teams

What Success Looks Like

• Increased % of fleets meeting agreed PA targets

• Measurable improvement in uptime, MTTR and MTBF

• Effective execution of recovery and sustainability plans

• Strong stakeholder alignment and customer satisfaction

• High-quality, consistent reporting and governance discipline

Key Skills For Your Successful Assignment:

Customer Focus: Working knowledge of the values and practices that align customer needs and satisfaction as primary considerations in all business decisions and ability to leverage that information in creating customized customer solutions.

Service Excellence: Extensive knowledge of customer service concepts and techniques; ability to meet or exceed customer needs and expectations and provide excellent service in a direct or indirect manner.

Consulting: Working knowledge of techniques, roles, and responsibilities in providing technical or business guidance to clients, both internal and external; ability to apply consulting knowledge appropriately.

Effective Communications: Understanding of effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors.

Problem Solving: Extensive knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply knowledge of problem solving appropriately to diverse situations.

Relationship Management: Extensive knowledge of relationship management techniques; ability to establish and maintain healthy working relationships with clients, vendors, and peers.

Technical Excellence: Extensive knowledge of a given technology and various application methods; ability to develop and provide solutions to significant technical challenges.

Field Support: Extensive knowledge of and experience with providing post-sales support; ability to support maintenance of hardware products.
 

What Will Put You Ahead:

• Strong Mining & Heavy Equipment Experience:
  Proven background in the mining industry, ideally working with fleets, systems, and tools. Ability to manage fleet performance, reliability, and physical availability for high‑value customers.

• Exceptional Stakeholder & Relationship Management Skills:
  Demonstrated ability to act as a bridge between dealer, CAT account teams, and multiple internal stakeholders. Must confidently build trust, maintain key relationships, and manage escalations to protect long‑term customer partnerships.

• Strong Technical & Performance Management Capability:
  Solid understanding of equipment performance, asset optimization, and reliability improvement. Able to be highly visible on fleet performance, support issue resolution, proactively identify risks/opportunities, and work hands‑on with technical enablers to maintain availability for the future.

• Language Skills & Regional Readiness:
  Fluent English is mandatory; French is a strong advantage due to African customer focus. Must be comfortable in a home‑based role located in Abidjan or Malaga, reporting to an Africa‑based supervisor, and operating with regional and global stakeholders.

This position requires working onsite five days a week.

 

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

Posting Dates:

Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply

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