Stephan Charles Ferreira
Production Unit Manager
Middelburg
Summary
Forward thinking dynamic and focused graduate professional that has been leading operational sites in the field of metallurgy for the last 17 years. A passionate personnel developer through mentorship of candidate engineers and production trainees. Experienced in all facets of QCDSM in the Operational and Production environment. Flourishes on challenges and always endeavors to add value to every task that is undertaken – Determined to leave all areas better than they were found. Strong leader and problem-solver dedicated to streamlining operations to decrease costs and promote organizational efficiency. Uses interdependent multi departmental collaboration for decision-making. Dedicated to applying training, monitoring and morale-building abilities to enhance employee engagement and boost performance. Strategic thinker and tactical decision-maker with passion for serving customers and exceeding expectations. Strategic planner talented in seeing multiple options for improvement, operational streamlining and potential growth. Goal-oriented manager with distinguished experience in production industries and proven leadership abilities. Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Possesses versatile skills in project management, problem-solving, and collaboration. Equipped with strong problem-solving abilities, willingness to learn, and excellent communication skills. Adept at leveraging new tools and methods to solve problems and enhance productivity. Excels in adapting to fast-paced environments and driving technological advancements. Experienced leader with strong background in building and guiding teams, managing complex projects, and achieving strategic objectives. Excels in developing efficient processes, ensuring high standards, and aligning efforts with organizational goals. Known for collaborative approach and commitment to excellence.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
4029
4029
years of post-secondary education
2
2
Languages
Work History
Area Manager Continuous Slab Casting and Grinding
Acerinox Columbus Stainless
Middelburg
2 2019 - Current
- Currently responsible for the management of continuous casting and initial slab surface quality refinement.
- Management of all aspects of QCDSM
- Lead team that develops capability of casting new steel grades.
- Development of casting facility to be capable of casting - Austenitic Stainless Steel, Ferritic Stainaless Steel, Carbon Steel, Superalloys and Electrical Steel.
- Developing a culture of proactive collaboration between the maintenance and engineering team and production disciplines in order to continually improve OEE of the casting section -This has led to OEE improving by 5% per year for the last 4 years.
- Liaising with refractory supplier in order to develop end optimise black refractories in order to improve performance or optimise unitary cost - Developed more cost efficient refractory options for less demanding steel grades leading to a 7% reduction in cost.
- Liaison with casting powder suppliers to continually develop casting powder to improve metallurgical and slab surface quality - identified best option for superalloy (high alloy content steel) casting grade, Silicon steel and Carbon Steel based on casting machine capability.
- Driving improvement project such as electromagnetic stirring and innovative methods to determine slab width.
- Leading the team that brainstormed, analysed and implemented strategies that have reduced the breakout occurrence frequency by 60% in the last 4 years.
- Achieved established KPI for the section through goal alignment, teamwork and focus on customers.
Production Engineer Continuous Casting Machine
Acerinox Columbus Stainless
Middelburg
06.2018 - 02.2019
- Approximately 1 year specialization in continuous casting in the Stainless Steel industry
- Performed root cause analysis and implemented corrective actions.
- Managed production schedules, ensuring timely delivery of products while maintaining high quality standards.
- Created engineering documentation for manufacturing processes, equipment specifications and change notices.
- Improved production efficiency by developing and implementing new manufacturing processes.
- Conducted root cause analyses to identify areas for improvement and implemented corrective actions accordingly.
- Completed and submitted monthly and yearly reports to support executive decision making.
- Conducted trials to determine equipment and machine performance capabilities.
- Performed regular production studies and machine analysis to identify any quality and process problems.
Flotation and Filtratoin Consultant
ENPROTEC
Regional And International
11.2017 - 06.2018
Operations Manager
ENPROTEC
Regional
07.2015 - 10.2017
- Operations Manager of 6 filtration plants which are operating on client sites - successfully separated coal fines from waste slurry removing the requirement for slurry settling ponds.
- Operations Manager of 2 coal fines flotation plants that removed the viable coal fraction up to 45 micron from waste slimes streams. Achieved 27.5 MJ/kg calorific value product from 18 to 20 MJ/kg feed streams.
- Was responsible for creating weekly and monthly reports and presentations for management team.
- Conducted regular site meetings with team members, fostering open communication channels for efficient problem-solving and progress updates.
- Improved team productivity with targeted coaching and performance monitoring.
- Developed and executed robust quality control procedures, elevating standard of workmanship - Operational Management System implemented on operational sites.
- Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Used industry expertise, customer service skills and analytical nature to resolve customer concerns and promote loyalty.
Site Manager on Flotation and Filtration Operations
ENPROTEC
Regional
07.2012 - 07.2015
- Over 5 years of specialization in flotation and filtration in the Coal Processing industry
- Site Manager on Flotation and Filtration Operations Anglo Greenside Colliery
- Site Manager on Flotation and Filtration Operations Anglo Goedehoop Colliery
- Developed strong relationships with clients through consistent communication of project updates and prompt resolution of concerns or issues - set up monthly client executive feedback sessions.
- Improved team productivity with targeted coaching and performance monitoring.
- Developed and executed robust quality control procedures, elevating standard of workmanship - Operational Management System implemented on operational sites.
- Established team priorities, maintained schedules and monitored performance.
- Defined clear targets and objectives and communicated to other team members.
- Used industry expertise, customer service skills and analytical nature to resolve customer concerns and promote loyalty.
Process Engineer
Vanchem Vanadium Products
02.2008 - 07.2012
- Over 4 years experience in the Vanadium industry
- Part of the Research and Development Division as a Process Engineer in Metallurgical, Chemical and R&D sections
- Acting Unit Superintendent of Production in Precipitation Section
- Acting Unit Manager for Research & Development
- Acting Unit Manager for Extractions & Ore Preparation
Education
National Senior Certificate -
HTS Middelburg
Middelburg, MpumalangaBEng - Chemical Engineering
University of Pretoria
BEng (Honours) - Water Utilisation Engineering
University of Pretoria
Management Development Program (MDP) -
Stellenbosch Graduate Institute
08-2023
Skills
Managerial
Mentoring
Technical Expertise
Process Experience
Environmental Experience
Project conceptualization and commissioning
Relationship building and management
Business development and planning
Team Development
Operations Management
Staff Training and Development
Goals and performance
Process Improvement
Leadership Development
Proposal Development
Business and Operations Analysis
Skillsandexperience
Overseeing the effective operation of a Continuous Casting Machine and Slabgrinding section in terms of Production and SHEQ for the past 4 years., Responsible for the cost, quality, throughput and contractual requirements for 3 independent thermal coal operational sites as primary contractor for their fines beneficiation and dewatering processes., Overseeing 3 operational contracts for 3 years in terms of Production and SHEQ., Overseeing the operational startup of 3 additional operational contracts., Overseeing day to day operation of coal flotation and filtration sites for Anglo American Thermal Coal for 3 years., Implementation of an Operational Management System (OMS) for Anglo American Thermal Coal sites for flotation and filtration plants – maintained 100% compliance for all client conducted audits., Responsible for the management of an operational site for 3 years as Site Manager., Active mentor for candidate engineers, production trainees and learner steel makers for the last 4 years., Vast spectrum of technical experience in hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, extractive metallurgy, coal beneficiation and solids separation., Part of the development team that diversified the product portfolio of strictly Stainless steel to now include Carbon steel, Superalloys and potentially Electrical steel., Experience in heat extraction and casting defect detection during Continuous Casting., Implementation of quality intervention programs through investigation, fault finding and action implementation., Implementation of protection system to detect and prevent breakout occurrences during the continuous casting process (Reduction of occurrences from on average 10 per year to only 2 in 2022 to Zero breakouts in 2023 currently)., Experience in the fields of process engineering, research, process design, ore preparation, extractive metallurgy, hydrometallurgy and coal processing., Extensive experience in the field of flotation and filtration – responsible for the commissioning, optimisation and continuous running of 3 coal flotation and filtration plant, 6 coal filtration sites and 1 platinum tailings filtration plants., Responsible for reducing client environmental impact of coal slimes disposal through ensuring effective material dewatering for disposal onto dry storage facilities., Part of evaluation team for the implementation of SO2 dry scrubbing circuit for the desulphurisation of kiln off gas – production of a viable product that can be reused in the process while reducing the volume of acidic scrubber sludge that needs to be disposed., Part of the evaluation team for the implementation of wet scrubbing circuit for ammonia removal from ammonium-metavanadate oxidation oven off gas., Optimisation of coal flotation circuits to ensure maximal coal fine retention – maximising saleable product in conjunction with a significant reduction in slimes disposal volumes., Commissioning of plants and unit processes (Cold & Hot commissioning, identifying possible problems, operational training, monitoring and continual improvement)., Design, procurement and installation of pump and piping systems (material selection, pipe sizing, technical specifications, generating process flow diagrams (PFD’s)., Generating piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&ID’s), pump design, sourcing quotes, supervising installations and also approval of work performed., Design and cost evaluation of scrubber water supply system (material selection, corrosion protection recommendation, pipe and pump requirement calculation, specification of auxiliaries, generating drawings, tender adjudication, capital application documentation)., Plant assessments (investigating process bottlenecks, mass balances, energy balances, consult with suppliers, investigate and implement solutions)., Laboratory experimentation (problem identification, experimental design, execution of experiments, interpretation of results, report writing)., Improve / upgrade process equipment (assess current condition, sourcing quotes, supervise refurbishment and installation)., Plant auditing and benchmarking., Plant monitoring (Scrutinizing production throughput and analysis to identify process deviations)., Design & Feasibility studies., Feasibility studies for electromagnetic stirring system for slab casting facility in order to improve cast structure and through structure element homogenisation., Headed a project for the upgrade of the water reticulation of a leaching circuit. This involved the upgrade of existing storage facilities and the installation of additional transfer pumps and pipelines., Involved in the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of an Acid and Caustic Storage facility., Involved in procurement, installation and commissioning of an upgrade on a desulphurisation scrubber system. Responsible for the sizing and material selection of pumps and the scrubber venturi supply water pipelines., Involved in the final construction and punch listing of three flotation and filtration facilities for final handover., Involved in the final construction and punch listing of six filtration facilities for final handover., Highly developed oral and written communication skills – report writing, presentations etc., Ensuring alignment between departments through optimisation meetings, weekly communication updates and monthly performance feedback., Creative and innovative individual – able to think outside the box., Leading of 5 Why and brainstorming sessions., Promoting continuous improvement initiatives from all personnel., Able to work well in team orientated projects while still being highly self-motivated., Thrives on new challenges., Passion for coaching (Mentoring new personnel / sponsor student trainee’s).
Qualificationseducationandlanguages
- National Senior Certificate, HTS Middelburg, Mpumalanga, South Africa, 2003
- BEng (Chemical Engineering), University of Pretoria, South Africa, 2007
- BEng (Honours) (Water Utilisation Engineering), University of Pretoria, 2010
- Management Development Program (MDP), Stellenbosch Graduate Institute, Currently completing
Saidnumber
8509175034083
References
- Bernard Botha, Business Unit Manager – Steel Plant, Acerinox Columbus Stainless Steel, +27 82 552 4305
- Dirk Kruger, Business Unit Manager – Technical Services, Acerinox Columbus Stainless Steel, +27 79 023 8820
- Jayson Jacobs, Head of Marketing, Enprotec, +27 82 552 4305
- Terence Abboo, Manager - Research and Development, Vanchem Vanadium Products, +27 79 876 9756
Candidateprofile
Dynamic and focused graduate professional that has been leading operational sites for the last 11 years. Passionate personnel developer with active mentoring of candidate engineers and production trainees. Experienced in all facets of the Operational and Production environment. Flourishing on challenges and always endeavouring to add value to every task that is undertaken – Determined to leave all areas better than they were found.
Timeline
Production Engineer Continuous Casting Machine
Acerinox Columbus Stainless
06.2018 - 02.2019
Flotation and Filtratoin Consultant
ENPROTEC
11.2017 - 06.2018
Operations Manager
ENPROTEC
07.2015 - 10.2017
Site Manager on Flotation and Filtration Operations
ENPROTEC
07.2012 - 07.2015
Process Engineer
Vanchem Vanadium Products
02.2008 - 07.2012
BEng - Chemical Engineering
University of Pretoria
BEng (Honours) - Water Utilisation Engineering
University of Pretoria
Area Manager Continuous Slab Casting and Grinding
Acerinox Columbus Stainless
2 2019 - Current
National Senior Certificate -
HTS Middelburg
Management Development Program (MDP) -
Stellenbosch Graduate Institute
Similar Profiles
Walter MahlanguWalter Mahlangu
Plant Fitter at Columbus StainlessPlant Fitter at Columbus Stainless
Freddy MashoeuFreddy Mashoeu
Millwright at Columbus Stainless SteelMillwright at Columbus Stainless Steel
Nonkululeko Dorah MbonaneNonkululeko Dorah Mbonane
C&I Technician at Columbus Stainless SteelC&I Technician at Columbus Stainless Steel