Open to opportunities

Gerhard Potgieter

@gerhardpotgieter

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Engineer and IT leader who builds lean digital platforms, automations, and data-driven operations.

South Africa

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What I'm looking for

I seek a role leading IT/digital platforms where I can drive automation, data-driven decisions, compliance and cross-functional enablement in a growth-focused team.

I am an engineer with management and IT depth who designs and runs lean digital platforms, automates back-office workflows, and turns operational data into decisions. I have a background in rail infrastructure and safety compliance and currently own end-to-end IT and digital for an agri-tech startup, bridging engineers and decision-makers to translate between code, systems and business outcomes.

At Transnet Freight Rail I progressed through engineering and management roles, leading multi-site teams, delivering SAP-integrations and engineering tools, and realising material savings of over R100M through audits and SOPs. I combine digital strategy, IT operations, data storytelling, vendor management and compliance to improve audit readiness, uptime and decision support.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

IT and Digital Manager

Current

Agri-Tech Startup

Jan 2024 - Present (1 year 9 months)

Owned company-wide IT, digital channels and platform operations, built a unified data pipeline and reporting cadence for market intelligence, and standardised client onboarding and compliance workflows to improve audit readiness.

Google Cloud Kubernetes Google Workspace Data Pipelines Vendor Management SLA Management

Maintenance Manager Signals

Transnet Freight Rail

Jul 2023 - Dec 2023 (5 months)

Managed multi-site signals maintenance teams and R1b+ in assets, led COPEX projects and maintenance contracts, and delivered audit-ready processes and SOPs that recovered over R100M in materials through post-audit interventions.

Maintenance Management SAP Automation Asset Management Project Management Auditing Root Cause Analysis

Production Manager Signals

Transnet Freight Rail

Oct 2022 - Sep 2023 (11 months)

Led production planning and operations for signals teams across depots, coordinated multi-site crews and technicians, and supported large-scale COPEX project delivery and materials budgeting.

Production Management Plan Operation Team Leadership Budgeting COPEX Management

Material Auditor / Technical Office

Transnet Freight Rail

Oct 2021 - Sep 2022 (11 months)

Conducted national depot audits, created SOP templates for track, signals and electrical logistics, and identified material recoveries exceeding R100M through post-audit guidance and process improvements.

Audit Management SOP Development Materials Audit Logistics & Compliance Process Improvement Reporting

Technical Lead - Signals

Transnet Freight Rail

Aug 2019 - Sep 2021 (2 years 1 month)

Served as technical lead and CAS engineer on the Ore Line, developed SAP interfacing automation tools and diagnostic analytics, and deployed ultrasonic broken rail detectors and CAS loggers to improve infrastructure monitoring.

CAS Automation Tools Diagnostics Data Analytics Field Testing

Signals Engineer in Training

Transnet Freight Rail

May 2017 - Jul 2019 (2 years 2 months)

Trained in signals engineering and supported depot operations and inspections, contributing to technical investigations and maintenance activities across the Western Region and Bloemfontein.

Maintenance Field Engineering Troubleshooting Documentation

Engineering Trainee

Transnet

Nov 2015 - Jan 2016 (2 months)

Completed engineering trainee placement in technical office supporting CAS & TAS functions and gaining foundational experience in railway systems and processes.

Railway Engineering Technical Documentation Team Collaboration

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Pretoria

Short courses / Professional development, Railway and Infrastructure Engineering (short courses)

2017 - 2019

Completed multiple short courses including Railway Engineering, Infrastructure Maintenance Management, Railway Projects and Processes, and Multi-Disciplinary Concepts in Railway Engineering.

North-West University

Bachelor of Engineering, Computer and Electronic Engineering

2016 -

Completed an NQF 8 Bachelor of Engineering in Computer and Electronic, focused on electronic and computing engineering principles relevant to rail and automation systems.