Electrical & Automation Technician

Role Overview

You will be the go-to technical expert for keeping production-critical electrical, instrumentation, and automation systems running without interruption. Your day-to-day work involves a mix of planned preventive maintenance, emergency fault-finding, and continuous improvement projects that directly reduce machine downtime and keep the plant operating safely and efficiently. This position sits at the intersection of hands-on electrical repair and smart automation oversight, making your diagnostic skills essential to the facility's overall reliability targets.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform scheduled and reactive maintenance on electrical and mechanical equipment, including motors, drives, switchgear, and process utilities, with a focus on minimising unplanned stoppages.
• Diagnose faults across low- and medium-voltage systems, control circuits, instrumentation, and automation networks, then execute repairs using wiring diagrams, schematics, and diagnostic tools.
• Monitor and fine-tune PLC-controlled machinery and variable frequency drives, identifying performance issues and recommending software or hardware changes to improve machine behaviour.
• Lead root cause analysis investigations for major breakdowns, documenting findings and implementing corrective actions so that the same failure does not repeat.
• Coordinate with the maintenance planner to define critical spares for electrical and automation components, ensuring stock levels support rapid turnaround during failures.
• Apply strict electrical safety protocols, including lockout/tagout procedures, before isolating equipment for service, and encourage peers to follow the same standards.
• Evaluate the energy efficiency of key production assets and propose practical upgrades or process adjustments to the engineering leadership team.
• Track and report on performance metrics such as equipment availability, mean time between failures, mean time to repair, and incident counts, then use those figures to guide maintenance strategy.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 3–5 years of hands-on experience within a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) or other high-volume manufacturing environment.
• Solid understanding of control and automation systems, especially PLCs, VFDs, sensors, and instrumentation loops; practical exposure to these is a strong advantage.
• Confident working with low-voltage electrical circuits, electro-mechanical assemblies, pneumatic actuators, and hydraulic systems.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, panel wiring diagrams, and technical manuals to isolate faults quickly.
• Familiarity with electrical design, diagnostic, and testing software used for plant troubleshooting and performance analysis.
• Strong analytical mindset, capable of breaking down complex equipment failures and communicating solutions clearly to peers and leadership.
• Excellent organisational skills, with a track record of prioritising maintenance tasks during high-pressure production periods.