Maintenance Technician

Aphex Group; Carlow; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Aphex Group in Ireland's Leinster region seeks a Senior Maintenance Technician to maintain, calibrate, troubleshoot, and improve electrical, instrumentation, automation, and control systems in pharmaceutical manufacturing. This role supports GMP compliance and continuous product supply.

You will perform routine and corrective maintenance, calibrations, and fault diagnosis, work with CMMS like SAP/Maximo, and contribute to CAPAs and continuous improvement initiatives while ensuring safety and

Qualifications

• Time-served Electrical/Instrumentation/Automation Apprenticeship with a relevant certificate or diploma.
• Experience in highly regulated pharmaceutical/manufacturing environments.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical support to Production for electrical, instrumentation, and automation maintenance.
• Perform routine and corrective maintenance on electrical systems and control equipment.
• Execute calibration activities on process instrumentation and monitoring systems.
• Complete planned and emergency work orders, calibrations, PMs, and breakdown repairs promptly.
• Maintain and troubleshoot PLC, SCADA, HMI, MES, and DCS systems.
• Document maintenance and calibration activities in the CMMS accurately.
• Support shutdowns and projects, ensuring resources and parts are available.
• Lead root-cause analysis and CAPA implementation for equipment issues.
• Promote safety, quality, and regulatory compliance on site.

Skills

Electrical maintenance

Instrumentation calibration

Fault diagnosis

PLC SCADA HMI

Process instrumentation

DCS control systems

CMMS software

Root cause analysis

Problem solving

Safety compliance

Education

Electrical/Instrumentation Apprenticeship

Tools

SAP

Maximo

Job description

Senior Maintenance Technician

Reporting to the Maintenance Lead, the Senior Maintenance Technician will be responsible for maintaining, calibrating, troubleshooting, and improving electrical, instrumentation, automation, and control systems in support of pharmaceutical manufacturing operations. The successful candidate will ensure that all activities are performed in compliance with regulatory requirements, site procedures, and safety standards, supporting the reliable and continuous supply of products to patients.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide effective technical support to Production in all aspects of electrical, instrumentation, and automation maintenance, installation, modification, calibration, preventative maintenance (PM), and fault diagnosis.
• Perform routine and corrective maintenance on electrical systems, process instrumentation, control systems, field devices, and associated plant equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operation.
• Execute calibration activities on process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level, analytical instruments, control valves, and monitoring systems.
• Support maintenance planning and execution by completing planned and emergency work orders, calibrations, PMs, and breakdown repairs in a timely manner.
• Maintain and troubleshoot PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, and DCS-based systems, ensuring optimal equipment performance and uptime.
• Investigate and resolve equipment faults through systematic troubleshooting of electrical, instrumentation, and control systems.
• Interpret P&IDs, loop drawings, electrical schematics, control panel drawings, and equipment specifications when planning and performing maintenance activities.
• Document all maintenance, calibration, and modification activities accurately within the CMMS, ensuring complete equipment history and compliance with GMP requirements.
• Support planned shutdowns and maintenance projects by coordinating activities and ensuring required resources, spare parts, and documentation are available to minimize downtime.
• Participate in equipment upgrades, installations, commissioning, qualification activities, and change control processes associated with plant and utility systems.
• Perform root cause analysis of equipment failures and recurring issues using structured problem-solving methodologies such as 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams, and FMEA, implementing effective corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through active participation in Kaizen events, reliability improvements, energy reduction projects, and automation enhancements.
• Liaise with equipment vendors and external contractors regarding troubleshooting, maintenance support, spare parts procurement, and system upgrades.
• Support the maintenance of critical utility and manufacturing systems which may include HVAC, purified water, clean steam, process skids, filling lines, inspection systems, autoclaves, washers, and facility monitoring systems.
• Assist in the development, review, and implementation of maintenance procedures, calibration procedures, SOPs, training documentation, and technical standards.
• Ensure compliance with all Global Policies, Procedures, Regulatory Requirements, Environmental Health & Safety standards, and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs).
• Promote and actively contribute to a safe, compliant, and high-performance culture across the site.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

What Skills You Will Need

To be successful in this role, you will typically possess:

• A time-served Electrical, Instrumentation, Automation, Mechatronics, MAMF or equivalent Engineering Apprenticeship, supported by a relevant Certificate, Diploma, or Trade Qualification.
• Previous experience working within a highly regulated pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, food, or GMP manufacturing environment.
• Strong hands‑on experience in electrical maintenance, instrumentation calibration, fault‑finding, and troubleshooting.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation including pressure, temperature, flow, level, analytical instruments, control valves, transmitters, and sensors.
• Experience working with PLC, SCADA, HMI, MES, or DCS control systems.
• Good understanding of electrical systems, instrumentation loops, pneumatics, automation systems, and process control principles.
• Experience using CMMS systems such as SAP, Maximo, or equivalent maintenance management software.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with experience in root cause investigations and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other job‑related software applications.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and teamwork skills, with the ability to communicate technical information effectively across functions.
• A strong commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence.