Maintenance Engineer (Ammonia Refrigeration System)

Ice-Man Sdn Bhd; Johor Bahru; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ice-Man Sdn Bhd in Johor Bahru seeks a Maintenance Engineer to run the ammonia (R717) refrigeration system and critical production equipment at our ice plant. You will own safety, reliability and performance, with hands-on duties across compressors, pumps, condensers and vessels.

You will lead technicians, coordinate preventive maintenance, monitor energy use, and ensure compliance with food-safe and equipment standards. Strong PLC knowledge and disciplined documentation are valued.

Qualifications

• Diploma/degree in an engineering field related to plant maintenance.
• Hands-on experience with industrial refrigeration and ammonia systems.
• Experience in manufacturing, food processing, or cold-chain environments.
• Familiarity with safety standards and equipment documentation.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain ammonia plant equipment including compressors, valves and vessels.
• Record logs and monitor pressures, temperatures and oil levels.
• Lead technicians and maintain safety procedures and incident reporting.
• Plan preventive maintenance and manage spares and equipment history.
• Coordinate plant shutdowns, permits and contractor work.
• Ensure food-safety hygiene and use of approved lubricants and chemicals.

Skills

Ammonia refrigeration

Maintenance planning

Safety compliance

Troubleshooting

Education

Diploma or Degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics/Refrigeration/Automation Engineering

Tools

PLC programming

Job description

Jora Malaysia will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

We are looking for a Maintenance Engineer to drive the safety, reliability and performance of our ice manufacturing plant, taking ownership of our ammonia (R717) refrigeration system and critical production equipment.

Key Responsibilities

Operate and maintain the ammonia plant: compressors, oil management, evaporative condensers, vessels, recirculation pumps, evaporators, ice generators, valve stations, purgers and hot-gas defrost.

Keep daily operating logs and act on pressures, oil return, superheat, liquid levels, non-condensables and abnormal noise or vibration.

Carry out pump-down, isolation, purging, oil draining and charging strictly to written procedure — never improvised.

Maintain system integrity: leak detection and repair, valve and gasket condition, insulation and corrosion under insulation.

Maintain and prove-test gas detection, alarms, emergency ventilation, water spray, emergency stops and relief protection.

Keep the charge inventory, P&IDs, vessel and relief‑valve records current, and coordinate statutory pressure‑vessel inspections.

Lead ammonia emergency preparedness — procedures, PPE and breathing apparatus, drills, incident reporting — and train technicians and operators.

2.Plant Maintenance and Reliability

Maintain production and utility equipment: conveyors, packaging and sealing machines, weighing systems, water treatment and filtration, cooling towers, air compressors and cold rooms.

Maintain the instrumentation and controls the plant depends on — sensors and transmitters, level, pressure and temperature controls, VFDs, control panels, interlocks and safety trips — and keep them calibrated, functional and proven on test.

Use condition monitoring and maintenance data — vibration, temperature, motor current, run hours, pressure and consumption trends — to predict failures and prioritise work before breakdown.

Keep maintenance records, equipment history and spares data in a usable digital system, and use them to drive decisions rather than relying on memory.

Respond to breakdowns: safe isolation, repair, test and prompt return to service. Investigate recurring failures and fix the root cause.

Run preventive and condition-based maintenance: schedules, checklists, equipment history, downtime tracking and a critical‑spares register with minimum stock levels.

Escalate work beyond your certification or the team's competence — statutory pressure‑system repairs, high‑voltage work, PLC programming — to qualified contractors.

3.Team, Contractors and Production

Plan and assign daily work to technicians, coach on workmanship, and verify jobs are safely tested before release to production.

Prepare technical scopes, review quotations, control permits to work and confirm contractor work solved the original problem.

Give production clear equipment status and repair timelines, plan shutdown windows, and flag when an operating request creates unacceptable equipment, quality or safety risk.

4.Energy, Water and Improvement

Track energy and water use against output (kWh and cubic metres per tonne) and drive both down.

Optimise refrigeration efficiency: suction and condensing pressure, condenser cleanliness and approach, cooling‑tower performance, defrost cycles, compressor sequencing and part‑load operation.

Manage the water balance — filtration and RO recovery, tower make‑up and blowdown, washdown and leak detection — reusing water only where food‑safety rules allow.

Propose improvements with a simple payback case, implement them safely, and verify the savings afterwards.

Support equipment‑performance monitoring and use maintenance data to prioritise reliability improvements.

5.Food Safety and Hygiene

Maintain product‑zone equipment to food‑grade standards: hygienic condition, intact seals, no rust, flaking paint or condensate drip onto product.

Use only food‑grade lubricants and approved chemicals in product zones, with records available.

Maintain potable water treatment, filtration and disinfection so maintenance work never compromises water quality.

Control the risks maintenance creates: glass and brittle‑plastic policy, tool and parts accountability, debris control, and clean‑down before release to production.

Support food‑safety audits with maintenance, calibration and corrective‑action records.

Requirements

Diploma or Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Refrigeration or Automation Engineering, or a related discipline.

At least 4 years of hands‑on maintenance experience in manufacturing, food processing, cold‑chain or a process plant.

Hands‑on ammonia (R717) refrigeration experience is required — compressor operation, oil management, safe isolation and pump‑down, leak response and emergency procedures. State plant capacity, compressor makes and system type.

Must hold, or be able to obtain, the statutory competency certification required for the plant (pressure‑system competency and electrical chargeman as applicable). State the certificates you hold, with grade and expiry.

Familiar with recognised ammonia safety practice (IIAR, ASHRAE 15 or national equivalent) and statutory pressure‑vessel inspection requirements.

Comfortable with plant instrumentation and controls — sensors, transmitters, VFDs, control panels, interlocks and safety trips — including fault‑finding, calibration and functional testing. Deep PLC programming is not required; that work is contracted out.

Able to read equipment manuals, electrical drawings and piping layouts, and to work with condition‑monitoring and maintenance records.

Experience guiding technicians or leading a small maintenance team.

Experience improving plant energy and water consumption using utility data and simple payback calculations.

Working knowledge of food‑plant hygiene requirements (GMP, food‑grade lubricants, water treatment) is preferred