Instrument Technician

Kellanova; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 200 000 - 300 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global food company in Gauteng seeks an Instrumentation Technician to maintain and optimize production equipment. This role ensures compliance with safety and food quality standards, requires experience in PLC and HMI systems, and values strong problem-solving skills. The ideal candidate has a trade qualification and FMCG experience. Limited travel and shift work may be required.

Qualifications

• 5 years experience with relevant trade qualification or FMCG background.
• Ability to run a shift independently and make technical decisions.
• Experience in documentation and operator training.

Responsibilities

• Maintain equipment and extend its lifetime through maintenance.
• Identify and eliminate losses, reduce breakdowns, and improve OEE.
• Promote safety culture and ensure compliance with policies.

Skills

PLC

HMI

SCADA

speed drives

problem-solving

communication

leadership

Education

Grade 12 with relevant trade test

National Diploma or BTech

Tools

SAP

CMMS

Job description

Title: Instrumentation Technician

Function & Business Unit: Springs Manufacturing, MENAT-SSA BU

Reports To: Electrical Business Partner

Global Level: GL02

Purpose of the role: The Instrumentation Technician maintains equipment in basic condition and extends its lifetime through adequate, cost‑effective preventive/condition‑based maintenance in the plant.

He/she is responsible for identifying and eliminating losses/waste, reducing equipment breakdowns, executing unplanned and planned downtime, and ultimately reducing maintenance cost and improving OEE across operations through leveraging KWS methodologies, while maintaining the highest standards in Safety and Quality & Food Safety.

He/she ensures that the maintenance plan for the plant is continuously updated and executed. Limited travel may be required.

He/she performs standby duties and works overtime across the factory, which may mean coming in during odd hours.

Working Relationships: Reports to the Electrical Business Partner. Works closely with the PM Coordinator, the maintenance technicians for process/packing, the stores controller, packing engineer, and process engineer.

Partners with all other plant/CSL departments at all levels, plays an active role supporting KWS Centers of Excellence, partners with equipment suppliers, and partners with equipment suppliers.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Environmental, Health and Safety: Promotes a Health and Safety culture within the plant, ensures all EH&S rules, policies & procedures (incl. legislated requirements) are followed, and assists in root cause analysis of incidents/as audit findings.
• Quality and Food Safety: Promotes a Food Safety & Quality culture, ensures all food safety rules, policies & procedures (incl. legislated requirements) are followed, and assists in root cause analysis of incidents/audit findings.
• People: Fosters clear, consistent and transparent communication across the maintenance department, operations and the rest of the plant; actively drives capability building for the mechanical maintenance area and operations; supports critical DMS and reliability maintenance; actively enforces SAP as the single source of truth.
• Manufacturing and Operational Efficiency: Oversees daily shift operations, ensures smooth running of utilities and plant maintenance; supports reliability maintenance and loss elimination; owns the execution of the electrical/instrumentation maintenance plan.
• Leverages the full KWS toolbox to diagnose malfunctioning systems, identify root cause and execute short‑ and long‑term improvements; reduces unplanned downtime and planned downtime while improving OEE and reducing maintenance costs.

Preferred Education, Skill & Experience

• Grade 12 with relevant trade test (5 years experience) or National Diploma or BTech with at least X years of working experience, coupled with FMCG experience.
• Technical skills: PLC, HMI, SCADA, speed drives and control systems advantageous.
• Knowledge of SAP or any CMMS, FMCG packaging equipment, statutory regulations, and Kellogg’s quality, food safety and health and safety procedures.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills; ability to run a shift independently and make sound technical decisions.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, leadership and mentoring abilities; experience in training documents and operator training.
• Good housekeeping (5‑S practice) and drive towards continuous improvement.

After you apply, your application will be reviewed by a real recruiter – not a bot. It may take some time to get back to you, so watch your inbox for updates. In the meantime, visit our How We Hire page to get insights into our hiring process and how to best prepare for a Kellanova interview.

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