Process Control Technician

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa; Polokwane; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is seeking a Process Control Technician to support live production with troubleshooting of PLC/HMI/SCADA systems and instrumentation. The role focuses on maintaining stable operations, diagnosing faults, and providing clear handovers with evidence to engineering teams.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with process control systems, a background in electrical/instrumentation, and strong communication under pressure to reduce downtime and waste.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–5 years in process control, automation support or related field in manufacturing.
• Experience with live production troubleshooting, start-ups, changeovers and breakdown recovery.
• Experience using SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian to monitor trends and faults.

Responsibilities

• Respond to live process control, automation and instrumentation issues during production.
• Provide first-line and intermediate troubleshooting on PLC, HMI, SCADA, VSD, servo faults.
• Support production teams in diagnosing control-related breakdowns and restoring stable operations.
• Escalate unresolved issues to certified technicians or process control engineers.
• Log incidents with symptoms, actions and results for root cause analysis.
• Coach operators and artisans on basic process control responses and escalation needs.
• Assist with start-up, shutdown, changeover and production recovery activities.

Skills

Live troubleshooting

Alarm interpretation

PLC/HMI/SCADA basics

Fault diagnosis

Communication under pressure

Handover/reporting

Education

N6/S4 in Electrical/Instrumentation/Mechatronics/Process Control

National Diploma in Electrical/Instrumentation/Mechatronics/Control Systems

Electrical/Instrumentation trade test advantageous

Tools

PLC

HMI

SCADA

VSD/Servo

MES Historian

Job description

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Process Control Support
   • Respond to live process control, automation and instrumentation-related issues during production.
   • Provide first-line and intermediate troubleshooting on PLC, HMI, SCADA, VSD, servo, instrumentation and control system faults.
   • Support production teams, Operators and Artisans in diagnosing control-related breakdowns.
   • Help restore stable operating conditions within approved technical standards and escalation limits.
   • Escalate unresolved or complex issues to the C&A Technician or Process Control Engineer.
2. Real-Time Process Stability and Fault Diagnosis
   • Monitor process trends, alarms, equipment behaviour and production data to identify instability.
   • Distinguish between process, operational, electrical, instrumentation and automation-related issues.
   • Identify abnormal readings, control loop instability, communication faults, equipment response issues and recurring alarms.
   • Support quick containment and recovery actions to reduce downtime and production losses.
   • Provide accurate fault evidence to support deeper technical investigation.
3. Escalation, Handover and Technical Evidence
   • Log process control incidents, symptoms, actions taken and unresolved issues.
   • Provide clear handover to the C&A Technician and Process Control Engineer where required.
   • Capture relevant screenshots, alarm history, trend data, process values and equipment status to support root cause analysis.
   • Ensure recurring control issues are escalated for technical review and permanent resolution.
   • Support formal failure analysis by providing facts and observations.
4. Production, Artisan and Operational Support
   • Support Artisans and electrical specialists during breakdowns by helping diagnose control system behaviour.
   • Coach Operators/production teams on basic process control responses and correct escalation.
   • Assist with safe start-up, shutdown, changeover and production recovery activities where control system support is required.
   • Support production teams in reducing process instability, downtime, waste and quality losses.
5. Trials, Commissioning and Operational Readiness
   • Support equipment trials, start-ups and commissioning activities from an operational perspective.
   • Validate how control systems perform under live production conditions.
   • Provide feedback on alarms, HMI usability, operating sequences, process stability and operator interaction.
   • Support handover of new or modified equipment to teams by identifying practical operating concerns

KBI

• Response time to process control issues.
• Reduction in process control-related
  downtime.
• Quality and completeness of fault logs and
  handovers.
• Number of recurring process control issues
  escalated with complete evidence.
• Process stability and reduction in variation.
• Reduction in production losses linked to
  control-related issues.
• Escalation effectiveness to C&A Technician
  or Process Control Engineer.
• Support provided during start-up,
  changeover, breakdown recovery and
  commissioning. Improvement in
  Operator/Artisan understanding of basic
  process control troubleshooting.
• Contribution to SLE, waste reduction, yield,
  quality and line efficiency..

Skills, Experience & Education

• Education
  • N6 / S4 in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation, Mechatronics,
    Process Control or related field.
  • National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation,
    Mechatronics, Control Systems or Process Engineering.
  • Electrical or Instrumentation trade test advantageous.
• Experience
  • Minimum 3 to 5 years’ experience in process control, automation
    support, instrumentation support, electrical maintenance or technical
    production support in a manufacturing environment.
  • Experience working in a production or manufacturing environment.
  • Practical exposure to PLC, HMI, SCADA, VSD, servo, instrumentation
    and industrial control systems.
  • Experience using SCADA, HMI, MES, Historian or similar systems to
    monitor process trends and faults.
  • Experience supporting live production troubleshooting, start-ups,
    changeovers and breakdown recovery.
  • Bottling, packaging, processing, utilities or FMCG experience advantageous.
  • Experience with fault logging, escalation and root cause evidence gathering.
• Skills
  • Live troubleshooting of process control and automation-related production issues.
  • Ability to interpret alarms, trends, process values and equipment
    behaviour.
  • Basic to intermediate understanding of PLC, HMI, SCADA, VSD, servo
    and instrumentation systems.
  • Ability to distinguish between process, operational, electrical,
    instrumentation and automation faults. SCADA, HMI, MES and
    Historian data interpretation.
  • Practical production fault finding and breakdown support.
  • Handover, escalation and technical reporting discipline.
  • Ability to support Team Leaders, Artisans and Operators during live production issues.
  • Understanding of process control principles, interlocks, alarms, control loops and machine sequences.
  • Strong SHEQ, GMP, food safety and operational compliance awareness.
  • Clear communication under pressure

General The advert has minimum requirements listed. Management reserves the right to use additional or relevant information as criteria for short-listing. Interested applicants, who meet the above employee specifications,