Refrigeration Technician

Xelvin International; Newcastle; On-site; ZAR 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A Dutch consultancy company is seeking a skilled Refrigeration Technician in Newcastle, South Africa. The role involves maintaining large-scale cooling systems, including servicing, troubleshooting, and repairs across various industrial settings. The ideal candidate must have trade qualifications and proven experience with refrigeration systems, as well as fluency in Afrikaans. Offered is a two-year contract with a salary range of €3,500 – €4,200 per month, alongside various benefits including holiday allowances and travel reimbursements.

Benefits

25 paid holidays per year

Public holidays paid

Travel allowance

Holiday allowance of 8.33%

Overtime and shift allowance

Qualifications

• Must have Red Seal or N6 qualification (preferably in Industrial Refrigeration Mechanic).
• Proven experience in maintenance, fault-finding, and repair of refrigeration systems.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and passport.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for servicing and replacing compressors, fans, and pump systems.
• Conduct preventative maintenance and troubleshooting on large-scale cooling systems.
• Inspect and clean condensers, evaporators, and coils.

Skills

Fluent in Afrikaans

Troubleshooting

Preventative maintenance

Repair of refrigeration systems

Education

Trade qualified – Red Seal or N6

Tools

Bitzer

Sabroe

Carrier Transicold

Thermo King

Danfoss

GEA

BAC cooling towers

Job description

Location: The Netherlands (on-site)

Are you a skilled, hands-on Refrigeration Technician, fluent in Afrikaans, with the expertise to keep large-scale cooling systems running at peak performance?

Who are you:

• Trade qualified – Red Seal or N6 (preferably in Industrial Refrigeration Mechanic, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Millwright, or Electrician).
• Fluent in Afrikaans (requirement, as the company language is Dutch).
• Proven experience with maintenance, fault-finding, and repair of industrial or commercial refrigeration systems.

Experience with:

• Bitzer
• Sabroe
• Grasso
• Carrier Transicold
• Thermo King
• Danfoss
• GEA
• BAC cooling towers
• Knowledge of transport refrigeration units (a plus).
• Strong understanding of electrical controls, compressors, condensers, evaporators, and piping systems.
• Experience with ammonia (NH₃), CO₂ or Freon-based systems.
• Ability to read technical drawings, P&IDs, and wiring diagrams.
• 1–4 years of relevant working experience.
• SAQCC Gas Registration (advantage).
• Valid driver’s license and passport.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll be responsible for preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs on large-scale cooling systems across industrial and commercial environments, including:

• Cold storage warehouses.
• Food processing plants.
• Beverage production facilities.
• Data centres.
• Transport refrigeration units on trucks and trailers.

Typical maintenance tasks include:

• Servicing and replacing compressors, fans, and pump systems.
• Checking refrigerant levels, leak detection, and recharging systems.
• Testing and calibrating thermostats, sensors, and control panels.
• Inspecting and cleaning condensers, evaporators, and coils.
• Maintaining ammonia and CO₂ plant safety systems.
• Performing oil changes on screw and reciprocating compressors.
• Carrying out electrical fault-finding and component replacement.
• Adjusting expansion valves for correct superheat and subcooling.
• Updating PLC and control software where applicable.

Who is Xelvin?

Xelvin is a Dutch consultancy company focused on Engineering.

We are specialised in International Recruitment, within Europe and beyond. In the past years, we have helped over a thousand candidates from more than 50 different nationalities find their perfect job here in the Netherlands and are striving to help so many more!

What do we offer?

Contract wise:

• 2-year contract of 40 hours per week.
• 25 paid holidays a year (+ potential ADV days).
• Public holidays, with a maximum of 7 per year, which are paid by Xelvin.
• Holiday allowance of 8.33% (instead of 8.0%) over your total gross annual income. Paid each year in May.
• Overtime and shift allowance will be paid by Xelvin accordingly.
• Travel allowance of €0,23 per km for commuting to work and back home.
• Salary range: €3,500 – €4,200 gross per month.