Specialist Artisan Job Olifantsfontein South Africa,Maintenance/Cleaning

Location: Olifantsfontein

Overview

The primary objective of the Maintenance Specialist is to provide technical expertise and leadership in maintaining, troubleshooting, and improving the reliability of critical bakery equipment and systems. This role plays a key part in minimizing unplanned downtime, ensuring food safety compliance, and supporting optimal production performance in a high-speed manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

Provide expert technical support and troubleshooting for complex mechanical, electrical, and automation- related breakdowns on critical bakery equipment.

PLC Programming & Automation:
Program, troubleshoot, backup, and restore PLC systems (Siemens, Mitsubishi, and others). Perform regular backups and maintain version control of PLC programs.

VFD / VSD Management:
Set up, install, configure, and troubleshoot Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) and Variable Speed Drives (VSDs) across production lines.

HMI Systems:
Develop, modify, upgrade, and maintain Human Machine Interface (HMI) programs to improve operator efficiency and system visibility.

Batch Management:
Support and maintain batch management systems, recipes, and process parameters to ensure consistent product quality.

Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for repetitive and high-impact failures and implement permanent corrective solutions.

Develop, review, and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for key assets.

Coach and mentor Millwrights and Artisans on technical standards, automation systems, and advanced troubleshooting techniques.

Ensure all maintenance and automation activities comply with food safety standards (AIB, HACCP), MESS requirements, and statutory regulations (GMR, PER, OHS Act).

Participate in major shutdown planning, Capex projects, and equipment improvement initiatives.

Drive reliability improvement projects aimed at increasing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and reducing maintenance costs.

Conduct equipment audits, condition monitoring, and failure mode analysis

Qualifications

Minimum qualification Grade 12/N3 in electro-mechanical engineering 4 4 TECH

Qualified Millwright ontrols and Instrumentation Technician

Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings

Valid driver’s licence and own transport (advantageous)

Willingness to work shifts, weekends, and standby duties

Computer literacy (SAP / maintenance systems experience is a plus)