Company: Nestlé

Location:  Estcourt Factory
Qualification : Matric, N3/N4 Electrical or Instrumentation qualification, recognised Trade Test in Electrical/Instrumentation, and working knowledge of PLC, SCADA/HMI, industrial networks and digital maintenance systems.

Experience: Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in instrumentation, automation or electrical maintenance within a food, beverage, coffee, FMCG or process manufacturing environment.

Closing date: 11 September 2026
 

Position Summary:

With a history spanning over 150 years, Nestlé did not become the world’s leading food and beverage company by chance. Perfection is at the heart of what we do, and our people continuously look for new ways to improve safety, quality, efficiency and sustainability. We are now looking for an Instrumentation Technician at Estcourt Factory to support manufacturing operation through reliable instrumentation, automation, digital maintenance and process control capability.

The Technician will maintain, calibrate, troubleshoot, optimise and improve instrumentation, automation and control systems across the coffee manufacturing plant. The role is required to ensure safe, reliable and efficient operation of plant equipment including extraction, evaporation, drying, packing, utilities and process support systems. Work must comply with SANS 10142-1, Nestlé engineering standards, food safety requirements, SHE standards, electrical safety requirements, lockout procedures and all applicable internal standards. The role includes breakdown response, planned maintenance, calibration, PLC/SCADA support, CMMS/AMM administration, data-driven problem solving and continuous improvement activities.

A day in the life of a Instrument Technician:

• Carry out planned maintenance, statutory checks, calibration and condition-based inspections on instrumentation and automation systems.
• Diagnose and resolve faults on PLCs, SCADA/HMI systems, VSDs, servo drives, sensors, transmitters, control valves, weighing systems, metal detectors, X-ray systems and coding equipment.
• Support coffee process reliability across extraction, evaporation, drying, filling, packing, conveying, utilities, air handling and wastewater-related systems.
• Use AMM/CMMS, fault logs, trends and downtime data to identify repetitive failures, improve MTBF, reduce breakdowns and support first-time-right repairs.
• Perform PLC fault finding, authorised minor logic changes, backups, programme documentation and support for change control according to site standards.
• Maintain and troubleshoot industrial communication networks including Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, Profibus or equivalent plant networks.
• Support SCADA/HMI monitoring, alarm management, trending, operator interfaces and basic digital dashboard requirements for manufacturing performance.
• Ensure calibration and verification of food safety and quality-critical instruments, including CCP, OPRP and legal metrology-related equipment where applicable.
• Support predictive maintenance initiatives using condition monitoring, sensor data, online trends, inspection findings and root cause analysis.
• Contribute to low-cost automation, energy efficiency, water reduction, waste reduction and sustainability improvement projects in the coffee plant.
• Participate in small automation and reliability projects, including commissioning, loop checks, FAT/SAT support, equipment handover and drawing updates.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, electrical drawings, loop diagrams, calibration records, PLC backups, spares information and maintenance history.
• Apply SHE, lockout, permit-to-work, electrical safety, food safety and hygiene requirements before and during all work.
• Respond to breakdowns quickly and safely while ensuring equipment is returned to production in a controlled, reliable and compliant condition.
• Work closely with production, quality, safety, utilities, contractors, suppliers, OEMs and engineering teams to resolve technical issues and improve plant performance.
• Undertake shift work, standby and overtime when required to support factory reliability and production requirements.

What will make you successful?

1. Matric plus N3/N4 Electrical, Instrumentation, Mechatronics or equivalent technical qualification.
2. Recognised Trade Test Certificate in Electrical/Instrumentation or relevant process control discipline.
3. Minimum 3–5 years’ experience in instrumentation, automation or electrical maintenance in a food, beverage, FMCG, coffee or process manufacturing environment.
4. Strong PLC fault-finding capability, preferably Allen-Bradley and/or Siemens, with ability to read ladder logic, interpret I/O status and support authorised programme changes.
5. Working knowledge of SCADA/HMI platforms, alarm systems, trending, dashboards and operator interface troubleshooting.
6. Knowledge of industrial networks such as Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, Profibus or equivalent communication protocols.
7. Competence in calibration, instrumentation loop checks, process measurement, control valves, VSDs, sensors, transmitters and analytical instruments.
8. Computer literate with strong working knowledge of SAP PM/AMM/CMMS, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and digital maintenance reporting.
9. Ability to use data, trends and RCA tools to improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime and support continuous improvement.
10. Understanding of food safety, quality systems, CCP/OPRP equipment, SHE requirements, lockout procedures and electrical safety standards.
11. Good communication, teamwork, contractor management, supplier interaction and disciplined documentation skills.