Refrigeration & Air Handling Technician (Estcourt)

Position Snapshot

Job Location: Estcourt Factory

Company: Nestlé South Africa

Minimum Qualification: Recognised Refrigeration Trade Qualification or relevant Artisan Qualification

Minimum Experience: Industrial refrigeration experience with practical ammonia-system and factory air-handling maintenance exposure, preferably in Food Manufacturing.
Closing Date: 10 September 2026

Position Summary

With a history spanning over 150 years, Nestlé did not become the world’s leading food and beverages brand by chance. Perfection is at the heart of what we do, and our people are always looking for the next big idea to cement our status.

We are now looking for a Refrigeration & Air Handling Technician at our Estcourt Coffee Factory to safely operate, inspect, maintain, troubleshoot and improve industrial ammonia refrigeration, chilled-water and factory-wide air handling systems. The role will help ensure reliable, hygienic and energy-efficient cooling, ventilation and environmental control while meeting engineering, food-safety, SHE, statutory and emergency-response requirements.

A day in the life of a Refrigeration Technician:

Safe refrigeration and ammonia operation

• Operate and monitor ammonia refrigeration systems, recording pressures, temperatures, levels, alarms and deviations.
• Apply lockout/tagout, permit-to-work, safe line-opening and contractor-control requirements.
• Perform ammonia leak and detector checks and support safe isolation, containment, emergency drills and corrective actions.

Factory-wide AHU and environmental control

• Inspect and maintain factory air handling units, including filters, fans, motors, belts, bearings, coils, dampers, actuators, condensate drains and controls.
• Identify air leaks, abnormal vibration, fouling, corrosion and drainage defects, and coordinate safe access and restoration.
• Support approved airflow, temperature, humidity, pressure relationships and hygienic conditions, escalating deviations that may affect product quality or cause condensation.

Planned maintenance and fault finding

• Execute preventive and condition-based maintenance on refrigeration, chilled-water, AHU and safety equipment.
• Diagnose mechanical, electrical and control faults, restore equipment safely within authorisation and participate in breakdown analysis.
• Provide complete work-order feedback and maintain accurate equipment history in AMM/SAP PM.

Energy, documentation and capability

• Optimise compressor loading, condensing conditions, chilled-water temperatures, AHU fan operation, filter condition and control settings within approved limits.
• Maintain operating logs, P&IDs, AHU asset records, isolation information, procedures and maintenance history.
• Coach operators and coordinate contractors, OEMs, inspection authorities and relevant internal teams.

What will make you successful

• Recognised Refrigeration Trade qualification or relevant Artisan Qualification.
• N4/N6 or National Diploma, with recognised ammonia refrigeration and HVAC/AHU maintenance training, is preferred.
• Industrial refrigeration experience with practical ammonia-system and factory air-handling maintenance exposure, preferably in food manufacturing.
• Knowledge of ammonia refrigeration, chilled-water systems, AHU fans, drives, filters, coils, dampers, drains and controls.
• Ability to troubleshoot mechanical, electrical and control faults and interpret P&IDs.
• Knowledge of airflow, pressure, temperature and humidity principles, hygienic maintenance and energy efficiency.
• Working knowledge of AMM/SAP PM work management.
• Ability to work shifts, standby and call-outs where applicable, and meet site medical, respiratory-protection and competency requirements.