PLC Electrical Automation Technician (Manufacturing, Newcastle)
The Recruitment Guy · Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal
Overview
A manufacturing supply chain operation in Northern KwaZulu Natal needs an experienced PLC Electrical Automation Technician to keep automated production equipment running smoothly. You will fault find, maintain and improve PLC controlled machinery in a fast paced, high volume environment where food safety and uptime matter. If you have strong PLC troubleshooting skills and at least 5 years in automated manufacturing, this permanent role in Newcastle could be a great next step.
About the role
This is a permanent opportunity for a hands on PLC Electrical Automation Technician to join a manufacturing supply chain operation in Northern KwaZulu Natal. You will be based at a high volume production facility where automated equipment runs around the clock and product quality, uptime and food safety are critical.
What you will be doing:
- Maintaining, fault finding and repairing PLC controlled manufacturing equipment
- Diagnosing electrical, instrumentation and automation faults to reduce production downtime
- Carrying out preventative and planned maintenance on production machinery
- Assisting with commissioning, installation and upgrading of new equipment
- Modifying PLC programs where authorised to improve production efficiency
- Maintaining SCADA, HMI and industrial control systems
- Calibrating instrumentation, sensors and process control equipment
- Supporting continuous improvement and process optimisation
- Working closely with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Packaging and Quality teams
- Keeping detailed maintenance records, breakdown reports and maintenance schedules
- Participating in standby duties and emergency breakdown response
Application note: Submit your CV in Word or PDF format to therecruitmentguy@outlook.com with the reference TRG 2520 in the subject line.
Requirements
- Grade 12 (Matric)
- Trade Tested Electrician, Millwright or Instrumentation Technician preferred
- National Diploma or Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics or Automation advantageous
- Minimum 5 years experience in automated manufacturing environments
- Strong PLC fault finding experience essential
- Experience with Siemens, Allen Bradley, Omron, Mitsubishi, Schneider or ABB PLC platforms advantageous
- Experience with SCADA and HMI systems
- Knowledge of variable speed drives (VSDs), servo drives and industrial networking
- Experience with conveyors, pumps, motors, valves, fillers, packaging equipment and automated process lines
- Exposure to instrumentation such as flow meters, temperature, pressure and level transmitters advantageous
- Strong electrical and control panel fault finding ability
- Computer literate in MS Office and maintenance systems
- Excellent analytical and troubleshooting skills
- Able to work independently under production pressure
- Valid driver's licence advantageous
- Traceable and contactable references
- Local residency or willingness to relocate to Northern KZN preferred
Responsibilities
- Maintain, fault find and repair PLC controlled manufacturing equipment
- Diagnose electrical, instrumentation and automation faults to minimise production downtime
- Perform preventative and planned maintenance on production machinery
- Assist with commissioning, installation and upgrading of new production equipment
- Modify PLC programs where authorised to improve production efficiency
- Maintain SCADA, HMI and industrial control systems
- Calibrate production instrumentation, sensors and process control equipment
- Support continuous improvement and process optimisation initiatives
- Work closely with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Packaging and Quality departments
- Ensure all maintenance complies with quality and health and safety standards
- Maintain detailed maintenance records, breakdown reports and preventative maintenance schedules
- Participate in standby duties and emergency breakdown response where required
Job details
- Organisation
- The Recruitment Guy
- Location
- Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal
- Job type
- Full time
- Experience level
- Mid (5+ years)
- Education
- Matric
- Category
- Manufacturing & Production
- Application Email
- therecruitmentguy@outlook.com
- Application Method
- Apply via email
Success Guide
When you apply for this PLC Electrical Automation Technician role, make sure your CV clearly shows your hands on experience with PLC fault finding and the specific brands you have worked with, like Siemens or Allen Bradley. The hiring team will want to see at least 5 years in automated manufacturing, so list the types of machinery and production lines you have maintained. Include your trade test certificate and any relevant diplomas. In the interview, be ready to talk through real breakdowns you have solved and how you reduced downtime. This is a fast paced factory environment, so show that you can work under pressure and communicate well with production teams. Good luck!
How we help you apply
You focus on getting ready — SPAAN NOW handles the paperwork. Here's what happens when you apply:
- Our AI tailors your CV to match this job's keywords and requirements, so it stands out to recruiters and screening systems.
- A custom cover letter is written specifically for this role — no generic templates.
- Your application is submitted with the documents this job needs: CV, Matric certificate, Diploma certificate, Degree certificate, Driver's license and Trade Test Certificate. SPAAN NOW pulls these from your profile so you don't upload them every time.
- You're notified the moment it's sent, and you can track its status any time under Applications.
- If you're shortlisted, use AI Interview Prep to practise questions commonly asked for roles like this — so you walk in confident and ready.
Everything is done for you, but you stay in control — review or edit anything before it goes out.
Spaan Talk
Nobody has said anything yet. Be the first.