The posting
POSITION: MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIAN
Location: Pinetown, Durban Industry: Automotive Component Manufacturing Remuneration: R140 to R260 per hour CTC, commensurate with qualifications and experience Reporting to: Maintenance Supervisor / Maintenance Manager
Purpose of the Position
An established automotive component manufacturer based in Pinetown is seeking a qualified and experienced Maintenance Electrician.
The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining, repairing and improving electrical equipment, production machinery and plant infrastructure to ensure maximum availability, safe operation and minimal production downtime.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform planned, preventive and corrective electrical maintenance on production machinery and plant equipment.
- Diagnose electrical faults and attend to production breakdowns promptly.
- Repair and maintain electrical control systems, motors, drives, switchgear, distribution boards and related equipment.
- Conduct fault-finding on PLC-controlled and automated production machinery.
- Inspect, test and repair electrical circuits, sensors, relays, contactors and safety devices.
- Maintain and troubleshoot variable-speed drives, servo systems and motor-control equipment.
- Assist with the installation, commissioning and modification of production equipment.
- Carry out electrical improvements to increase machine reliability, safety and production efficiency.
- Work closely with production, engineering, quality and maintenance teams to resolve equipment-related problems.
- Conduct routine inspections and identify potential failures before breakdowns occur.
- Complete maintenance job cards, breakdown reports and equipment-history records accurately.
- Maintain critical electrical spares and notify management of replacement requirements.
- Read and interpret electrical drawings, schematics, manuals and technical documentation.
- Ensure all electrical installations and repairs comply with applicable legislation, standards and company procedures.
- Participate in root-cause analysis and continuous-improvement initiatives.
- Support production changeovers, new-product launches and equipment trials when required.
- Assist mechanical maintenance employees with integrated electrical and mechanical breakdowns.
- Maintain high housekeeping standards in maintenance and production areas.
- Participate in maintenance projects and plant shutdown activities.
- Comply with lockout, isolation, risk-assessment and permit-to-work procedures.
- Be available for shift work, overtime, call-outs and standby duties according to operational requirements.
Minimum Requirements
- Qualified Electrician with a recognised trade-test certificate.
- Matric or an equivalent qualification.
- Relevant N3, N4 or higher electrical qualification would be advantageous.
- Minimum of five years' post-trade experience as a Maintenance Electrician in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
- Experience in an automotive or automotive component manufacturing environment would be highly advantageous.
- Proven electrical fault-finding and production-breakdown experience.
- Experience maintaining automated production machinery.
- Working knowledge of PLC systems and industrial automation.
- Experience with AC/DC motors, variable-speed drives, sensors, contactors, relays and control panels.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings and schematics.
- Sound knowledge of electrical safety, machine isolation and lockout procedures.
- Basic mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic knowledge would be advantageous.
- Valid driver's licence and reliable transport would be advantageous.
- Willingness to work shifts, overtime, standby and call-outs as required.
Technical Competencies
- Industrial electrical fault-finding
- Preventive and breakdown maintenance
- PLC fault diagnostics
- Variable-speed drives and motor controls
- Electrical panels and control circuits
- Sensors, relays, contactors and safety systems
- Electrical installations and machine modifications
- Automated manufacturing equipment
- Root-cause analysis
- Reading electrical drawings and schematics
- Maintenance documentation and job-card completion
- Electrical testing and precision-measuring instruments
- Basic hydraulic and pneumatic fault-finding
- Continuous improvement and machine-reliability initiatives
Behavioural Competencies
- Strong technical and analytical ability
- Practical, hands-on approach
- Excellent fault-finding and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work under pressure during production breakdowns
- High level of accuracy and attention to detail
- Strong commitment to safety and quality
- Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
- Good communication and teamwork skills
- Ability to prioritise urgent maintenance requirements
- Reliable, disciplined and accountable
- Willingness to share technical knowledge and support apprentices or junior employees
Key Performance Areas
The successful candidate will be measured against:
- Reduction of electrical breakdowns and production downtime
- Completion of planned maintenance according to schedule
- Speed and accuracy of fault diagnosis and repairs
- Equipment reliability and plant availability
- Quality of maintenance documentation
- Compliance with electrical and safety standards
- Contribution to continuous improvement and cost-saving initiatives
- Housekeeping and maintenance-workshop standards
Remuneration
The position offers a CTC rate of R140 to R260 per hour, depending on the candidate's trade qualification, post-trade experience, technical capability and automotive manufacturing exposure.
The CTC structure and any applicable shift, overtime, standby or call-out arrangements will be discussed during the recruitment process.
Employment Conditions
Applicants must be willing to:
- Work shifts according to production requirements
- Perform overtime when required
- Participate in standby and call-out rotations
- Undergo technical and competency assessments
- Undergo criminal, qualification and reference checks
- Complete a pre-employment medical assessment where required
