Refrigeration Engineer

SUMMARY:
Our Client is seeking a Refrigeration engineer to join their company in Uitenhage, Eastern Cape.

POSITION INFO:
Job Requirements:

Refrigeration/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Degree
A minimum of 10 years post-qualification hands-on ammonia refrigeration plant engineering experience.
At least 5 years of experience managing a large-scale refrigeration plant in an FMCG environment.
Category C Ammonia safe handling.

Job Duties:

Refrigeration Plant - Hardware & Operation:

• Maintain refrigeration equipment and peripherals to ensure greater than 97% plant availability.
• Responsible for maintaining sufficient stock back-up of critical hardware.
• Develop, install, and refine existing hardware installations to improve reliability and functionality.
• Maintain regular contact with suppliers/OEMs to ensure hardware remains current.
• Plan scheduled maintenance with the Production Manager to minimize plant downtime.
• Perform scheduled maintenance on equipment and update maintenance schedules.
• Report weekly on completed, pending, and outstanding maintenance.
• Ensure plant operation is conducted for maximum efficiency.

• Actively ensure all schedules and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are in place.
• Drive adherence to manufacturer's service schedules to maintain full warranty cover and achieve cost savings.
• Establish sound discipline and control around the order, receipt, and issuing of all engineering inventory.
• Constantly review and update critical spares inventory for all key equipment, considering lead time, availability, cost, and cost of downtime.

• Drive statutory compliance.
• Immediately stop any dangerous acts and address any equipment posing a risk to personnel.
• Ensure all mechanical work, machinery, and processes comply with Food Safety and Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• Enforce internal safety systems, including Lock Out Tag Out (LOTTO), General Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for a food environment, and 100% compliance to the Health & Safety permit system.

• Draw up task clarifications for proposed projects involving changes to plant utilization and/or new equipment.
• Specify scope of work and source quotations from suppliers.
• Forward quotations for approval and liaise with suppliers once order numbers are allocated.

• Train, coach, upgrade, and develop subordinates.
• Maintain open communication channels with subordinates through daily meetings for two-way feedback.
• Drive Human Resource activities to ensure the department is adequately resourced for present and future business requirements.
• Ensure a positive working environment within the refrigeration department.
• Manage the team through proper guidance, supervision, inspection, and discipline.

• Develop and maintain the refrigeration department budget.
• Control expenditure in line with the budget, ensuring all refrigeration expenditure is pre-approved and tracked daily.
• Reduce costs of utilities (water, effluent, electricity, and waste disposal).

• Update asset and equipment data when changes are made.
• Maintain a Technical Library applicable to the Refrigeration Plant.

• Qualified Engineer
• Driven to achieve results and quality
• Strong Leadership skills
• Good analytical skills and ability to take corrective action
• Assertiveness
• Strong interpersonal Skills
• Good adaptive skills
• Good communication skills
• Good investigative skills
• High degree of computer literacy
• Strong Project Management skills
• Building strategic working relationships
• Customer Focus
• Decision making