Instruments Technician

Company: Zambia Sugar Plc Location: Manufacturing Department, Nakambala, Mazabuka, Zambia Employment Type: Permanent

Zambia Sugar Plc is an ABF Group sugar company and the leading sugar producer in Zambia. Its main activities are the growing of sugar cane, the production and marketing of sugar and other sugar downstream products.

The company invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons to fill the following position in the Manufacturing Department at its base at Nakambala.

POSITION: INSTRUMENTS TECHNICIAN

Department: Manufacturing Department (Nakambala)

These positions report to the Maintenance Foreman – Instruments. The successful incumbents will be responsible for installing and maintaining pneumatic and mechanical instruments, including stripping, replacing and adjusting parts, calibrating, reassembling and checking the function of parts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work to the highest standards of safety, follow safe work rules and not permit any unsafe acts.

• Ensure that the right tools are used on the job, and tools are kept in good condition.

• Use the principle of Defect Elimination and demonstrate this in the quality of your workmanship.

• Ensure workshop and plant housekeeping is in line with the 5S standard and show that no job is complete until the work area is clean, and all safety equipment is reinstated.

• Perform a Daily Plant Inspection of all equipment in your section as per PM WO route and checklist – report any defects, safety concerns.

• Ensure that all defects identified during plant inspections are documented on the checklist feedback and immediately report any significant risks verbally to your FLM.

• Replace and renew materials and components commonly used in electrical instruments, e.g. conducting and insulating materials, soft and hard solders, resistance, coils and capacitors. Strip, overhaul and re-assemble air regulators.

• Use relevant hand tools and equipment for marking, cutting, threading and fixing when installing small bore piping, component parts and fittings.

• Ensure correct, accurate measurements and that all measurements represented on remote systems, including the DCS, truly and accurately represent process conditions.

• Ensure all control loops are tuned and optimised to achieve optimum functionality.

• Upon completion of repairs, ensure that equipment is in good operating condition, i.e. ready to meet operational requirements, fully inspected, tested, clean and safe (5S).

• Ensure the Job Plan / Checklist on the WO is diligently followed as per the work-order tasks. Provide feedback in terms of quality and improvement to Job Plans.

• Maintain an in-depth knowledge of the condition of your section’s equipment on a continuous basis and take responsibility for failures resulting from inadequate equipment inspection.

• Provide detailed feedback on repair jobs, including:

  • Actual work done and corrective actions taken.

  • Man-hours used.

  • Failure feedback and failure codes in the event of a breakdown.

  • Consumption of materials.

  • Tools used.

• Conduct and contribute to the RCA process (in your section or as the stand-by artisan). Take on a mindset that all equipment failures are preventable.

• Identify areas where Technician training is required on equipment maintenance and inform FLM, and do all you can to train new artisans or assistants.

• Work with Optimization and Process teams to solve problems and promote cross-functional engagement and teamwork.

• Ensure continuous improvement by implementing functional best practices.

• Monitor own section KPIs, understand your contribution to them, contribute to solutions to resolve out-of-spec KPIs and maintain actions to sustain KPIs within specification.

• Promote and adhere to Illovo’s procedures, policies, and guidelines, including, without limitation, those relating to SHERQ, Competition Law and Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC).

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Grade 12 Certificate.

• Diploma in Instrumentation or Electronics Engineering.

• Preferably 2+ years of post-qualification experience in a heavy industry environment.

• Experience in the sugar industry is an added advantage.

• Training and experience in industrial instrumentation as a minimum.

• Member of the Engineering Institution of Zambia.

• Suitably qualified applicants must provide certificates that have been verified by the Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

• Detailed CV.

• Copies of relevant qualifications.

• Copies of professional registrations.

• Copy of National Registration Card (NRC) or passport.

Applications should be addressed to the attention of the HR Business Partner.

Email: [email protected]

Email Subject: Application – Instruments Technician

Application Deadline: 2 November 2026

All internal employees are required to complete the Internal Application Form and obtain the relevant signatures when applying for vacancies.

Applicants will be required to complete pre-employment checks, including qualification, credit, security, background and medical assessments, as part of the recruitment process where applicable.

Should you not hear from the company within four weeks after the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful.

Head Office: Zambia Sugar Plc Nakambala Estate, P.O. Box 670240, Mazabuka, Zambia

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