Division: Maintenance
Reference Number: IL-03-26
Grade: D2
Purpose of the job
The Instrumentation Maintenance Supervisor reports to the Engineering Manager: E&I and has the primary responsibilities:
To lead and manage the Instrumentation function by combining operational supervision (primary focus) with reliability engineering responsibilities to ensure plant safety, availability, compliance, and continuous improvement in line with OHS Act, SANS standards, and company performance targets.
This role is accountable for:
- Day-to-day team leadership and discipline
- Instrumentation reliability and asset performance
- Shutdown planning and execution
- Root cause analysis and continuous improvement
- Budget and cost control within instrumentation scope
Legal appointments:
(a) as the OHS Section 8.2(i) for instrumentation works on site to ensure all legal and statutory compliance does take place according to the OHS Act, Pressure Equipment Regulations and General Machinery Regulations.
(b)in terms of General Machinery Regulation 2(7)(a) as an assistant to the Competent Person in respect of machinery used in your area of responsibility in terms of your duties.
Fully understand the Occupational Health and Safety Act requirements and ensure that all legal inspections and risk assessments are carried out and that general safety is adhered to across all plants.
- Manage and plan the instrumentation execution of work as per the maintenance strategies available on the CMMS software (SAP system).
- Plan the execution of work in line with the engineering standards, strategies and asset integrity philosophies for equipment, plant, machinery, and instrumentation installations.
- Plan the execution of work in compliance to statutory requirements using OEM, RCM, 5Why and RCA processes to improve plant reliability and availability.
- Plan and manage the execution of annual maintenance shutdowns.
- Organise the instrumentation personnel (Technicians, Mechanicians and Workshop Mechanicians) and material required to execute work in compliance to statutory requirements using OEM, RCM, 5Why and RCA processes to improve plant reliability and availability.
- Lead the instrumentation personnel (Technicians, Artisans and Workshop Controller) in ensuring compliance with the execution of the maintenance strategies, as well as legal and engineering best practice standards, in compliance to statutory requirements using OEM, RCM, 5Why and RCA processes to improve plant reliability and availability.
- Control the instrumentation infrastructure, systems, and instrumentation resources in ensuring the instrumentation infrastructure (i.e., Level, Pressure, Flow, Analytical instrumentation, etc.) is continuously available for operational purposes.
- Control and maintain the systems of work, plant, and machinery to the safety of personnel, and protection of the health of machinery.
The responsibilities above mentioned shall be conducted in compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act No.85 of 1993 and all relevant NCP policies and procedures.
Key performance area
1. Team Leadership & Operational Supervision
- Directly manage Instrumentation Technicians and Artisans
- Allocate daily and weekly work schedules
- Drive attainment, productivity, and work quality
- Manage absenteeism, late coming, overtime control
- Conduct performance management and disciplinary processes
- Ensure toolbox talks and safety compliance
- Eliminate unproductive caucus/group behaviour impacting output
- Enforce company code of conduct and behavioural standards.
2. Shutdown & Plant Operations Support
- Lead instrumentation scope for plant shutdowns (planning → execution → commissioning)
- Approve shutdown job packs and material readiness
- Support trip tests, interlock testing, and startups
- Ensure calibration and loop checks are completed before handover
- Participate in pre-startup safety reviews (PSSR)
3. Instrumentation Reliability & Asset Management
- Develop and implement instrumentation maintenance strategies (RCM-based where applicable)
- Review failure trends and bad actor equipment
- Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for instrumentation failures
- Optimize PM frequencies based on failure data
- Drive predictive maintenance initiatives.
4. Compliance & SHERQ
- Ensure compliance with OHS Act and electrical/instrumentation regulations
- Maintain calibration registers and statutory inspection records
- Ensure hazardous area compliance (if applicable)
- Participate in audits (ISO, legal, internal & external etc).
5. Projects & Continuous Improvement
- Provide instrumentation engineering support to capital projects
- Review technical specifications and contractor submissions
- Ensure installation standards comply with plant design philosophy
- Drive obsolescence management strategy
- Identify cost-saving or energy efficiency improvements.
6. Budget & Cost Control
- Control overtime expenditure
- Manage spares inventory for instrumentation
- Review contractor cost justification
- Participate in annual budget planning.
7. Related SHERQ Responsibilities
Knowledge/Skills/Competencies
- Technical and Supervisory knowledge demonstrated and learnt in the Instrumentation field in the chemical processing plants or similar
- Extensive knowledge of ISO 14001, 45001, 9001
- Knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Knowledge of the Area Classification and Safety integrity Level (SIL) Standards.
- SHERQ Training course
- Safety Work Permit training.
- Control systems architecture
- Process control fundamentals
- Hazardous area compliance
- Loop tuning and troubleshooting
- Reliability engineering principles
- Conflict management
- Performance management
- Behaviour correction
- Planning and prioritization
- Assertive communication
- Computer Literacy in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, Digilex and Power Point)
- Knowledge of Computerized Maintenance Management Systems.
- Attention to details
- Be able to do basic problem solving and decision making and analysis
- Ability to work under pressure
- Leader, Value driven and Team player.
Decision Making Authority:
- Approve instrumentation work permits (within delegation limits)
- Prioritize daily work schedule
- Recommend disciplinary action
- Approve shutdown instrumentation scope
- Sign off completed instrumentation work
Experience
- 5 – 10 years instrumentation experience in chemical / process plant
- 3+ years supervisory or team leadership experience
- Proven shutdown planning experience
- Experience with DCS/PLC systems (e.g., Siemens PCS7, WinCC, S7)
Qualifications:
- Matric
- BTech / BEng / BSc/ National Diploma in Instrumentation / Electrical Engineering or Similar.
- Instrumentation Red Seal
Reporting structure:
This position reports to the Engineering Manager: E&I
Personal Circumstances:
- Must be able to obtain a satisfactory medical report from the companies’ medical centre.
- May be required to be on Standby.
Other requirements:
Please ensure:
- That the application form is fully completed and attached with your CV.
- That the reference number and/or position name of this advertisement is quoted on your application form and subject of the email (if applicable).
- That recently certifiedcopies of all qualifications referred to on your application form and cv, are submitted.
- Applications can be handed in at the HR offices (Head Office) or sent electronically (email below/NCP Website) on or before the closing date.
- Only applications that are submitted to HR directly with either of the 2 methods mentioned above will be considered.
External Applicants:
Please attach a copy of your most recent payslip (if applicable).
Failure to comply with the above requirements will result in your application being disqualified.
Persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply, should the applicant be successful the incumbent will be reasonably accommodated depending on the inherent requirements of the job.
All applicants are thanked in advance for showing interest however correspondences will only be entered into with the shortlisted candidates.
Closing date: 12 March 2026
CV’s to be sent to: careers@ncp.co.za
Recruitment for this position will be conducted with the intention progressing our Employment Equity policy, targets, and objectives. The Company reserves the right not to fill this position.
