Palabora Mining Company (PMC) is hiring a qualified Instrument Mechanician for a permanent position in Phalaborwa, Limpopo. The successful candidate will work in the Mining Maintenance – Instrumentation & Electrical team and will be responsible for maintaining underground fixed plant equipment on a shift basis.
The role is suited to an experienced Instrument Mechanician with strong knowledge of industrial instrumentation, Profibus, ASI systems, Siemens PLCs and SCADA systems. Applicants must have a relevant trade qualification and at least three years of experience working with industrial instrumentation.
the application closing date is 26 August 2026.
Palabora Mining Company Instrument Mechanician Vacancy
The Instrument Mechanician will form part of a maintenance team responsible for the reliability and maintenance of underground fixed plant equipment.
The position requires practical technical knowledge and the ability to diagnose and repair faults across electrical and instrumentation equipment. The successful candidate will also participate in preventative maintenance, planned maintenance activities, equipment improvement projects and root cause analysis.
Job Details
- Position: Instrument Mechanician – Mining Maintenance – Instrumentation & Electrical
- Company: Palabora Mining Company (PMC)
- Division: Human Resource Services
- Business Unit: Recruitment
- Industry: Mining and Metals
- Job Function: Mining
- Location: Phalaborwa, Limpopo
- Employment Type: Permanent
- Experience Level: Associate
- Posted: 19 August 2026
- Closing Date: 26 August 2026
Instrument Mechanician Responsibilities
The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining and repairing electrical and instrumentation equipment in the underground area.
Key duties include:
- Carrying out repairs and maintenance on electrical and instrumentation equipment.
- Maintaining underground fixed plant equipment.
- Participating in small projects aimed at improving equipment performance.
- Assisting the supervisor with compliance with the planned maintenance system.
- Conducting root cause analysis on instrument breakdowns.
- Performing scheduled and preventative maintenance.
- Maintaining Open Transport Network (OTN) hardware.
- Performing scheduled and preventative maintenance on Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) hardware.
- Carrying out required legal checks on relevant equipment.
- Performing fault finding on Profibus DP/PA and ASI Bus systems.
- Ensuring maintenance activities comply with applicable SHEQ standards.
The role requires the Instrument Mechanician to contribute to the reliable operation of equipment while following the maintenance procedures and safety requirements applicable to the underground environment.
Technical Skills Required
The position requires practical experience with industrial instrumentation and control systems.
Applicants should have experience working with:
- Profibus DP/PA
- ASI Bus systems
- Siemens PLCs
- SCADA systems
- Open Transport Network (OTN)
- Industrial instrumentation
- Electrical and instrumentation equipment
Strong fault-finding ability is important for the position. The successful candidate will be expected to investigate equipment breakdowns, identify faults and assist with corrective maintenance.
Experience with Siemens PLCs and SCADA systems is specifically required, while knowledge of CCTV, LAN and telephone systems is also listed among the requirements.
Qualifications and Experience
Applicants must meet the qualification and experience requirements for the position.
Required Qualification
Candidates must be a Qualified Instrument Mechanician.
Proof of the trade qualification must be provided, with applicants required to attach:
- Trade certificate
- Statement of results
Required Experience
Applicants must have a minimum of three years’ working experience on industrial instrumentation, including experience with:
- Profibus systems
- ASI systems
- Siemens PLCs
- SCADA systems
This experience should be clearly reflected in the applicant’s CV, particularly where it relates to maintenance, fault finding and industrial control systems.
Additional Requirements
Applicants must also have:
- A valid driver’s licence.
- Computer literacy.
- The ability to work shifts.
Skills and Personal Qualities
In addition to technical qualifications and experience, PMC requires candidates who can work effectively in a structured mining maintenance environment.
The required qualities include:
- Good fault-finding abilities.
- Working knowledge of the core process.
- Good communication skills.
- Ability to work with minimal supervision.
- Self-starter approach.
- Ability to identify potential workplace hazards.
- Commitment to safe work practices.
- Willingness to work shifts.
- Ability to adapt to change.
- Understanding of the Palabora Integrated SHEQ system.
The successful candidate must be able to recognise potential hazards associated with maintenance activities and take appropriate action to ensure that work is performed safely.
Safety and SHEQ Requirements
Safety is an important part of the Instrument Mechanician role because the position involves maintenance work on underground mining equipment.
The successful candidate will be expected to comply with the applicable Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) requirements while performing maintenance and repair activities.
Responsibilities include:
- Following safe work practices.
- Identifying potential hazards before and during work.
- Taking appropriate action when hazards are identified.
- Completing required legal checks on relevant equipment.
- Complying with applicable maintenance procedures.
- Working according to the Palabora Integrated SHEQ system.
Candidates should be comfortable working in an environment where safety procedures and equipment reliability are key requirements.
Working on Underground Fixed Plant Equipment
The Instrument Mechanician will be responsible for maintenance activities on underground fixed plant equipment.
This means the successful candidate will need to apply their instrumentation and electrical knowledge in an operational mining environment. Maintenance work will be performed on a shift basis, making flexibility an important requirement.
The position combines routine preventative maintenance with fault finding and breakdown response. The candidate may also become involved in small projects intended to improve equipment.
Strong technical judgement is therefore important, particularly when identifying faults and determining the appropriate maintenance response.
Root Cause Analysis and Preventative Maintenance
A key part of the role is conducting Root Cause Analysis (RCA) on instrument breakdowns.
The purpose of RCA is to investigate equipment failures and identify the underlying cause of a problem. This can help the maintenance team address recurring faults and improve equipment reliability.
The Instrument Mechanician will also perform scheduled and preventative maintenance on relevant systems.
This includes maintenance of:
- Industrial instrumentation.
- OTN hardware.
- PLC hardware.
- Electrical and instrumentation equipment.
- Relevant underground fixed plant systems.
The candidate will also assist the supervisor in ensuring compliance with the planned maintenance system.
How to Apply for the PMC Instrument Mechanician Job
Qualified applicants who meet the requirements should submit their applications through the appropriate Palabora Mining Company recruitment process before the closing date.
Before applying, candidates should ensure that their application accurately reflects their qualifications and technical experience.
The application should clearly demonstrate:
- Instrument Mechanician trade qualification.
- Trade certificate.
- Statement of results.
- At least three years of industrial instrumentation experience.
- Profibus experience.
- ASI Bus experience.
- Siemens PLC experience.
- SCADA experience.
- Relevant maintenance and fault-finding experience.
- Valid driver’s licence.
- Computer literacy.
Applicants should ensure that required supporting documents are attached to the application as requested.
Palabora Mining Company Instrument Mechanician Closing Date
The closing date for the PMC Instrument Mechanician vacancy is:
26 August 2026
The position was posted on 19 August 2026, so interested candidates have a limited application window.
Applicants who meet the requirements should submit their applications before the deadline.
