Pharma Technician

**Overview**
- Monitor, maintain and repair equipment and machinery adhering to GMP and safety requirements.
- Plan and implement preventative and corrective maintenance.
- Ensure service equipment operates at optimal efficiency to meet planned levels of production.

**Responsibilities**

**Planning and Operational Support**
- Facilitate implementation of current processes.
- Identify gaps in current policies and procedures.
- Provide input into changes or improvements to processes, tools, and techniques.
- Train staff on SOPs and maintenance of equipment/ machinery
- Audit and report non-compliance of production processes.
- Prepare data and make recommendations of alternative ways to resolve Process and Engineering problems.
- Institute appropriate changes in methods, designs and/or equipment.
- Conduct product and method improvement investigations; assess the specifications of equipment and new materials and determine tooling requirements for production processes.
- Install, commission, and validate Equipment and Processes.
- Programme new manufacturing methods.
- Participate in forums for risk assessment and continuous improvements.

**Production Facility Maintenance**
- Plan technical requirements and maintenance tasks according to production requirements to meet Production Plan
- Perform planned preventative maintenance and inspections according to maintenance plan, job cards, and SOPs.
- Repair breakdowns according to best practice, job cards and SOPs.
- Troubleshoot machine breakdowns to identify cause of breakdowns.
- Perform root cause analysis to identify cause of machine failures and quality deficiencies to minimise machine downtime.
- Implement corrective actions to minimise machine downtime.
- Isolate, remove and replace defective components.
- Complete and submit work requisitions; Create and close job cards.
- Maintain workshop, tools, and assets to standards.
- Determine and request required parts, materials, and special equipment to maintain machines/ equipment.
- Install, test, and validate machine operating efficiency.

**Mechanical Engineering**
- Maintain calibration of machines according to SOPs and manuals, ensure machine safeguards are in place.
- Identify and correct equipment deviations to avoid quality deficiencies; Reduce outsourced spending of repairs.
- Rectify operational problems according to SOP.
- Communicate process and equipment deviations to management.
- Provide input into asset life cycle optimisation and replacement.

**Reporting** **and record-keeping**
- Provide standard record keeping and reporting functionality for area of work.

**Skills required**

**Background/experience**
- Trade Tested Artisan (Fitter/Fitter, Turner/Millwright or electrical) with 4 years’ post Apprenticeship experience as a trade tested artisan.
- N4 in Engineering
- Pharmaceutical manufacturing Assistant will be an advantage
- At least 15 years manufacturing experience
- In depth experience in processing and maintenance of Pharmaceutical manufacturing.

**Specific job skills**
- Comprehensive knowledge of pharmaceutical manufacturing, standards and compliance requirements
- Understanding of technical drawings / use of equipment manuals
- Ability to interpret and implement policies, processes and objectives
- Physically capable of lifting/ moving heavy equipment

**Competencies**
- Interrogating Information
- Pragmatic Action
- Maintaining Accuracy