Hiring Immediately | Trade Certified Auto Electrician | Petroleum Logistics Fleet Workshop | Milnerton, Cape Town | Fixed-Term Contract | Advanced Fleet Diagnostics & CAN Bus Systems

The Petroleum Division of Unitrans has announced an immediate, high-priority opening for a qualified, highly skilled Auto Electrician to join their specialized fleet maintenance team based at the Milnerton Workshop in the Western Cape. This fixed-term contract position is engineered for an analytical technical expert who can take full ownership of complex electrical diagnostics, component installations, and preventative maintenance protocols across a sophisticated fleet of heavy-duty petroleum tankers, trucks, and mobile plant equipment. Working inside a high-stakes hazardous materials transport environment, the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in maximizing fleet uptime, ensuring absolute regulatory compliance, and protecting driver safety on public roads. The digital application window closes in exactly two days, on June 11, 2026 — immediate profile submission is highly recommended.

Job Specification Overview

Job Specification Element	Position Details
Job Title	Auto Electrician
Reference Number	UNI260601-3
Company / Division	Unitrans Logistics – Petroleum Business Unit
Workplace Type	Onsite / Heavy Fleet Maintenance Workshop
Job Type	Temporary – Fixed Term Contract
Location	Milnerton, Cape Town, Western Cape
Posted Date	01 June 2026
Closing Date	11 June 2026 (Urgent: Closing in 2 Days)
Minimum Education	Qualified Auto Electrician Trade Certificate
Experience Level	3 to 5 years of relevant fleet/plant workshop experience

Job Context & Specialized Petroleum Fleet Infrastructure

Operating an auto electrical portfolio within a specialized petroleum logistics division demands a fundamentally different level of precision compared to standard light-vehicle workshops. High-tonnage petroleum tankers and multi-axle commercial rigs are highly regulated, mobile industrial assets equipped with complex electronic safety systems, dangerous goods containment modules, and sophisticated telematics. A single electrical short, sensor failure, or uncalibrated Electronic Control Unit (ECU) can result in costly operational downtime or present severe occupational health and safety risks.

Based at the central Milnerton operational hub, the Auto Electrician serves as the primary technical vanguard against electrical failures. Rather than executing reactive, trial-and-error repairs, the incumbent will utilize advanced diagnostic equipment to interrogate CAN bus networks, interpret intricate wiring schematics, and trace fault currents across diverse heavy platforms. From rebuilding starter motors and managing high-capacity battery banks to installing intelligent tracking cameras and auxiliary communication systems, your technical precision directly guarantees fleet compliance, road efficiency, and corporate supply chain momentum across the Western Cape.

Urgent Closing Notice: This recruitment drive is on an accelerated timeline to support Peak 2026 fleet deployment schedules. The online applicant tracking system will freeze precisely at midnight on June 11, 2026. Prospective trade professionals are urged to cross-check their compliance credentials against the mandatory requirements below and file an immediate application.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

1. Advanced Electrical Diagnostics & Heavy Fleet Repairs

• Isolate, troubleshoot, and repair complex electrical and electronic faults using modern computerized scanning tools, digital multimeters, oscilloscope readouts, and proprietary technical manuals.

• Overhaul, repair, and install primary electrical components, including heavy-duty alternators, high-torque starter motors, advanced dual-battery networks, and complex wiring looms.

• Maintain, configure, and troubleshoot highly integrated electronic control architectures, including Engine Control Units (ECUs), localized control modules, chassis networks, and multiplexed CAN bus systems.

• Conduct specialized fault-finding and wiring repairs across an expansive fleet asset mix, including heavy trucks, commercial trailers, loaders, industrial tractors, and specialized petroleum pumping machinery.

• Verify the structural safety and operational integrity of all repaired electrical networks before signing off vehicles for live logistics operations.

2. Systematic Preventative Maintenance & Breakdown Mitigation

• Execute detailed, routine electrical inspections and safety audits as mandated by the company’s scheduled preventative vehicle maintenance software.

• Identify latent insulation degradation, loose connection points, terminal corrosion, or sensor drift early to preemptively mitigate unexpected breakdowns and roadside failures.

• Test, calibrate, and adjust vehicle instrumentation panels, dashboard warning arrays, advanced safety interlocks, and lighting profiles to ensure 100% manufacturer specification alignment.

• Contribute actively to workshop KPIs centered on minimizing unscheduled workshop dwell times and lowering mechanical cost-per-kilometer metrics.

3. Telematics Accessory Installation & Fleet Modifications

• Install, configure, and commission advanced aftermarket electrical components, including fleet tracking hardware, localized safety cameras, reverse radar alarms, fleet communication systems, and auxiliary high-intensity lighting.

• Modify, upgrade, or re-route existing factory wiring architecture carefully to meet evolving petroleum client delivery specifications or updated national statutory dangerous goods transport standards.

• Ensure all custom workshop wiring updates feature clean terminal crimping, proper heat-shrink insulation, secure conduit routing, and correct fuse protection boundaries to avoid high-amperage fire hazards.

4. SHEQ Compliance, Workshop Documentation & Administration

• Maintain a pristine, organized, and completely hazard-free personal work bay, adhering strictly to company SHEQ (Safety, Health, Environment, and Quality) policies and electrical lockout/tagout (LOTO) protocols.

• Capture detailed technical descriptions on job cards, fault-finding logs, and statutory inspection checklists, precisely recording used parts, labor metrics, and diagnostic values.

• Provide robust, highly descriptive technical feedback and component lifecycle recommendations to the Workshop Foreman and Maintenance Supervisor.

• Collaborate daily with diesel mechanics, boilermakers, and operational dispatch teams to solve multi-disciplinary mechanical and electrical issues smoothly.

Minimum Requirements & Technical Competency Framework

Qualifications & Statutory Registrations

• Must hold a recognized, officially validated Qualified Auto Electrician Trade Test Certification (passed through an accredited institutional testing center via a formal apprenticeship or section 28/26D pathway).

• A completed National Diploma or Advanced Certificate in Automotive Engineering, Mechatronics, or an equivalent technical NQF Level 6 qualification is highly advantageous.

• Possession of a valid South African Driver’s License (Heavy vehicle Code EC license preferred, role dependent).

Experience Parameters

• A minimum of 3 to 5 years of continuous, post-trade test experience working directly within an automotive fleet workshop, heavy truck dealership, or heavy industrial plant maintenance environment.

• Demonstrated, deep working experience managing electrical networks on commercial assets, specifically heavy trucks, multi-axle trailers, agricultural tractors, or earthmoving machinery.

Technical Mastery & Behavioral Attributes

• Advanced capability in reading, interpreting, and applying complex automotive wiring schematics, technical blueprints, and manufacturing repair bulletins.

• Strong foundational literacy in computer tracking software to interface cleanly with digital workshop job cards and maintenance logging systems.

• Excellent personal time management, high attention to detail, and the cognitive stability required to troubleshoot intricate faults under tight operational deadlines.

• A clean criminal record and solid, referenceable work history showing strong corporate work ethics, teamwork, and reliability.

How to Apply

To formalize your application for this fixed-term corporate artisan vacancy (Reference Number: UNI260601-3), please prepare your complete professional application dossier. Your digital file must contain a detailed CV highlighting your post-trade fleet diagnostics history, a certified copy of your official Auto Electrician Trade Test certificate, copies of your highest academic achievements, a clear copy of your ID, your driver’s license, and contactable management references from your previous workshop employers.

👉 Apply Online via Corporate Recruitment Portal: Go to Unitrans Petroleum Careers Gateway

Pre-Employment Screening Mandate: Due to the rigorous safety protocols governing petroleum logistics, all shortlisted artisans will be required to undergo a comprehensive pre-employment medical evaluation, a hands-on practical workshop diagnostic evaluation, and a formal background verification including criminal record clearance checks.

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