The Instrumentation Supervisor is responsible for managing a team of technicians and ensuring high availability, compliance, and accuracy of all instrumentation systems across process, utility, and packaging lines in a food or beverage manufacturing plant. The role demands strong leadership, planning, and execution capability along with excellent technical knowledge of field instruments, automation interfaces, and food safety regulations.
Supervise day-to-day maintenance, calibration, and troubleshooting activities of the instrumentation team.
Plan and execute preventive and predictive maintenance (PM/PdM) schedules for all critical field instruments.
Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and ensure timely resolution of instrumentation failures and deviations.
Ensure compliance with GMP, ISO, HACCP, and regulatory audits through proper documentation and calibration traceability.
Coordinate with production, automation, QA, and validation teams for project planning, upgrades, and equipment commissioning.
Maintain and update CMMS records (SAP/Maximo or other systems), calibration certificates, and SOPs.
Develop and train junior and mid-level technicians on instrumentation safety, troubleshooting, and documentation.
Monitor instrumentation inventory and spares, and coordinate with procurement for timely replenishment.
Support and lead continuous improvement initiatives and OEE optimization via instrumentation upgrades or standardization.
Team Leadership & Coordination
Assign daily tasks, shift planning, and monitor technician performance
Conduct training and skill audits of team members
Ensure adherence to safety protocols and LOTO procedures
Calibration & Compliance
Supervise calibration of:
Temperature, pressure, flow, level, pH, conductivity, turbidity, and weighing instruments
Ensure traceability and compliance with GMP, ISO 17025, and internal QA standards
Process & Utility Instrumentation Oversight
Manage instrumentation on:
Pasteurizers, blenders, fermenters, CIP/SIP units, utility systems (boilers, chillers, compressors), and packaging lines
Ensure all instrumentation is validated and audit-ready
Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis
Guide team in diagnosing complex issues related to:
PLC I/O failures, signal mismatches, device faults, wiring issues
Liaise with automation and control system engineers for interface problems
Documentation & Systems
Ensure timely updating of:
Loop diagrams, P&IDs, calibration records, maintenance logs
Use of CMMS for planning, tracking, and performance analysis
Education:
Diploma / B.E. / B.Tech in Instrumentation, Electrical, Electronics, or Mechatronics
Experience:
10+ years of hands-on instrumentation experience, with at least 3–5 years in a supervisory or team lead capacity
Technical Proficiency:
In-depth knowledge of:
HART, Fieldbus, analog/digital systems
Automation interfaces (PLC/DCS/SCADA)
Calibration tools, standards, and documentation
Soft Skills:
Strong leadership and communication
Team management, planning, and problem-solving
Quality and safety-driven mindset