Benjamin Kitongu
Electrical Technician
Kitengela
Summary
Versatile, detail-oriented, organized, meticulous Electrical Engineer. Skilled at offering clients easy-to-understand guidance and actionable solutions. Works at fast pace to meet tight deadlines. Enthusiastic team player ready to contribute to company success.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
6
6
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Technical Support Representative
Centurion Systems Limited
Westlands, Nairobi
03.2023 - Current
- Identifying customer problems and providing solutions.
- Troubleshooting technical issues for customers.
- Diagnosing and reporting on customer system faults and failures.
- Resolving industrial automation control issues
- Installing and configuring new customer equipment and machinery
- Speaking to customers to quickly get the root to the problem
- Managed high levels of call flow and responded to technical support needs.
Plant Engineer
Highlands Drinks Limited
Nyeri
12.2019 - 10.2023
- Organized and managed maintenance staff to fulfill requirements via scheduling and delegation.
- Developed and implemented preventive maintenance procedures .
- Drafted preventive maintenance schedules around avoiding service disruptions and equipment breakdowns.
- Complied with applicable mechanical and electrical regulatory standards for food processing plant operation.
- Prepared performance appraisals of plan personnel, highlighting exceptional performances and illustrating remedial requirements.
- Mentored junior maintenance staff and new hires in job-specific tasks and applications of maintenance processes
- Resolved technical and quality issues by collaborating with manufacturing, quality assurance, vendors and supplier personnel.
- Mitigated supplier risk through investigation and sourcing of qualified suppliers and on-site evaluations of processes and capacities.
Electrical Maintenance Engineer
United Bottlers Company, Coca-Cola
Mogadishu
03.2019 - 11.2019
- Scheduled and undertook periodic maintenance on all electrical installations, components and equipment.
- Created forecasts, budgets and expense projections.
- Performed energy audits and recommended on areas of improvement on energy savings.
Factory Manager/Electrical Engineer,
Compact Poles & Services Ltd
Kiserian
02.2017 - 02.2019
- Analyzed financial reports, assessed factory productivity and devised plans of action to build productive plant operations.
- Delivered factory-level communications and tactical direction and drove achievement of quality, delivery, productivity and financial performance goals and objectives.
- Communicated factory operational needs, objectives and performance standards with senior management and earned full upper management support.
- Drove productivity and financial performance and managed achievement of corporate and factory level metric goals.
- Managed personnel by implementing company policies, procedures, work rules, and disciplinary action.
- Spearheaded product and process quality initiatives with full compliance to internal, industry and customer quality standards.
- Supervised sourcing, specifications, quality and reorder levels for electrical and general plant spare parts to ensure minimal stoppages due to breakdowns.
Electrical Engineer
Richfield Engineering Limited
Nairobi
10.2015 - 01.2017
- Provided on-site engineering and technical services during installation and fielding processes.
- Proposed electrical product and system modifications to improve quality and efficiency.
- Performed in-depth electrical acceptance testing of completed hardware.
- Evaluated electrical installations and systems to isolate faults and implement corrective actions.
- Read and analyzed blueprints and project documentation to develop workflows and strategy.
- Estimated project costs and resource allocation to forecast budget requirements and monitor adherence.
- Identified specific cables, fuses and circuit breakers required for assigned installations.
- Developed engineering documentation detailing system requirements and diagnostic procedures.
Senior Departmental Head, Electrical
Del Monte Kenya Limited
Thika
07.2009 - 09.2015
- Developed and implemented preventive maintenance procedures
- Proposed electrical product and system modifications to improve quality and efficiency.
- Performed maintenance procedures and repairs on existing electrical products and systems.
- Reduced electrical construction hazards with upgraded safety policies and stringent enforcement.
- Monitored manufacturing operations of electrical devices for compliance with safety protocols.
- Calibrated and repaired existing electrical and control systems to maintain functionality and meet statutory and quality requirements
- Ensured conformance and sustenance of process certification standards including the ISO 9000:2005, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 22000 and HACCP systems
- Mentored junior electrical maintenance technicians and new hires to job-specific tasks and applications of electrical processes
- Provided on-site engineering and technical services during installation and fielding processes.
- Read and analyzed blueprints and project documentation to develop workflows and strategy.
- Developed engineering documentation detailing system requirements and diagnostic procedures.
- Evaluated power needs for various systems.
- Inspected and performed validation testing for designed systems and third-party installations.
Technical Team Leader
East African Breweries Ltd
Nairobi
11.2005 - 06.2008
- Mentored and guided employees to foster proper completion of assigned duties.
- Ensured asset care through autonomous and regular preventive maintenance tasks and resolution of equipment problems.
- Established open and professional relationships with team members to achieve quick resolutions for various issues.
- Developed daily and weekly production plans to ensure customer needs
- Ensured conformance and sustenance of process certification standards including the ISO 9000:2005, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, ISO 22000
- Conducted training and mentored team members to promote productivity, accuracy, and commitment to friendly service.
- Built strong relationships with customers through positive attitude and attentive response.
- Supervised team members to confirm compliance with set procedures and quality requirements.
- Held weekly team meetings to inform team members on company news and updates.
- Communicated KPIs outlined in annual plan to inform employees of expectations and deliverables.
- Managed leave requests and absences and arranged covers to facilitate smooth flow of operations.
- Worked with team to identify areas of improvement and devised solutions based on findings.
- Monitored system performance to identify potential issues.
- Supervised Installed and configured operating systems and applications.
- Developed and implemented preventive maintenance procedures.
- Gained strong leadership skills by managing projects from start to finish.
- Identified issues, analyzed information and provided solutions to problems.
- Participated in team projects, demonstrating an ability to work collaboratively and effectively.
- Worked flexible hours across night, weekend and holiday shifts.
- Completed paperwork, recognizing discrepancies and promptly addressing for resolution.
- Worked effectively in fast-paced environments.
- Resolved problems, improved operations and provided exceptional service.
- Worked well in a team setting, providing support and guidance.
Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer
Tata Chemical Magadi Soda company Ltd
Magadi
05.2003 - 10.2005
- Served as primary point-of-contact for statutory compliance on process instrumentation calibration requirements
- Managed the electrical section services for electrical material requirements for the Soda ash processing plant and the Magadi Soda Township.
- Planned, scheduled and undertook installations, maintenance and material specifications for the plant and the township electrical services for better productivity, safety, efficiency of operations.
- Supported the day-to-day operations by efficiently responding to breakdowns and carrying out troubleshooting to ensure minimal plant stoppages
- Prepared and submitted budget estimates for project and annual equipment service ensuring cost control measures are in place to meet set objectives.
- Ensured maintenance and service of the utility services to ensure optimal availability of electrical power and compressed air services within the plant and the township.
- Evaluated offers on equipment, spare parts and components to ensure material quality and specifications conformance.
- Prepared new installations progress reports, communicating installation gaps, monitoring and implementing gap closure measures to ensure compliance with set schedules, commissioning and acceptance tests against specifications and expectations.
- Worked in team work with other engineering teams to provide timely and highly quality delivery of engineering services on maintenance troubleshooting, specifications and safety throughout the company.
- Worked with procurement and supplies team to effectively scope, tender and contract for the new projects
- Enforced adherence of safety and health standards by team at all times.
- Supervised and monitored on external service providers and evaluated their works to ensure completion of projects on time and to specifications.
Electrical Engineer
Firestone East Africa (1969) Ltd
Nairobi
02.1999 - 05.2003
- Provided on-site engineering and technical services during installation and fielding processes.
- Proposed electrical product and system modifications to improve quality and efficiency.
- Performed maintenance procedures and repairs on existing electrical products and systems.
- Performed in-depth electrical acceptance testing of completed hardware.
- Verified viability and compliance for systems and circuits.
- Evaluated power needs for various systems.
- Monitored manufacturing operations of electrical devices for compliance with safety protocols.
- Undertook preventive maintenance for all electrical systems to ensure maximum plant availability for maximum efficiencies.
- Prepared electrical specifications, evaluation of offers on equipment, material quality and works conformance to specifications for new installations.
- Carried out troubleshooting and fault diagnosis on automation equipment such as programmable Logic controllers (PLCs), process parameter monitoring and variable Speed drives (VSD).
- Contractor drawings approval, supervision and appraisal for quality and safe workmanship.
- Planned and allocated daily responsibilities and making follow ups on the electrical team.
- Prepared spare parts lists and ensured their availability for maximum plant availability
- Implemented and monitored Kaizen process improvement activities to maximise on through-put, quality and safety.
Workshop Engineer
Switchgear and Controls Ltd
Nairobi
02.1997 - 01.1999
- Supervised fabrication and assembly of electrical panels and switchgear.
- Read and interpreted blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, and computer-generated reports.
- Interpreted blueprints and technical drawings to analyze upcoming projects.
- Prepared Electrical Panel Designs, layout and drawings
- Liaised with consultants and clients/customers
- Supervised site Installations
- Prepared the bill of material and costing on customer projects
Education
Bachelor of Science - Electrical And Electronics Engineering
University of Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya 11.1990 - 12.1996
Skills
Technical Support
Technical issues analysis
Complaint resolution
Issue troubleshooting
TCP/IP
Timeline
Technical Support Representative
Centurion Systems Limited
03.2023 - Current
Plant Engineer
Highlands Drinks Limited
12.2019 - 10.2023
Electrical Maintenance Engineer
United Bottlers Company, Coca-Cola
03.2019 - 11.2019
Factory Manager/Electrical Engineer,
Compact Poles & Services Ltd
02.2017 - 02.2019
Electrical Engineer
Richfield Engineering Limited
10.2015 - 01.2017
Senior Departmental Head, Electrical
Del Monte Kenya Limited
07.2009 - 09.2015
Technical Team Leader
East African Breweries Ltd
11.2005 - 06.2008
Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer
Tata Chemical Magadi Soda company Ltd
05.2003 - 10.2005
Electrical Engineer
Firestone East Africa (1969) Ltd
02.1999 - 05.2003
Workshop Engineer
Switchgear and Controls Ltd
02.1997 - 01.1999
Bachelor of Science - Electrical And Electronics Engineering
University of Nairobi
11.1990 - 12.1996