Control&Automation Engineer (Expat), Cape Town

Control&Automation Engineer (Expat)

Location:

Lunsar, Sierra Leone Employment Type:

Full-time | Site-based (Accommodation provided)

A well-established mining operation in West Africa is seeking an experienced

Control&Automation Engineer (Expat)

to join its Engineering&Maintenance team. This role is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of control and automation systems across the plant.

Key Responsibilities

Ensure all control and automation activities comply with site safety standards, statutory requirements, and best engineering practices

Provide hands‑on technical support during maintenance, breakdowns, shutdowns, and commissioning activities

Maintain and improve the reliability and availability of PLC, SCADA, HMI, instrumentation, and industrial network systems

Lead fault finding, root cause analyses, and implementation of corrective actions for automation‑related issues

Plan and coordinate maintenance activities with Operations, Projects, OEMs, and IT teams

Supervise and support technicians, providing technical leadership and mentorship

Manage control system documentation, backups, version control, and system governance

Identify and implement system upgrades, obsolescence management, and automation improvements

Key Deliverables

High availability and reliability of automation and control systems

Safe, compliant execution of automation activities with minimal unplanned downtime

Successful commissioning, upgrades, and optimisation of plant control systems

Well‑maintained technical documentation and control system standards

Development and upskilling of national technical staff

Minimum Requirements

Degree in Instrumentation, Electronics, or Control Engineering

Minimum

5 years’ experience

in a Control&Instrumentation or Automation Engineer role, preferably in mining or heavy industry

Strong hands‑on experience with PLC programming, SCADA/HMI configuration and system commissioning

Proven experience in fault finding, breakdown support and root cause analysis

Solid understanding of industrial networks, control system architectures, and cybersecurity principles

Technical Skills&Experience (Advantageous)

PLC platforms: Schneider (Control Expert / Unity), Modicon M580, Rockwell (RSLogix / Studio 5000)

SCADA&Historian systems: AVEVA Plant SCADA, Ignition, or similar

Industrial databases and SQL reporting

Edge computing / high-availability platforms

VSDs, safety systems, field instrumentation

Personal Attributes

Strong leadership and mentoring ability

Excellent communication and coordination skillsHigh level of planning, organisation, and accountability

Willingness to work in a remote, site-based environment

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