Job Description

Title: SCADA Engineer
Location: Johannesburg, hybrid
About the Role
Our client, a major leader in the renewable energy space, is seeking an Instrumentation & Control (I&C) and SCADA Engineer to join its Engineering & Construction team, based in Johannesburg, supporting projects across the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
The role works closely with multiple internal units and external partners to ensure engineering activities are delivered in line with best practices, quality standards, safety, environmental requirements, schedules, and budgets. The position involves managing external engineering resources and resolving technical issues within the I&C, SCADA, and power automation scope to meet overall project objectives.
The role covers professional engineering activities related to I&C, SCADA, control systems, and power automation for renewable energy power plants. Responsibilities span the full project lifecycle, including feasibility studies, early works, detailed and executive engineering, construction, and commissioning/start-up phases.
Role Responsibilities:

• Execute and review Due Diligences, Feasibility Studies, permitting designs, and detailed engineering (shop drawings and IFC drawings) within own field of expertise
• Define and optimise design strategies for renewable power plants in collaboration with internal teams
• Manage technical topics related to field instrumentation, power automation, control systems, SCADA, data acquisition systems, network architectures, communication protocols, HMIs, and functional diagrams
• Support construction teams to ensure quality of supplies and works in line with technical standards
• Provide technical support during construction, commissioning, testing, and start-up, including site inspections when required
• Lead and supervise testing activities, including FAT and SAT for SCADA and control systems
• Support O&M teams with SCADA system integration into remote monitoring and control centres
• Support integration of plant SCADA systems with grid operators during execution
• Lead and support cost estimation activities for renewable power plant construction
• Perform and support risk assessments related to construction activities
• Contribute to overall project planning and scheduling within own discipline
• Support CAPEX, OPEX, and budgeting activities where required
• Develop, maintain, and update technical specifications for RFPs
• Lead and support the technical evaluation of vendor offers
• Manage engineering service contracts in coordination with other internal units
• Support management of supply, construction, and commissioning contracts with external service providers
• Support integration of plant data into remote monitoring and control platforms
• Contribute to the design of network infrastructure and communication services for renewable plants
• Support ICT/Digital teams in defining, sizing, and budgeting communication solutions aligned with operational needs
• Ensure designs comply with Health, Safety, and Environmental regulations
• Review lessons learned and identify opportunities to improve products, processes, and procedures
• Develop cost-effective technical solutions that meet project specifications
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously across different stages of development

Requirements and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, Automation, Mechatronics, or equivalent
• 5-10 years' experience in a SCADA / ICS engineering role
• Proven track record leading SCADA system projects, architectures, and processes
• Experience managing projects for industrial process control, preferably in power generation, transmission, or distribution
• Strong, up-to-date expertise in SCADA, ICS, OT, and familiarity with the South African Grid Code
• Solid experience in ICS networking and security, including OT/ICS security risks and vulnerabilities
• Experience with Energy Management Systems (EMS) and their supporting architectures
• In-depth knowledge of industrial communication protocols: Modbus TCP, PROFINET, DNP3, IEC 61850, IEC 60870-5-101/103/104, ICCP/TASE.2
• Knowledge of OPC technologies (OPC UA, OPC DA, OPC XML-DA)
• Familiarity with OT/ICS security standards (IEC 62443, IEC 62351, NERC CIP, NIST SP 800-82)
• Strong understanding of redundancy, failover, and disaster recovery for SCADA systems
• Good understanding of IT/OT integration, ISO/OSI model, and IP-based networking
• Experience with Windows Server, Active Directory, and enterprise networking architectures
• Knowledge of application-layer protocols such as RDP, FTP, HTTP, BGP, SSH, Telnet
• Familiarity with ISO/IEC 27001 and related information security standards
• Experience with SCADA/HMI platforms, data historians, alarm management, and trending
• Knowledge of project management methodologies and tools
• Experience with OT change control, patching, vulnerability management, and incident response in ICS environments
• Ability to work across multiple projects simultaneously

Advantageous Experience

• Master's degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Information Security, or Business Administration is an advantage
• Experience within a renewable energy environment is advantageous
• Relevant certifications such as CRISC, GICSP, or CISSP are a plus
• Exposure to virtualization, networking, and security infrastructure (firewalls, switches, Hyper-V, UTM devices) is advantageous
• SAP experience is a plus

What Do You Get?

• Competitive salary
• Meal allowance
• Performance-based bonus
• Funded training
• Career growth
• Job rotation.

Skills Required