Automation Lead - Control Systems

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE

Al Ruways Industrial City

On-site

AED 200,000 - 230,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

ADNOC Abu Dhabi UAE is looking for an Automation Lead – Control Systems in Al Ruways Industrial City. This role entails providing technical authority for automation systems and ensuring operational continuity through maintenance and proper design of control systems.

Applicants should have 8-12 years of experience in automation or petrochemical operations, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in related engineering disciplines. The position is full-time and offers opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

Minimum 8–12 years of technical experience in automation or control systems.
At least 6 years as a Senior Automation Engineer or similar technical role.
2–5 years of people management experience in engineering or plant operations.

Responsibilities

Lead automation activities for safe and efficient plant operation.
Provide technical expertise in control systems and reliability.
Supervise engineering standards and documentation for automation.

Skills

Automation systems

Control systems

Instrumentation and control

DCS

PLC

SCADA

OT cybersecurity

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor Degree in Instrumentation and Control, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field

Tools

SAP

CMMS

EDMS

Job description

Automation Lead – Control Systems
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Industry: Oil and Energy
Function: Automation & Robotics
Experience: 8–12 years in automation, control systems, technical projects or petrochemical operations
Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Automation Lead – Control Systems will act as a technical authority for automation systems, supporting plant operations, maintenance, reliability, projects, engineering, and turnaround activities. The role has direct impact on production continuity by ensuring automation and control systems are properly designed, maintained, backed up, secured, tested, commissioned, and aligned with approved standards. It also supports major technical decisions across modifications, upgrades, vendor selection, system changes, abnormal condition reporting, and process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Lead automation and control activities to support safe, reliable, and efficient operation of Borouge 1 and Borouge 2 plant systems.
Provide technical expertise for automation, instrumentation, control systems, engineering projects, asset reliability, and maintenance strategy.
Review proposed modifications to existing standards, drawings, philosophies, technical specifications, and design documents.
Track historical design issues, lessons learned, design change approvals, and recurring system concerns to support continuous improvement.
Supervise preparation and review of specifications, drawings, engineering standards, and documentation for automation and control systems.
Review and approve engineering design and material submissions for plant modifications, renovations, upgrades, and facility improvements.
Review SPIR and Bill of Material for newly installed equipment and confirm availability in EDMS and SAP.
Provide technical guidance on instrumentation, automation, design selection, upgrades, modifications, modernization, revamps, expansions, and repairs.
Draft and review requirements for technology selection, vendor selection, design, installation, and implementation of control and automation systems.
Advise on technical issues related to instrumentation, automation, and control, and coordinate solutions with relevant personnel.
Support the cascade of safety critical procedures, operation integrity committee updates, and lessons learned from other assets or ADNOC operating companies.
Participate in system failure root cause analysis and approve technical modifications to improve equipment efficiency and maintenance strategy.
Review engineering and system minor changes related to maintenance, reliability enhancement, and operational improvement.
Ensure high operability and availability of automation systems through proper planning, performance analysis, and technical follow‑up.
Review on‑call logs, daily activity reports, abnormal condition reports, and technical findings prepared by automation teams.
Finalize, review, and evaluate engineering packages for new projects covering automation and control requirements.
Participate in statement of requirements, scope studies, basic design, detailed design, technology selection, HAZOP, and SIL studies.
Support factory acceptance tests, site acceptance tests, pre‑commissioning, commissioning, and performance testing for automation systems.
Review FEED and EPC specifications to ensure plant performance, reliability, safety, and cost‑effective design outcomes.
Support technical evaluation of studies, major and minor project bids, vendor prequalification, bidder evaluation, and project personnel assessment.
Raise contract requests and work service orders for project‑related automation jobs.
Evaluate design changes, scope changes, variations, claims, and technical recommendations related to automation and control systems.
Ensure new project equipment follows the approved vendor list and meets required technical and reliability standards.
Engage with vendors to resolve post‑commissioning issues and fine‑tune automation and control equipment.
Coordinate instrumentation and control interfaces between existing systems and active projects to support smooth pre‑commissioning changeover.
Monitor automation and control scope during turnaround activities including planning, material readiness, resource availability, safe execution, and close‑out.
Review contractor and engineer bids for technical completeness, work coverage, and automation‑related content.
Lead investigations into major plant incidents involving automation or control systems and ensure corrective actions are clearly defined.
Screen and approve electronic management of change requests from a technical automation perspective.
Evaluate work order feedback and prepare action plans to resolve technical issues and prevent recurrence.
Control and optimize preventive and corrective maintenance costs linked to automation and control systems.
Implement approved policies, processes, standards, and work programs in line with Borouge and company requirements.
Update system strategies, work instructions, and standard documents related to automation systems.
Maintain reliable backups for all automation systems to protect operational continuity and data integrity.
Ensure OT systems comply with cybersecurity policies and monitor the performance of security measures.
Perform technical authority duties for automation systems and deputize for the team leader when required.
Support recruitment and selection activities by preparing technical assessments, interview questions, and evaluation panels.
Lead the team through performance appraisals, staffing, training, succession planning, and regular technical meetings.
Support staff development, competency improvement, and professional growth within automation and control disciplines.
Monitor HSE compliance within the team and lead by example in all safety‑related communications, updates, and work practices.
Propose process improvements that enhance service quality, technical efficiency, customer support, and operational reliability.
Support integrated risk management by identifying domain risks and implementing mitigation actions.
Ensure business ethics, data confidentiality, code of conduct, corporate image, and communication standards are followed.

Ideal Profile

Bachelor Degree in Instrumentation and Control, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
Minimum 8–12 years of technical experience in automation, control systems, technical projects, or operations within oil and gas or petrochemical industries.
At least 6 years of experience as a Senior Automation Engineer, Senior Technical Engineer, or similar technical role.
2–5 years of people management experience in engineering, maintenance, technical support, or plant operations.
Strong knowledge of automation systems, control systems, instrumentation, DCS, PLC, SCADA, OT systems, and plant reliability practices.
Experience reviewing FEED, EPC, engineering packages, scope documents, technical specifications, drawings, SPIR, BOM, and vendor submissions.
Practical involvement in HAZOP, SIL studies, FAT, SAT, pre‑commissioning, commissioning, turnaround support, and performance testing.
Hands‑on experience with CMMS and maintenance workflows in petrochemical, oil and gas, or large industrial environments.
Working knowledge of HSE policies applicable to chemical and petrochemical operations.
Understanding of planning tools, maintenance strategies, operational integrity, reliability improvement, and technical project execution.
Ability to manage complex technical issues, overcome execution barriers, and coordinate across multiple departments.
Knowledge of OT cybersecurity requirements, automation backups, system change control, and control system protection.
Strong leadership, technical authority, coaching, reporting, analytical, and decision‑making skills.
Fluency in written and spoken English.
Certified Project Management qualification such as PMP is preferred.

Skills Set