Electrical Plant Engineer - inc. Instrumentation & Control

Refined Recruitment Solutions; Yamba; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sunshine Sugar is recruiting an Electrical Plant Engineer (EI&C) to lead a team delivering electrical, instrumentation and control services at the Harwood site. The role focuses on safe, compliant asset maintenance and the efficient operation of AS 3000-compliant systems within a diverse sugar manufacturing footprint.

Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you will manage a core EI&C team, oversee maintenance planning and capital projects, and drive continuous improvement across electrical and

Qualifications

• Proven people management and technical leadership in continuous industrial processes.
• Experience with Australian EI&C standards and AS 3000 in industry.
• Experience managing safe systems of work (risk assessments, SWMS, LV/HV isolation).
• Planning, budgeting, monitoring and reporting on maintenance and capital projects.
• Knowledge of high/low voltage distribution and process control (DCS/PLC/SCADA).
• Strong communication to liaise with stakeholders and mentor team.
• Knowledge of NSW electrical licensing requirements.
• Sugar milling or heavy industry experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead an EIC team handling electrical, instrumentation and control assets.
• Deliver reliable electrical engineering services across the site.
• Ensure assets are maintained safely and in compliance with standards.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and process optimization.
• Develop and maintain plant records, drawings, test reports and P&IDs.
• Engage with internal/external stakeholders and mentor maintenance staff.

Skills

People management

Technical leadership

Maintenance planning

Budgeting & reporting

Electrical design

Process control knowledge

DCS/PLC/SCADA

Risk assessments & safe work

Stakeholder communication

NSW licensing awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering

Certificate III Trade in electrotechnology & instrumentation & control

Tools

CMMS

DCS/SCADA systems

SCADA

DCS/PLC

Job description

Electrical Plant Engineer - inc. Instrumentation & Control

Joining Sunshine Sugar as the Electrical, Instrumentation & Control (EIC) Plant Engineer at their largest and most diverse manufacturing site represents an excellent opportunity to continue developing your career and experience while living in the enviable lifestyle location of the Clarence Valley region on the NSW North Coast.

Sunshine Sugar is an Australian-owned and operated sugar manufacturer at the forefront of producing raw and refined sugar products using globally recognised and certified sustainability practices throughout the entire business. It is the world's first refined sugar producer to achieve this standard across its entire supply chain from farming to packing.

About the Role

Reporting directly to the Harwood site's Engineering Manager, you will lead an EIC team comprising dual tradespeople (Electrical and Instrumentation), an Electrical Engineer and a Maintenance Planner, all of whom are engaged in a wide range of breakdown, maintenance and project activities.

The primary focus of the role is the delivery of a critical and comprehensive electrical engineering service, covering all of the site’s electrical, instrumentation and control assets, and ensuring all assets are utilised and maintained efficiently and safely, and are compliant with electrical standards and regulations. Actively contributing to the development of a continuous improvement culture and assisting with the optimisation of systems and processes also form an important part of the role.

The position is based at Sunshine Sugar’s Harwood site, which features a separate sugar mill and sugar refinery. The site has the most diverse footprint in sugar manufacturing across Australia, with sugarcane crushing at one end and high-speed packaging of final sugar products at the other. The Harwood Mill & Refinery is located along the Clarence River, near the seaside and river communities of Yamba, Iluka and Maclean.

Key Requirements

Proven people management and technical leadership experience within a continuous industrial process, servicing electrical, instrument and control equipment in a reliability-centred maintenance-based environment

Extensive experience in the application of Australian standards, acts, regulations, company standards and specifications as they pertain to the EI&C field

Proven experience in the management of safe systems of work, e.g., via risk assessments, safe work method statements, low-voltage isolation, high-voltage isolation and access

Proven skills and experience in planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting on maintenance and capital project activities and co-ordination of breakdown restoration.

Competence in electrical design, modification, addition, repair and electrical verification compliant with AS 3000 in an industrial context.

Demonstrated experience in the management of change for electrical and programmable equipment

Previous experience leading the development, storage, maintenance and use of plant records, e.g., calculations, test reports, electrical drawings and P&IDs etc

Demonstrated working knowledge and skills in high and low-voltage distribution, protection systems and process control, e.g., DCS, PLC and SCADA

High-level technical problem-solving skills: including the ability to identify and resolve EIC issues in a safe, timely and thorough manner.

Excellent communication skills, including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders and to lead and mentor a trade and apprenticeship maintenance team.

Well-developed computer application skills, e.g., Microsoft suite and Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

Demonstrated working knowledge of electrical licensing requirements in NSW

Relevant skills and experience in sugar milling and refining or similar heavy industry (Preferred)

Certificate III Trade qualifications in electrotechnology and instrumentation & control (Advantageous)

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with 5+ years of relevant postgraduate experience (Preferred)