Operations Engineer

Wilmar Sugar; Ingham; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Wilmar Sugar Australia is seeking an Operations Engineer to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production assets. You will collaborate with operations, maintenance, and technical teams to identify performance improvements and support plant operations.

The role requires strong analytical skills, proactive problem solving, and a commitment to safety, quality, and environmental standards while driving continuous improvement across a fast-paced heavy industrial environment.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Electrical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Experience within manufacturing, processing, mining, energy, or heavy industrial environments.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience with process monitoring systems, data analysis tools, and performance reporting.
• Understanding of asset reliability principles, risk management practices, and operational excellence frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering support to operations teams to optimise plant performance, reliability, and efficiency.
• Monitor and analyse operational data to identify improvement opportunities and troubleshoot process issues.
• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, productivity, quality, and cost reduction.
• Collaborate with maintenance, production, and technical stakeholders to develop and implement operational solutions.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements while supporting operational risk management.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Process monitoring systems

Data analysis tools

Job description

Wilmar Sugar Australia is part of Wilmar International, a leading global agribusiness with around 100,000 employees working across more than 30 countries and regions.

Across Australia and New Zealand, we operate two major business units, Sugar & Renewables and Sweeteners, employing 2,300+ people during peak/ seasonal operations with corporate offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville and Auckland.

As Australia’s largest raw sugar manufacturer and a top 10 global producer, Wilmar Sugar & Renewables runs eight sugar mills across North Queensland. We are also one of the nation’s largest generators of renewable electricity from biomass, a major producer of bioethanol, the largest sugarcane grower, and a key supplier of sustainable fertiliser and stockfeed.

About the Role

As an Operations Engineer, you will play a key role in ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production assets and processes. Working closely with operations, maintenance, and technical teams, you will identify performance improvement opportunities, provide engineering support for plant operations, troubleshoot operational challenges, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. This role requires strong analytical skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and a commitment to driving operational excellence while maintaining safety, quality, and environmental standards.

Role Responsibilities:

• Provide engineering support to operations teams to optimise plant performance, reliability, and efficiency.
• Monitor and analyse operational data to identify improvement opportunities and troubleshoot process issues.
• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, productivity, quality, and cost reduction.
• Collaborate with maintenance, production, and technical stakeholders to develop and implement operational solutions.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements while supporting operational risk management.

About you:

We are looking for someone who brings:

The successful candidate will possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational data and translate insights into effective solutions. You will have excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities, a commitment to safety and continuous improvement, and the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced operational environment.

Essential

• Tertiary qualifications in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Electrical, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Experience within manufacturing, processing, mining, energy, or heavy industrial environments.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience with process monitoring systems, data analysis tools, and performance reporting.
• Understanding of asset reliability principles, risk management practices, and operational excellence frameworks.

Desirable

• Tertiary qualifications in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Electrical, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Experience within manufacturing, processing, mining, energy, or heavy industrial environments.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience with process monitoring systems, data analysis tools, and performance reporting.
• Understanding of asset reliability principles, risk management practices, and operational excellence frameworks.

Wilmar Sugar Australia is part of Wilmar International, a leading global agribusiness with around 100,000 employees working across more than 30 countries and regions.

Across Australia and New Zealand, we operate two major business units, Sugar & Renewables and Sweeteners, employing 2,300+ people during peak/ seasonal operations with corporate offices in Melbourne, Brisbane, Townsville and Auckland.

As Australia’s largest raw sugar manufacturer and a top 10 global producer, Wilmar Sugar & Renewables runs eight sugar mills across North Queensland. We are also one of the nation’s largest generators of renewable electricity from biomass, a major producer of bioethanol, the largest sugarcane grower, and a key supplier of sustainable fertiliser and stockfeed.

About the Role

As an Operations Engineer, you will play a key role in ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production assets and processes. Working closely with operations, maintenance, and technical teams, you will identify performance improvement opportunities, provide engineering support for plant operations, troubleshoot operational challenges, and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives. This role requires strong analytical skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and a commitment to driving operational excellence while maintaining safety, quality, and environmental standards.

Role Responsibilities:

• Provide engineering support to operations teams to optimise plant performance, reliability, and efficiency.
• Monitor and analyse operational data to identify improvement opportunities and troubleshoot process issues.
• Lead and support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, productivity, quality, and cost reduction.
• Collaborate with maintenance, production, and technical stakeholders to develop and implement operational solutions.
• Ensure compliance with safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements while supporting operational risk management.

About you:

We are looking for someone who brings:

Essential

The successful candidate will possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret operational data and translate insights into effective solutions. You will have excellent communication and stakeholder engagement capabilities, a commitment to safety and continuous improvement, and the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced operational environment.

Desirable

• Tertiary qualifications in Chemical, Mechanical, Process, Electrical, or a related Engineering discipline.
• Experience within manufacturing, processing, mining, energy, or heavy industrial environments.
• Knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Root Cause Analysis.
• Experience with process monitoring systems, data analysis tools, and performance reporting.
• Understanding of asset reliability principles, risk management practices, and operational excellence frameworks.

Recruitment Process

Applications are assessed independently and on their individual merits against the requirements of the advertised role.

As part of our recruitment process, shortlisted candidates may be required to –

• Complete interviews, assessments, reference checks and verification of qualifications, licences and work rights.
• Successful candidates will be required to satisfactorily complete any role-specific pre-employment checks, which may include a pre-employment medical assessment (including drug and alcohol screening).
• A National Police Check and other compliance requirements.

Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the job ads expiry, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Wilmar Sugar & Renewables is an Equal Opportunity Employer.