Senior Automation Engineer

EMR Integrated Solutions; Dunboyne; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

EMR Integrated Solutions is seeking a Senior Automation Engineer in Ireland to lead PLC-based control-system upgrades in water and wastewater facilities. You will drive design, development and integration of SCADA/HMI solutions, focusing on Ignition and ICONICS, while coordinating with clients and internal teams through surveys, testing and cutover activities.

The role emphasizes end-to-end automation project delivery, including FAT/SAT, commissioning and handover, with office-based work and

Qualifications

• Five+ years delivering PLC, automation and SCADA solutions.
• Experience in water or wastewater facilities and migration projects.
• Strong knowledge of SCADA architectures, communications and security considerations.
• Familiarity with Ignition and ICONICS platforms.
• Experience with Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA/DA, DNP3 protocols.
• Valid driving licence and ability to attend sites.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to presales, site surveys, project scoping, estimating and design for new automation systems.
• Assess and document existing PLC/SCADA/HMI, instrumentation and control-system arrangements.
• Design, configure, program, test and commission PLC-based control systems.
• Develop PLC replacement and migration strategies with phased cutover plans.
• Develop and integrate PLC, HMI and SCADA solutions including telemetry and third-party equipment.
• Produce control philosophies, specifications, I/O schedules and system documentation.
• Plan and execute FAT, SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting and handover activities.
• Collaborate with the Automation Team Lead and Project Manager to deliver requirements.
• Liaise with client IT/OT teams regarding networks, security and remote access.
• Maintain project software, configuration records, licences and documentation.
• Contribute to project work breakdown structures and delivery plans.
• Develop reusable libraries and standardised solutions.
• Provide client training and post-implementation support.

Skills

Automation upgrade

SCADA development

PLC programming

Ignition

Iconics

Water/wastewater processes

Cybersecurity for SCADA

PLC migration

Ethernet/TCP/IP

Tools

Ignition

Iconics

Wonderware

Schneider PLC

Siemens PLC

Rockwell PLC

OPC UA/DA

Job description

Introduction:

EMR Integrated Solutions is a leading provider of communications, SCADA and instrumentation solutions. Working with industrial sectors as diverse as water, power, utilities, corporate business, broadcasting and public safety organisations, we have a track record stretching back to the early 1980s and a management team with a wealth of industry experience.

Overview of role:

The role is predominantly office-based, with site attendance required during surveys, testing, cutover and commissioning. The Senior Automation Engineer will deliver PLC-based control-system upgrades within operational water and wastewater treatment facilities, including brownfield migration and multi-PLC replacement projects.

The role covers assessment, design, PLC and SCADA/HMI development, system integration, FAT, SAT, cutover planning, commissioning and operational handover. It includes the development and integration of Ignition and other SCADA/HMI platforms, but the central requirement is end-to-end automation project delivery.

The engineer will work closely with the Automation Team Lead, Project Managers, client engineers, site operators and other engineering disciplines throughout the project lifecycle.

The Candidate:

The candidate should possess excellent customer facing skills, and work well under pressure, demonstrating a professional manner, with an ability to identify and focus on customer needs, during the design, testing, deployment and ongoing support of EMR’s solutions.

Furthermore, the successful candidate should be an innovative thinker, keen to challenge the status quo and current ways of working.

The role is predominantly office based, with some requirement to attend site during deployment, commissioning and support phases. A major part of this role includes working with SCADA platforms, with particular focus on Ignition and ICONICS, as well as supporting the integration of SCADA systems with PLCs, RTUs, telemetry outstations and client systems.

The role involves regular communication with clients during implementation and after deployment, including supporting queries, troubleshooting issues and helping ensure reliable operation of the delivered SCADA solution.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to presales, site surveys, project scoping, estimating and solution design for new automation systems and system upgrades.
• Assess and document existing PLC, SCADA/HMI, instrumentation, industrial-network and control-system arrangements.
• Design, configure, program, test and commission PLC-based control systems.
• Develop PLC replacement and migration strategies, including phased cutover and rollback plans for operational facilities.
• Develop and integrate PLC, HMI and SCADA solutions, including communications with telemetry, instrumentation, MCCs, remote I/O and third-party equipment.
• Produce control philosophies, functional and software design specifications, I/O schedules, system architecture documentation and test specifications.
• Plan and execute FAT, SAT, commissioning, troubleshooting and operational handover activities.
• Work collaboratively with the Automation Team Lead, Project Managers and assigned SCADA/Automation Engineers to deliver project requirements.
• Liaise with client IT/OT teams regarding industrial networks, system security and secure remote access.
• Maintain project software, configuration records, version history, licences and associated engineering documentation.
• Contribute to project work breakdown structures, estimates and delivery plans in conjunction with the Automation Team Lead and Project Manager.
• Develop reusable software libraries, engineering standards and standardised solutions.
• Provide client training and post-implementation technical support.

Essential Experience and Technical Skills

• Demonstrable experience holding significant engineering responsibility for at least one substantial automation upgrade within a water or wastewater treatment facility, involving the replacement or migration of multiple PLCs.
• Practical automation and control-system experience across both water and wastewater treatment environments.
• Strong working knowledge of both water and wastewater treatment processes and their associated control philosophies, instrumentation, sequencing, interlocks and operational constraints.
• In-depth understanding of SCADA system architecture and components.
• Experience with SCADA platforms such as Ignition, Iconics, Wonderware or equivalent.
• Understanding of industrial communication protocols commonly used in SCADA and automation systems, including Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA/DA and DNP3.
• Minimum of five years’ experience delivering PLC, automation and SCADA solutions.
• Strong hands‑on experience in PLC software development and solution design using Schneider or comparable industrial PLC platforms.
• Knowledge of Ethernet, TCP/IP, and other relevant protocols used in industrial environments.
• Awareness of cybersecurity best practices for SCADA systems.
• Skill in designing and managing alarms within the SCADA system.
• Full driving licence.

Desirable Experience and Technical Skills

• Ignition certification or substantial Ignition experience.
• Experience with Schneider Modicon PLCs and Control Expert/Unity Pro.
• Experience with Siemens or Rockwell PLC platforms.
• SQL, historian and reporting experience.
• Telemetry and RTU experience.
• Azure/AWS or cloud-connected industrial solutions.
• IEC 62443 or wider OT cybersecurity experience.
• Experience using secure remote-access solutions within controlled OT environments.

Interpersonal Skills

• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to report effectively at all organisational levels.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship-management skills.
• Highly organised approach within a multitasking project environment.
• Ability to develop practical solutions and guide technical discussions toward agreed outcomes.
• Ability to remain calm and focused under pressure.
• Ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary project teams.
• Constructively challenges existing approaches to improve safety, quality and delivery efficiency.
• Commercially aware.