Senior Project & Automation Engineer

Rubberflex Sdn Bhd; Bentong; On-site; MYR 190,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

Rubberflex Sdn Bhd in Bentong, Malaysia, is seeking an experienced Senior Project & Automation Engineer to lead major CAPEX, plant improvements and manufacturing automation projects.

Based at the Bentong plant, you will manage projects from feasibility through commissioning, coordinate cross-functional teams (Production, Maintenance, Safety), and implement PLC/HMI/SCADA systems, automation upgrades and equipment integration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic, Automation, or Control Systems Engineering or a related discipline.
• Minimum five years of relevant experience in project engineering and industrial automation within a manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience managing at least one major CAPEX project valued at RM1 million or above.
• Strong working knowledge of PLC programming and troubleshooting using platforms such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, Allen-Bradley or Schneider.
• Hands-on experience with HMI/SCADA, VFDs, servo motors, servo drives, control panels, sensors and industrial instrumentation.
• Good understanding of industrial robots or collaborative robots, including robot-cell integration and safety requirements.
• Familiar with industrial communication protocols and machine-to-machine communication.
• Able to interpret and prepare electrical schematics, control drawings, P&IDs and technical specifications.
• Knowledge of machine safety, emergency circuits, interlocks, LOTO and risk assessment practices.
• Strong project-management, budgeting, vendor-management and problem-solving capabilities.
• Able to communicate effectively with management, production personnel, contractors and international equipment suppliers.
• Good written and spoken English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Responsibilities

• Lead CAPEX and automation projects from concept to completion.
• Prepare feasibility studies, budgets and project schedules.
• Develop URS, technical specifications, layouts, scopes of work and tender documents.
• Design, program, troubleshoot and improve PLC, HMI, SCADA and automated control systems.
• Coordinate contractors and suppliers, evaluate quotations and support commercial comparisons.
• Conduct FAT, SAT, commissioning and performance validation.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and PLC backups.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI/SCADA

Industrial automation

Project management

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic, Automation, or Control Systems Engineering

Job description

Rubberflex is seeking an experienced Senior Project & Automation Engineer to lead major CAPEX, plant improvement and manufacturing automation projects.

The successful candidate will be based in the Bentong plant and will manage projects from feasibility study and concept development through design, procurement, installation, commissioning and final handover. This position requires strong hands-on automation knowledge and the ability to coordinate management, Production, Maintenance, Safety, contractors and equipment suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Lead manufacturing CAPEX and automation projects from concept to completion.

Prepare feasibility studies, project justifications, technical proposals, budgets, cost-benefit analyses and project schedules.

Develop User Requirement Specifications (URS), technical specifications, layouts, scopes of work and tender documents.

Design, program, troubleshoot and improve PLC, HMI, SCADA and automated control systems.

Integrate VFDs, servo motors, servo drives, sensors, instrumentation, safety devices and industrial robots.

Troubleshoot industrial communication networks, including Modbus RTU/TCP, Profibus, Profinet, Ethernet/IP or equivalent protocols.

Identify opportunities to automate manual processes, improve productivity, reduce cycle time, minimise quality defects and enhance workplace safety.

Manage major CAPEX projects valued at RM1 million and above, including expenditure tracking, progress monitoring and cost control.

Coordinate contractors and suppliers, evaluate technical quotations and support commercial comparisons.

Conduct design reviews, risk assessments, Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT), Site Acceptance Tests (SAT), commissioning and performance validation.

Ensure installations comply with approved drawings, specifications, machine-safety requirements and company EHS procedures.

Diagnose repetitive equipment failures and implement permanent engineering solutions through root-cause analysis.

Maintain accurate PLC backups, electrical drawings, control-panel drawings, manuals, spare-parts lists and project documentation.

Develop preventive-maintenance requirements and train Maintenance and Production personnel before project handover.

Monitor project milestones, risks and delays, and provide regular progress reports to management.

Support emergency troubleshooting and production recovery when required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic, Automation, Control Systems Engineering or a related discipline.

Minimum five years of relevant experience in project engineering and industrial automation within a manufacturing environment.

Proven experience managing at least one major CAPEX project valued at RM1 million or above, preferably from concept through commissioning.

Strong working knowledge of PLC programming and troubleshooting using at least one major platform such as Siemens, Mitsubishi, Omron, Allen-Bradley or Schneider.

Hands-on experience with HMI/SCADA, VFDs, servo motors, servo drives, control panels, sensors and industrial instrumentation.

Good understanding of industrial robots or collaborative robots, including robot-cell integration, interlocks, end effectors and safety requirements.

Familiar with industrial communication protocols and machine-to-machine communication.

Able to interpret and prepare electrical schematics, control drawings, P&IDs, equipment layouts and technical specifications.

Knowledge of machine safety, emergency circuits, interlocks, LOTO and manufacturing risk-assessment practices.

Strong project-management, budgeting, vendor-management and problem-solving capabilities.

Able to communicate effectively with management, production personnel, contractors and international equipment suppliers.

Good written and spoken English and Bahasa Malaysia.

Willing to provide site and commissioning support outside normal working hours when required.

Preferred Qualifications

Project-management certification or formal project-management training.

Experience with robotics, machine vision, data acquisition, energy monitoring, IIoT or Industry 4.0 implementation.

Experience upgrading legacy machinery and integrating new automation into existing production lines.

Familiarity with CMMS, preventive maintenance and reliability-improvement programmes.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is hands-on, technically strong and capable of independently managing complex projects. The individual must be comfortable working on the production floor while also preparing professional proposals, budgets, schedules and management presentations.

This role requires strong ownership, urgency and the ability to deliver practical solutions in an operating manufacturing plant.

We are a large manufacturer of latex threads with offices in China, Korea and Mexico. Our factory is in Bentong, Pahang, which is an hour away from our HQ in Kuala Lumpur. Our annual turnover is in excess of US$ 160 million and we export 99% of our products to more than 70 countries. We target to increase our sales in excess of US$ 200 million annually. This will further strengthen our leadership in the rubber thread worldwide market.