Senior Automation Engineer - Bio-Energy SCADA Lead

VIDA Bioenergy; Tilburg; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

VIDA Bioenergy is seeking a Sr. Automation Engineer to shape and deliver automation across multiple bio-energy plants.

You will design, implement, and optimize PLC-based control systems and SCADA/HMI environments, while coordinating with contractors and vendors to ensure secure, reliable operations. Responsibilities include developing PCS, control narratives, safety SIF validation, and contributing to cybersecure IT/OT networks across NL and UK sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Automation, Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering, Industrial IT, Mechatronics, or equivalent.
• 5–10+ years' experience in industrial automation, preferably bio-energy, utilities, chemicals, or food processing.

Responsibilities

• Design, program, and maintain PLC-based control systems and SCADA/HMI environments.
• Ensure correct integration of instrumentation, gas quality analyzers, safety devices, interlocks, and ESD logic.
• Lead troubleshooting across control systems to improve plant stability and reduce downtime.
• Develop and maintain the Process Control Strategy (PCS) for bio-energy assets.
• Create and own control narratives, Cause & Effect, alarm philosophy, and functional logic.
• Define and maintain the site-wide Process Control Architecture (networks, security layers, protocols) across NL and UK.
• Prepare and maintain FDS, SDS, FAT/SAT documentation, commissioning plans, and test procedures.
• Participate in HAZOP, LOPA and SIL reviews; implement safeguarding per HAZOP/LOPA/SIL.
• Validate and support Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF), shutdown logic, and emergency response behavior.
• Work across IT and OT to ensure secure industrial networks; define Modbus, OPC-UA, MQTT, Profinet structures; enable secure remote access.
• Configure and maintain data historians (PI, Aveva, Ignition); build dashboards and analytics for operations.
• Support digitalization initiatives like anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, energy optimization.
• Use data trends to identify efficiency improvements and methane yield optimization; lead automation in CAPEX projects.

Skills

PLC

SCADA/HMI

IT/OT

Data historians

Cybersecurity

Leadership/coordination

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Automation/Electrical/Control Engineering/Industrial IT/Mechatronics

Tools

PI

Aveva

Ignition

Job description

VIDA Bioenergy is seeking a Sr. Automation Engineer to shape and deliver automation across multiple bio-energy plants.

You will design, implement, and optimize PLC-based control systems and SCADA/HMI environments, while coordinating with contractors and vendors to ensure secure, reliable operations. Responsibilities include developing PCS, control narratives, safety SIF validation, and contributing to cybersecure IT/OT networks across NL and UK sites.