Trainee / Junior Project Engineer (EIA) (Automation)

Us3 Consulting; Zuid-Holland; On-site; EUR 54,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Us3 Consulting in South Netherlands seeks a Junior EIA Project Manager / Engineering Lead for a contract role, stepping from engineering into management with structured mentoring. You will own an EIA package, coordinate engineers, suppliers and the client, oversee FAT/SAT, commissioning, and start-up, and report progress to senior project leadership.

The role is onsite with a six-month+ commitment, English fluent, Dutch desirable, offering a pathway to future engineering or project management

Qualifications

• Experience as engineer with leadership potential and readiness for junior management.
• Strong background in electrical, instrumentation and automation.
• Ability to coordinate engineers, suppliers and client.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate engineers, external providers and client.
• Lead coordination meetings and document decisions.
• Manage budget, schedule and scope with stakeholders.
• Provide clear progress reporting to client and senior leadership.
• Oversee FAT/SAT, commissioning and start-up activities.

Skills

Automation Engineer

Electrical Engineer

Instrumentation Engineer

Project management

Education

Electrical Engineering / Automation / Control Engineering degree

Job description

Junior EIA Project Manager / Engineering Lead

Management Development Opportunity | South Netherlands | Contract

Ready to Move from Engineering into Management?

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced Project Engineer, Automation Engineer or EIA Engineer who is ready to take their first formal step into engineering and project management.

You may already be coordinating suppliers, guiding other engineers or taking ownership of technical packages—but have not yet been given the title, mentoring or opportunity to move fully into management.

This role has been created with that person in mind.

You will take responsibility for an Electrical, Instrumentation and Automation package while managing and coordinating engineers, external service providers, equipment suppliers and the client. Your role will be to bring these parties together, maintain alignment and ensure the project is delivered successfully.

You will receive structured support, mentoring and training from an experienced senior manager. The objective is to help the right person develop the leadership, commercial awareness, stakeholder-management skills and confidence required to become a successful engineering or project manager.

This is a junior management position—but it is intended for a technically experienced and ambitious engineer who is genuinely ready to make that move.

The Project

You will join a major industrial engineering project in the south of the Netherlands and take responsibility for an assigned EIA package through:

• Engineering and manufacturing
• Factory Acceptance Testing
• Installation and integration
• Site Acceptance Testing
• Commissioning and start-up
• Punch-list closure and final handover

Acting on behalf of the client, you will coordinate the engineers and external organisations responsible for delivery, ensuring that technical, commercial and programme requirements remain aligned.

Your Responsibilities

Team and Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate and provide day-to-day direction to engineers working across the EIA package.
• Manage external engineering providers, OEMs, contractors and specialist suppliers.
• Act as a key point of contact between the engineering team, suppliers and client.
• Lead coordination meetings and ensure decisions, actions and responsibilities are clearly documented.
• Keep stakeholders aligned across scope, schedule, quality, cost and technical requirements.
• Support, guide and challenge engineers while ensuring they have the information needed to deliver.
• Build strong working relationships while holding suppliers and service providers accountable.
• Escalate significant commercial, technical or programme decisions to the senior Project Manager when appropriate.

Project and Package Ownership

• Take end-to-end responsibility for the successful delivery of an allocated EIA package.
• Develop and maintain an overview of activities, interfaces, dependencies, risks and deliverables.
• Monitor progress against the agreed programme and drive corrective action when required.
• Identify technical and delivery risks before they affect the wider project.
• Coordinate interfaces between machinery, automation systems, industrial networks and the existing facility.
• Manage punch lists and ensure actions are followed through to completion.
• Monitor package expenditure and budget performance.
• Technically assess variations, additional works, supplier claims and invoices.
• Provide clear progress reporting to the client and senior project leadership.

Technical Oversight

• Review Functional Design Specifications, control philosophies and automation concepts.
• Review electrical drawings, technical documentation and supplier submissions.
• Assess whether proposed engineering solutions are technically appropriate and complete.
• Ensure industrial communication networks and system interfaces are properly coordinated.
• Oversee machine-safety requirements, including safety zones and interfaces.
• Support the review and completion of applicable CE documentation.
• Ensure appropriate I/O, interface and functional testing is planned and completed.
• Review FAT results and determine whether equipment and systems are ready to progress.
• Provide strong onsite leadership during installation, SAT, commissioning and start-up.

Who This Opportunity Is For

This role would suit an experienced:

• Automation or Controls Engineer
• Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer
• Package Engineer or Package Owner
• Lead Engineer ready to move into project management

You are likely to have approximately five or more years of relevant experience, although your capability, maturity and project exposure are more important than an exact number of years.

You should have a broad, practical understanding of areas such as:

• Electrical engineering
• Industrial automation and PLC-based systems
• Functional Design Specifications and control philosophies
• Machine safety and CE compliance
• FAT and SAT
• I/O and interface testing
• Commissioning and start-up
• Industrial machinery and production environments
• Supplier and contractor coordination

You do not need to be the leading technical specialist in every discipline. However, you must understand the engineering sufficiently to recognise problems, challenge proposed solutions and know when specialist support is required.

The Person We Are Looking For

You will be technically credible, mature and ready to take responsibility beyond your own engineering tasks.

You should be someone who:

• Wants to progress into engineering or project management.
• Is ready to lead engineers and coordinate external delivery partners.
• Can communicate confidently with technical specialists, suppliers and clients.
• Takes ownership and drives solutions rather than simply reporting problems.
• Can balance technical quality with programme, cost and commercial considerations.
• Is comfortable making decisions with appropriate senior support.
• Can manage several suppliers, interfaces and workstreams simultaneously.
• Is willing to learn and receptive to mentoring from an experienced manager.
• Has the ambition and interpersonal skills to develop into a trusted project leader.

Previous formal management experience is not essential. What matters is that you already demonstrate leadership potential, technical maturity and the ambition to take the next step.

What This Role Is Not

This is not a traditional detailed-design or hands-on PLC programming position.

You will not normally be expected to:

• Write PLC software.
• Produce detailed electrical drawings.
• Complete detailed engineering on behalf of suppliers.
• Perform specialist PL or SIL calculations.
• Replace the technical responsibilities of OEMs and engineering vendors.

Your focus will be on leadership, coordination, technical oversight and successful project delivery.

What You Will Gain

• Your first formal opportunity to move into EIA project management.
• Direct responsibility for engineers, suppliers, service providers and client coordination.
• Structured mentoring and support from an experienced senior manager.
• Exposure to the complete industrial project lifecycle.
• Development across leadership, stakeholder management, budgeting and commercial decision-making.
• A credible pathway towards future Engineering Manager or Project Manager positions.

Qualifications

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering or a related discipline would be beneficial. Strong and relevant practical experience will also be considered.

• Location: South Netherlands
• Start: ASAP – interviews can take place immediately
• Duration: Six months or longer
• Commitment: Four to five days per week
• Onsite requirement: Strong preference for full-time onsite presence; 100% onsite attendance will be required during installation and commissioning
• Language: Fluent English essential; Dutch highly desirable
• Employment type: Contract
• Seniority: Experienced engineer moving into junior management
• Industry: Industrial machinery and manufacturing