Controls Team Leader

Crescent Consulting; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Cavotec New Zealand is seeking a Controls Team Leader in Christchurch to guide a small team of controls engineers, owning delivery through to architecture and quality for MoorMaster automation projects.

You will work with project engineers, product managers and Cavotec's global network to ensure robust, production-ready solutions that perform reliably across offshore and sheltered installations.

Qualifications

• Solid experience in controls or electrical engineering in industrial machinery, mobile equipment, maritime systems, or similar complex real-world environments.
• Strong grounding in industrial electrical design including IO, switchgear, and panels.
• Hands-on experience with industrial control systems including PLC and SCADA.
• Familiarity with network and communications architecture across protocols such as IP, Modbus, and CAN.
• Proven experience leading or mentoring a technical engineering team.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of controls engineers and own day-to-day delivery through to long-term architecture and quality.
• Bridge between technical execution and system-level thinking, coordinating with project engineers and product managers.
• Ensure outcomes are production-ready and durable across offshore and inshore deployments.

Skills

Controls engineering

Electrical design

PLC

SCADA

Industrial networks

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

PLC programming

SCADA software

Electrical CAD

Job description

About Cavotec

Cavotec is a leading global engineering company with 50 years of heritage in innovation, designing and delivering advanced connection and electrification solutions that drive the decarbonisation of ports and industrial applications worldwide. Cavotec New Zealand is an engineering Centre of Excellence responsible for the MoorMaster, an automated vacuum mooring system that is replacing traditional rope mooring in ports around the globe. MoorMaster systems improve safety, reduce environmental impact, and substantially increase operational efficiency, dramatically cutting mooring times, vessel motion, fuel consumption, and emissions.

Based in Christchurch, the team brings together engineering and project management expertise to deliver multimillion-dollar projects across the globe. They are collaborative, passionate, and highly motivated. This is a genuine opportunity to join a world leader at the forefront of cleantech and maritime automation.

The role

As Controls Team Leader you will lead a small team of controls engineers, taking ownership of day-to-day delivery through to the longer-term architecture and quality of the controls function. You will be the bridge between technical execution and system-level thinking, working closely with project engineers, product managers, and Cavotec's global engineering network to ensure what leaves this team is production-ready and built to last.

Unlike plant automation where the environment is fixed and inputs are predictable, MoorMaster systems operate across exposed offshore berths and sheltered inshore installations, attached to everything from small ferries to large commercial vessels. The system has to perform correctly under all of them. This demands a systems engineering mindset, someone who thinks beyond whether the logic works to whether the whole system behaves correctly under all conditions.

Whether you are already leading controls engineering in a complex machinery or maritime environment, or you are a senior controls engineer from plant or industrial automation ready to make that step into systems-level product leadership, we want to hear from you.

What you will bring

To be considered you will need:

Solid experience of controls or electrical engineering experience in industrial machinery, mobile equipment, maritime systems, or similarly complex real-world environments

Strong grounding in industrial electrical design including IO, switchgear, and panels

Hands-on experience with industrial control systems including PLC and SCADA

Familiarity with network and communications architecture across protocols such as IP, Modbus, and CAN

Proven experience leading or mentoring a technical engineering team

A relevant engineering degree or equivalent

Experience in ports and maritime, hydraulic subsystems, or product and system development lifecycle will be highly regarded. Candidates from plant or industrial automation who can demonstrate a transition from project execution to system and product strategy thinking are equally encouraged to apply.

What is in it for you

A competitive remuneration package is on offer alongside genuine international career development pathways, flexible working hours, and the chance to be part of a highly successful global product team with exposure to some of the most interesting automation challenges in the maritime sector. Cavotec offers a steep career trajectory for the right person.