Lead Electrical & Automation Project Engineer

Waste Management; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Professional development

Work‑life balance

Sustainability impact

Job summary

WM New Zealand is seeking an experienced Electrical & Automation Senior Project Engineer to join our Engineering and Asset Management team in New Zealand. The role combines electrical engineering expertise with industrial automation and PLC programming to lead capital projects and plant upgrades across nationwide operations.

You’ll work on diverse assets including material recovery facilities, tyre recycling, landfill gas systems, transfer stations and more, overseeing design reviews,

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum 6years' experience in industrial/manufacturing/utilities/heavy industry environments.
• Experience designing, troubleshooting and commissioning electrical power, control and automation systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical and automation capital projects from concept through to commissioning and handover.
• Design, specify and manage upgrades to electrical distribution and automation systems.
• Develop, modify and troubleshoot PLC and HMI programs to improve plant performance and reliability.
• Support fault finding and root cause analysis of complex electrical, mechanical and control system failures.
• Manage electrical & mechanical contractors, control system integrators and engineering consultants to deliver projects safely, on time and within budget.
• Support design and commissioning of power generation systems including landfill gas generators and grid-connected infrastructure.
• Develop technical scopes of work, equipment specifications and commissioning plans.
• Review electrical drawings, control philosophies and contractor deliverables.
• Lead commissioning activities and ensure systems are tested and documented before handover.
• Identify opportunities to improve automation, energy efficiency and process control.
• Ensure compliance with NZ electrical regulations, standards, and engineering requirements.

Skills

Electrical engineering

PLC programming

Fault diagnostics

Project leadership

Contract management

AutoCAD Electrical

Industrial automation

SCADA

Equipment commissioning

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Mechatronics/Automation background

Tools

Siemens PLC

Schneider Electric

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell

Beckhoff

CODESYS

Job description

WM New Zealand is seeking an experienced Electrical & Automation Senior Project Engineer to join our Engineering and Asset Management team in New Zealand. The role combines electrical engineering expertise with industrial automation and PLC programming to lead capital projects and plant upgrades across nationwide operations.

You’ll work on diverse assets including material recovery facilities, tyre recycling, landfill gas systems, transfer stations and more, overseeing design reviews,