Chief Engineer (IWMF / Electrical Maintenance Department)

NEA National Environment Agency; Singapore; On-site; SGD 320,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

NEA National Environment Agency in Singapore is seeking a Senior Chief Engineer (Electrical Maintenance) to lead ICA maintenance, drive asset reliability, and oversee building and site automation systems across the Waste-to-Energy plant. You will act as the technical authority for ICA systems, guide design reviews, and spearhead digitalisation, predictive maintenance, and cybersecurity for OT networks.

The role requires a Chartered Engineer or PE, 15+ years in power/industrial sectors with

Qualifications

• Degree in Instrumentation Engineering, Control Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, or related discipline.
• Registration as a Chartered Engineer or Professional Engineer preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the maintenance and reliability management of ICA systems (DCS, PLCs, etc.).
• Oversee building/site systems including BMS, CCTV, access control, ISMS, fire detection, and PA systems.
• Develop long-term asset management and replacement strategies for ICA assets.
• Establish preventive and predictive maintenance programmes including lifecycle plans and calibration management.
• Analyse ICA failures, control system faults and process upsets; lead fault investigations and RCA.
• Improve system dependability for safety-critical loops and interlocks; mitigate ageing assets.
• Serve as the technical authority for ICA systems; review engineering modifications and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Lead design reviews and factory/site acceptance tests for projects and upgrades.
• Drive digitalisation and automation, including advanced process control and data historian utilisation.

Skills

DCS

PLCs

ICA systems

Asset reliability

Root cause analysis

OT cybersecurity

Condition monitoring

Leadership

Industrial protocols

Education

Instrumentation/Electrical Engineering degree

Chartered Engineer/Professional Engineer preferred

Tools

DCS

PLC

SCADA

BMS

CEMS

IEC 61511

OT security frameworks

Job description

[What the role is]

The Chief Engineer (Electrical Maintenance) leads the instrumentation, control, and automation maintenance function of the Waste-To-Energy plant. The role is accountable for ensuring the reliability, safety and performance of instrumentation systems, process control systems, plant automation infrastructure, and associated building and site systems.

The incumbent serves as the technical authority for instrumentation, control and automation systems and drives asset reliability, digital transformation, and lifecycle management initiatives across the plant.

[What you will be working on]

Your main responsibilities are as follows:

Asset Management & Reliability

• Lead the maintenance and reliability management of instrumentation, control and automation systems (ICA), including distributed control system (DCS), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), enterprise resource planning system, weighbridge system, waste crane automation system, steam turbine generator (STG) control and protection system, flue gas treatment control systems, continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS), field instruments, actuators and process analysers.
• Oversee the maintenance and performance of building and site systems, including building management system (BMS), lighting and environmental controls, CCTV and video surveillance, access control and integrated security management systems (ISMS), fire detection and alarm system, and public address and communication systems.
• Develop and establish long-term asset management and replacement strategies, equipment criticality assessments, and reliability programmes.
• Establish preventive and predictive maintenance programmes, including asset lifecycle plans, critical spares strategies, condition monitoring, diagnostics, and instrument calibration management programmes.
• Analyse ICA failures, control system faults and process upsets, and lead fault investigations and root cause analyses.
• Improve system dependability and resilience, particularly for safety-critical control loops and interlock systems, and develop mitigation plans for ageing instrumentation and control assets.

Engineering & Technical Governance

• Serve as the technical authority for all ICA systems.
• Review and approve engineering modifications, including changes to control logics, interlock settings, and process parameters.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and engineering standards.
• Lead design reviews and factory and site acceptance tests for new projects and system upgrades.

Digitalisation & Automation

• Drive plant digitalisation initiatives, including advanced process control and data historian utilisation.
• Improve operational efficiency through automation solutions and control system optimisation and support predictive maintenance and condition monitoring technologies.
• Lead cybersecurity considerations for operational technology (OT) systems, including DCS and PLC networks.

Contractor & Vendor Management

• Manage specialised ICA maintenance contracts and review technical specifications and procurement requirements for instrumentation and control equipment.
• Evaluate vendor performance and support contract management for DCS, SCADA and automation system service agreements.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with instrumentation and control safety regulations and standards, including functional safety requirements for Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS).
• Lead ICA safety audits and risk assessments.
• Support Permit-to-Work and Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) processes.
• Investigate ICA-related incidents and implement corrective actions.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead the instrumentation, control, and automation engineering team.
• Establish technical competency programmes covering instrumentation, control systems, and automation technologies.
• Mentor engineers and technical specialists; support talent development and succession planning.

[What we are looking for]

• A degree in Instrumentation Engineering, Control Engineering, Electrical & Electronic Engineering, or a related discipline. Registration as a Chartered Engineer or Professional Engineer is preferred.
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in power generation, waste-to-energy, utilities, or heavy industrial facilities, with a focus on instrumentation, control, and automation systems, including at least 10 years in a senior leadership position.

• Demonstrated ability to lead a team in performing routine maintenance, troubleshooting root causes of critical system failures, and executing plant-wide turnarounds.
• Deep expertise in condition-based and/or predictive maintenance technologies is preferred.
• Mastery in the maintenance of DCS and PLCs.
• Ability to integrate advanced data analytics, instrumentation, and machine learning models into modern automation systems.
• Proficiency in industrial communication protocols (e.g. HART, Foundation Fieldbus and Profibus) and OT cybersecurity frameworks.
• Comprehensive knowledge of SIS and international standards such as IEC 61511.
• Deep expertise in sensor technologies, final control elements (e.g., actuators and control valves), signal processing and precision calibration standards.

As part of the shortlisting process for this role, you may be required to complete a medical declaration and/or undergo further assessment.