Chief Engineer (IWMF / Electrical Maintenance Department)

National Environment Agency; Singapore; On-site; SGD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

National Environment Agency in Singapore invites an experienced Chief Engineer (Electrical Maintenance) to lead ICA maintenance, reliability and automation infrastructure across the waste-to-energy plant. You will act as the technical authority for ICA systems, drive digitalisation, oversee safety compliance, and mentor a team of engineers, with focus on aging assets and lifecycle management.

The role demands 15+ years in relevant fields, 10+ years in leadership, and Chartered Engineer

Qualifications

• Degree in Instrumentation, Control, or Electrical & Electronic Engineering.
• Chartered Engineer or Professional Engineer registration preferred.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in power generation, waste-to-energy, utilities or heavy industrial facilities.
• At least 10 years in a senior leadership role.
• Proven ability to lead a high-performance engineering team.
• Experience with condition-based/predictive maintenance is preferred.
• Mastery in maintenance of DCS and PLCs.
• Ability to integrate data analytics and machine learning into modern automation systems.
• Comprehensive knowledge of SIS and IEC 61511.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance and reliability management of ICA systems (DCS, PLCs) and building/site systems.
• Develop asset management strategies and lifecycle plans.
• Lead fault investigations and root cause analyses for ICA failures.
• Drive plant digitalisation and data historian utilisation; optimise automation solutions.
• Oversee vendor management for DCS/SCADA and automation services.
• Ensure safety and regulatory compliance for instrumentation and control systems.
• Lead ICA engineering team development and mentoring.

Skills

ICA leadership

DCS/PLCs

Asset management

Electrical engineering

OT cybersecurity

Data analytics & ML

Education

Bachelors in Instrumentation/Control/Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Chartered Engineer/Professional Engineer registration preferred

Tools

DCS

PLCs

SCADA

HART/Fieldbus

OT cybersecurity standards

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.

About National Environment Agency

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is the leading public organisation responsible for ensuring a clean and sustainable environment for Singapore. Its key roles are to improve and sustain a clean environment, promote sustainability and resource efficiency, maintain high public health standards, provide timely and reliable meteorological information, and encourage a vibrant hawker culture. NEA works closely with its partners and the community to develop and spearhead environmental and public health initiatives and programmes. It is committed to motivating every individual to care for the environment as a way of life, in order to build a liveable and sustainable Singapore for present and future generations. For more information, visit www.nea.gov.sg