Electrical and Automation Engineer

Vine Recruitment; Citrusdal; On-site; ZAR 520,000 - 760,000; Full time

Job summary

Vine Recruitment is seeking a practical Electrical and Automation Engineer for our citrus producer client in Citrusdal. You will support electrical, pump, automation and energy systems to keep water supply, irrigation and production running reliably.

Reporting to the Head of Engineering, you will work across projects, maintenance and operational support for pumps, solar energy, controls and electrical infrastructure, leading a team and coordinating safety and compliance.

Qualifications

• National Diploma / Degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
• Industrial electrical installation, maintenance and fault-finding experience.
• Understanding of motors, pumps, distribution, control panels, VSDs and drawings.
• Ability to manage projects, contractors and stakeholders across sites.
• Strong problem-solving, communication and record-keeping skills.
• Valid driver’s license.
• Experience with solar PV, energy management and grid connections is beneficial.
• Knowledge of PLCs, SCADA, telemetry, IoT and remote monitoring is beneficial.
• Familiarity with Pragma maintenance software and SOP development is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, design, specification and delivery of electrical and automation projects.
• Oversee electrical infrastructure across farms, pump stations, workshops and support areas.
• Manage renewable energy projects, data, budgets and remote monitoring for efficiency.
• Coordinate Eskom-related supply, metering, outages and upgrades.
• Support electrical and mechanical aspects of pumps, motors, drives and valves.
• Develop and support PLC, VSD, SCADA, telemetry and control-system integration.
• Manage contractors, drawings, budgets, schedules and safety/compliance.
• Lead the electrical irrigation team, allocate work and coach staff.
• Respond to breakdowns, investigate faults and improve system reliability.

Skills

Electrical Engineering

Project Management

Industrial Automation

Problem Solving

Communication

Record Keeping

Driver's License

Solar Energy

Education

National Diploma / Degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC

SCADA

Telemetry

IoT

VSDs

Pragma

Job description

Electrical and Automation Engineer required in Citrusdal.

Our client is a vertically integrated citrus producer, packer and exporter in the Citrusdal Valley. They have an exciting opportunity for a practical Electrical and Automation Engineer to join their team.

This position will support the electrical, pump, automation and energy systems that keep our water supply, irrigation and production operations running reliably.

The ideal candidate will report to the Head of Engineering, and cover projects, maintenance and operational support across pumps, solar energy, automation, controls and electrical infrastructure.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Electrical projects: Lead the planning, design, specification, technical evaluation and delivery of electrical and automation projects.
• Electrical infrastructure & systems: Oversee electrical infrastructure across farms, pump stations, workshops and support areas.
• Renewable energy & energy management: Manage renewable energy projects, energy data, budgets and remote monitoring systems, while identifying opportunities to reduce costs, improve efficiency and support better operational decisions.
• Eskom liaison: Coordinate Eskom-related supply, metering, outage and upgrade matters.
• Pumps & mechanical equipment: Support the electrical and basic mechanical aspects of pumps, motors, drives, valves and related equipment.
• Automation & controls: Develop and support PLC, VSD, SCADA, telemetry, instrumentation, control-panel and system-integration solutions.
• Contractor & compliance management: Manage contractors, drawings, specifications, budgets, schedules, commissioning records, electrical safety and compliance requirements.
• Team leadership & training: Lead the electrical irrigation team by allocating work, monitoring progress, maintaining standards, and providing practical training and coaching where needed.
• Operational support: Manage your team to respond to breakdowns, investigate recurring faults, reduce downtime and improve system reliability.

Essential Requirements:

• National Diploma / Degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Technology, or a related field.
• Practical electrical installation, maintenance and fault-finding experience in an industrial, agricultural or similar environment.
• Good understanding of motors, pumps, protection, distribution, control panels, VSDs, instrumentation and electrical drawings.
• Able to manage projects, contractors, priorities & stakeholders across multiple sites.
• Strong problem-solving, communication and record-keeping skills.
• Valid driver’s license.
• The following will be beneficial
  • Practical mechanical skills with pumps, pipework, valves and rotating equipment.
  • Experience with solar PV, energy management, generators, battery storage, grid connections or power-quality improvement.
  • Knowledge of PLCs, SCADA, telemetry, IoT, automation and remote monitoring.
  • Familiarity with Pragma or similar maintenance software and SOP development.