Hybrid: Arid Agriculture Irrigation Design Engineer

Placements24; Upington; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical aid

Retirement fund

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Irrigation Design Engineer for an agricultural engineering firm in Upington, Northern Cape. The role focuses on designing and optimizing irrigation systems to maximize water use efficiency in arid and semi-arid agriculture.

You will collaborate with farmers, consultants, and government agencies, handling hydraulics, ETc data, fertigation, and field installations in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related field with irrigation specialization.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience designing irrigation systems in arid or semi-arid regions.
• Strong understanding of hydraulics, soil–water relationships and water resource management.
• Proficiency with irrigation design software (AutoCAD, MS irrigation design tools, Hydrus).
• Familiarity with crop water requirements and irrigation scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Design efficient irrigation systems (drip, micro-sprinkler, pivot) for arid environments.
• Conduct site assessments including soil analysis and topography mapping.
• Calculate crop ETc, climate data, and soil properties for water planning.
• Prepare detailed design plans, hydraulic calculations, and BOMs.
• Select components, pumps, filters, and control systems.
• Oversee installation and commissioning with field support.
• Develop and implement water management and fertigation plans.
• Stay updated on irrigation tech and precision agriculture.

Skills

Irrigation design

Hydraulic calculations

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

MS Irrigation Design Tools

Hydrus

Job description

Placements24 is seeking an experienced Irrigation Design Engineer for an agricultural engineering firm in Upington, Northern Cape. The role focuses on designing and optimizing irrigation systems to maximize water use efficiency in arid and semi-arid agriculture.

You will collaborate with farmers, consultants, and government agencies, handling hydraulics, ETc data, fertigation, and field installations in a hybrid work environment.