Process Control / Smart Plant Engineer

Optim-G Sourcing; Centurion; Hybrid; ZAR 500 000 - 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A professional engineering firm is seeking an intermediate Process Control Engineer to join their Smart Plant implementation team. The ideal candidate will have a solid foundation in control systems and experience in the mining industry. This hybrid role involves conducting plant visits, performing process studies, and providing operational support. Applicants should hold a relevant engineering degree and have 2–5 years of relevant experience, preferably with exposure to Advanced Process Control.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in industrial process control.
• Familiarity with process control systems is preferred.
• Experience with process areas such as milling or flotation.

Responsibilities

• Conduct plant visits and engage with operations teams.
• Translate process study findings into solution requirements.
• Perform daily APC performance checks and optimizations.

Skills

Control systems expertise

PID tuning principles

Data historian tools

Experience in mining processing

Education

BEng / BSc in Chemical or Metallurgical Engineering

Tools

Siemens PCS 7

Rockwell

Honeywell

Job description

Overview

Seeking a growth-oriented Process Control Engineer to join our Smart Plant implementation team. This role is suited to an intermediate-level engineer with a solid foundation in control systems and a desire to deepen their expertise in Advanced Process Control (APC), production reporting, and digital optimization solutions. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary team to deliver high-impact improvements to plant operations across the mining and mineral processing sectors.

This position is Hybrid and client based. (Travel will be required from time to time to clients Nationally and Internationally)

Qualifications & Experience Required

• BEng / BSc in Chemical, or Metallurgical Engineering.
• 2–5 years of experience in industrial process control, with exposure to APC, preferably in the mining or minerals processing industry.
• Familiarity with process control systems (e.g., Siemens PCS 7, Rockwell, Yokogawa, Honeywell).
• Working knowledge of data historian tools and trending systems (e.g., PI, IP.21, Phoenix, Dart, PI, Rockwell, ABB, Aveva).
• Solid understanding of PID tuning principles and control strategy logic.

Preferred Experience

• Exposure to rule-based or model predictive APC systems.
• Experience supporting production reporting and OEE initiatives.
• Practical exposure to process areas such as milling, flotation, leaching, or smelting. [minerals processing plants like precious metals, base metals, coal, manganese, diamonds]
• Experience with OPC and other integration technologies and protocols

Key Responsibilities

Consulting & Process Studies

• Conduct plant visits and engage with operations, engineering, and maintenance teams.
• Perform structured process studies to evaluate production performance, control loop health, and optimization opportunities.
• Develop baseline assessments and support the business case development for improvement initiatives.

Solution Design & Implementation

• Translate process study findings into solution requirements (e.g., reporting formats, control strategies, APC logic).
• Configure, implement, and test APC solutions using our Smart Plant stack (Psibyl, Phoenix RTE, Opto One, Dart, etc.).
• Assist in deploying and integrating data historian and reporting tools (Phoenix DB, Fluid Reports).

APC Tuning & Operational Support

• Perform daily APC performance checks, controller tuning, and optimization tasks.
• Analyse operational reports and dashboards to identify deviations and propose improvements.
• Support change management and operator engagement during system rollouts.

Reporting & KPI Development

• Design and validate production and engineering reports aligned with client needs.
• Provide input on dashboard visualizations and KPIs for operations and management reporting.
• Assist in defining and maintaining the “single source of truth” for operational data.

Continuous Improvement & Client Support

• Support clients post-implementation through troubleshooting, performance reviews, and optimization workshops.
• Collaborate with internal developers, control engineers, and process experts to improve solution modules.
• Stay current with emerging trends in process optimization, APC, and digital mining.