Remote Principal Electrical Engineer: Industrial Automation

Placements24; Durban; Hybrid; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private health insurance

Generous pension fund

Paid time off

Job summary

Placements24 is hiring a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the design and implementation of sophisticated electrical control systems for global industrial automation projects. This fully remote role emphasizes technical leadership, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The candidate will guide PLC/HMI/SCADA development, ensure safety and regulatory compliance, and drive innovation across projects with a distributed engineering team.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
• 12+ years of experience in industrial automation and electrical engineering with focus on architecture and design.
• Deep expertise in PLC programming, HMI development, and SCADA systems.
• Strong knowledge of industrial networking protocols (EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP).
• Experience with robotics integration and safety-rated control systems is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical projects and mentor engineering staff.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and strong remote collaboration abilities.
• Professional Engineer (Pr. Eng.) certification is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead architectural design and development of electrical control systems for industrial automation.
• Oversee specification, selection, and integration of PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, sensors, and robotics.
• Develop detailed electrical schematics, control panel designs, and network architectures.
• Perform diagnostics, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
• Provide technical leadership and mentor engineers and technicians.
• Collaborate with mechanical design, software, and project management in a virtual environment.
• Ensure designs comply with IEC 61508, ISO 13849, and industry regulations.
• Drive adoption of new technologies and methodologies to improve solutions.
• Support commissioning and validation phases of projects remotely.

Skills

PLC programming

HMI development

SCADA systems

Industrial networking

Robotics integration

Leadership

Mentoring

Problem solving

Remote collaboration

Communication

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Siemens TIA Portal

Rockwell Studio 5000

Job description

Placements24 is hiring a Principal Electrical Engineer to lead the design and implementation of sophisticated electrical control systems for global industrial automation projects. This fully remote role emphasizes technical leadership, mentorship, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The candidate will guide PLC/HMI/SCADA development, ensure safety and regulatory compliance, and drive innovation across projects with a distributed engineering team.