Senior Process Control Engineer – DCS/PLC Automation

Placements24; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Health insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid vacation and holidays

Professional development and certs

Relocation assistance

Access to modern automation tech

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Process Control Engineer for a Stellenbosch role focused on optimizing plant operations with advanced control strategies and automation. The engineer will design, implement, and maintain DCS/PLC-driven control systems to ensure process stability, efficiency, and safety.

You will work with chemical engineers and operations staff to develop robust control solutions, tune loops, and stay current with new technologies while adhering to safety and cybersecurity standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field with emphasis on control systems.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in process control engineering in manufacturing or chemical processing.
• Proficiency with DCS and PLC systems from major vendors (Honeywell, Emerson, Siemens).
• Strong understanding of control theory, PID and MPC.
• Experience with industrial instrumentation (sensors, transmitters, valves).
• Knowledge of industrial networking protocols (Modbus, Profibus).

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, and implement advanced process control strategies using DCS/PLC systems.
• Develop and maintain control system architecture including instrumentation and communication networks.
• Tune control loops to optimize stability, responsiveness, and efficiency.
• Troubleshoot control systems, instrumentation, and automation hardware/software.
• Collaborate with engineers and operations to meet process requirements.
• Create test plans for control system implementations and upgrades.
• Prepare technical documentation such as control narratives and loop diagrams.

Skills

Process control

DCS/PLC systems

PID control

MPC

Instrumentation

Networking protocols

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Honeywell DCS

Emerson PLC

Siemens PLC

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Process Control Engineer for a Stellenbosch role focused on optimizing plant operations with advanced control strategies and automation. The engineer will design, implement, and maintain DCS/PLC-driven control systems to ensure process stability, efficiency, and safety.

You will work with chemical engineers and operations staff to develop robust control solutions, tune loops, and stay current with new technologies while adhering to safety and cybersecurity standards.