Technical Lead Engineer – Digitization/Control Systems.

CK Talent Partners; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,700,000; Full time

Job summary

CK Talent Partners seeks a seasoned technical leader to govern engineering standards across digitisation and control system projects. You will define network designs, review PLC/SCADA architectures, and mentor engineers while ensuring compliance with client specs.

You will oversee industrial fibre networks, class-leading architecture, and integration with OEM equipment, guiding FAT/SAT activities and commissioning across multi-vendor environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Mechatronic Engineering.
• Professional registration advantageous.
• 8–12 years’ experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering.
• Proven experience in PLC/SCADA and fibre network design and commissioning.
• Experience in multi-vendor automation environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical lead across digitisation and control system projects.
• Define and enforce engineering standards, software methodologies, and network design principles.
• Review and approve PLC/SCADA/historian designs prior to implementation.
• Provide structured technical guidance and mentorship to engineering personnel.
• Ensure outputs meet client specs and contractual technical requirements.
• Oversee system architecture for PLC, SCADA, HMI, historian, and reporting platforms.
• Design and approve industrial communication network architectures including fibre and Ethernet.
• Define topology, redundancy, and segmentation principles for fibre networks.
• Validate integration between OEM equipment and plant-wide control architectures.
• Lead FAT, SAT, and commissioning activities with technical oversight.

Skills

PLC/SCADA expertise

Industrial networking

Project leadership

Fibre optic networks

System integration

QA oversight

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical/Electronic/Mechatronic Engineering

Tools

Siemens S7

Rockwell Automation (Allen-Bradley)

Schneider Electric

AVEVA Wonderware

Ignition

Job description

Technical Leadership & Engineering Governance

• Act as the technical lead across all digitisation and control system projects.
• Define and enforce engineering standards, software development methodologies, and network design principles.
• Review and approve PLC, SCADA, historian, reporting, and industrial network designs prior to implementation.
• Provide structured technical guidance and mentorship to engineering personnel.
• Ensure engineering outputs fully comply with client specifications and contractual technical requirements.

SYSTEMS & NETWORK ARCHITECTURE AUTHORITY

• Oversee system architecture design for PLC, SCADA, HMI, historian, and reporting platforms.
• Design and approve industrial communication network architectures, including:
• Fibre optic backbone networks
• Ethernet-based control networks
• Industrial protocol implementations
• Define fibre network topology, redundancy strategies (ring, star, hybrid), and segmentation principles.
• Ensure appropriate selection and configuration of fibre media, switches, and network infrastructure components.
• Validate integration strategies between OEM equipment, third-party systems, and plant-wide control architectures

TECHNICAL COMPLIANCE & QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Ensure all engineering and network deliverables meet defined technical specifications.
• Enforce adherence to ISO 9001 Quality Management System standards.
• Approve QCP documentation for Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT).
• Take technical responsibility for successful execution of software FAT.
• Provide technical oversight during commissioning of PLC, SCADA, and network infrastructure system

CLIENT & OEM TECHNICAL INTERFACE

• Act as primary technical authority in engagements with clients and OEM suppliers.
• Lead technical design reviews and architecture validation sessions.
• Ensure OEM equipment integration aligns with approved control system and network architectures.
• Resolve complex technical escalations during implementation and commissioning phases.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma in Electrical, Electronic, Computer, or Mechatronic Engineering.
• Professional registration advantageous
• Minimum 8–12 years’ experience in industrial automation and control systems engineering.
• Proven experience in PLC, SCADA, and fibre network design and commissioning.
• Demonstrated experience in industrial communication network architecture (Ethernet and fibre-based systems).
• Experience leading Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) for software and integrated control systems.
• Strong exposure to multi-vendor automation environments.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

• PLC Platforms (Advanced Level)
• Siemens
• Rockwell (Allen-Bradley)
• Schneider Electric
• SCADA / Supervisory Platforms (Advanced Level)
• AVEVA / Wonderware
• Ignition
• Industrial Network & Fibre Design
• Advanced understanding of fibre optic communication principles (single-mode and multi-mode).
• Design of redundant fibre network topologies for industrial environments.
• Configuration of managed industrial switches and network segmentation.
• Implementation of industrial Ethernet architectures.
• Network performance optimisation and fault diagnostics.
• Additional Technical Expertise
• Industrial historian architecture and data acquisition principles.
• Reporting systems and relational database fundamentals (SQL-based environments).
• Commissioning methodologies for PLC, SCADA, and network infrastructure.
• Structured programming and modular software design principles.