Control & Automation Engineer (Expat)

Location: Lunsar, Sierra Leone

Employment Type: Full-time | Site-based (Accommodation provided)

A well-established mining operation in West Africa is seeking an experienced Control & Automation Engineer (Expat) to join its Engineering & Maintenance team. This role is responsible for the safe, reliable, and efficient operation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of control and automation systems across the plant.

Key Responsibilities

• Ensure all control and automation activities comply with site safety standards, statutory requirements, and best engineering practices
• Provide hands-on technical support during maintenance, breakdowns, shutdowns, and commissioning activities
• Maintain and improve the reliability and availability of PLC, SCADA, HMI, instrumentation, and industrial network systems
• Lead fault finding, root cause analyses, and implementation of corrective actions for automation-related issues
• Plan and coordinate maintenance activities with Operations, Projects, OEMs, and IT teams
• Supervise and support technicians, providing technical leadership and mentorship
• Manage control system documentation, backups, version control, and system governance
• Identify and implement system upgrades, obsolescence management, and automation improvements

Key Deliverables

• High availability and reliability of automation and control systems
• Safe, compliant execution of automation activities with minimal unplanned downtime
• Successful commissioning, upgrades, and optimisation of plant control systems
• Well-maintained technical documentation and control system standards
• Development and upskilling of national technical staff

Minimum Requirements

• Degree in Instrumentation, Electronics, or Control Engineering
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a Control & Instrumentation or Automation Engineer role, preferably in mining or heavy industry
• Strong hands-on experience with PLC programming, SCADA/HMI configuration, and system commissioning
• Proven experience in fault finding, breakdown support, and root cause analysis
• Solid understanding of industrial networks, control system architectures, and cybersecurity principles

Technical Skills & Experience (Advantageous)

• PLC platforms: Schneider (Control Expert / Unity), Modicon M580, Rockwell (RSLogix / Studio 5000)
• SCADA & Historian systems: AVEVA Plant SCADA, Ignition, or similar
• Industrial databases and SQL reporting
• Edge computing / high-availability platforms
• VSDs, safety systems, field instrumentation

Personal Attributes

• Strong leadership and mentoring ability
• Excellent communication and coordination skills
• High level of planning, organisation, and accountability
• Willingness to work in a remote, site-based environment

Application Notice

This is an Expat position offering on-site accommodation. If you do not receive feedback within two (2) weeks of submitting your application, please consider your application unsuccessful.

Skills

• Fault Finding
• Maintenance
• Mentoring
• Reporting
• SQL
• Scada
• Programming
• Team Management