Senior Automation & Controls Engineer

Overview Location: On site / Cork, Ireland
Job type: Permanent / Full-time
Sector and subsector: Operations Engineering Services
Salary: Negotiable salary

Water & Wastewater ICA / SCADA Ireland (with relocation support for international candidates)

Area: Project Delivery - Automation

Location: Galway/Cork/Meath, Ireland (with infrequent travel to UK)

Duration: Permanent, following 6-month probationary period

Relocation: Support available for international candidates (see below)

About Glanua

Glanua is an industry leader in providing innovative and sustainable engineering solutions to design, build, operate and maintain critical water and wastewater infrastructure across Ireland and the UK. We are a trusted delivery partner to the municipal and industrial sector, and our clients include some of the largest water utilities in Ireland and the UK, including Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water), Thames Water, Yorkshire Water and Affinity Water. We are passionate about solving today's environmental challenges and delivering a decarbonised, sustainable world. We know that to build successful, creative teams we need a diverse workforce that brings new ways of thinking, and we provide an environment where you have the freedom to develop and grow to your full potential. We champion our core values and uphold the highest standards of Safety and Well-being, Innovation, Integrity, Collaboration, Courage, Agility, Accountability, Diversity and Inclusion in everything we do. We are a team of 600+ people across Ireland, the UK and Portugal and are rapidly expanding across several disciplines to meet our ambitious growth plans.

The Role

We are looking for an experienced Senior Automation & Controls Engineer to join our Automation Team at senior level. You will design, programme and deliver PLC, HMI and SCADA solutions for water treatment, wastewater treatment and energy projects across Ireland and the UK, covering greenfield plants and major upgrades involving technologies such as RO, MBR, SBR, MBBR, DAF, tertiary treatment, sludge handling, network telemetry and pumping stations.

This is a hands-on, full-lifecycle role combining technical delivery with strategic package management: tendering, functional design, software development, FAT, on-site control systems commissioning and testing, SAT and handover. You will own the automation and EC&I scope on assigned projects, acting as the technical lead and primary interface between the client, our project teams, and external Automation System Integrators (SIs), panel builders and instrumentation suppliers. You will manage the full supplier lifecycle, from selection and contracting through to design review, FAT witnessing and commissioning support, while also developing and building PLC code, HMI and SCADA solutions directly where required.

You will work inside a multi-disciplinary team alongside process, mechanical, electrical and project management colleagues, in a genuine "one team" culture, with the autonomy to develop ideas, shape internal standards and introduce new technology. You will work closely with the Electrical Design department on MCC schedules, motor lists, VSD specifications and overall EC&I integration.

You'll join an automation team that is busy, growing, and delivering against a strong multi-year pipeline of work, including significant programmes for Uisce Éireann and our UK water utility clients (Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Affinity Water as well as opportunities across the Glanua Group including Glanua UK, Glanua Industrial, Aqua Operations and Marches Biogas. This breadth gives exposure to municipal water and wastewater, industrial treatment, operations-focused delivery and renewable energy / biogas projects. You'll work alongside experienced peers on landmark schemes, with the autonomy to shape internal standards, contribute to engineering decisions on major capital projects, and introduce new technology into our delivery. Glanua is a place that invests in its engineers, through CPD, technical specialisation and breadth of project responsibility.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• 8+ years' experience in automation, ICA, I&C or control systems engineering, with significant exposure to the water, wastewater, desalination or utilities sector. (We will consider strong candidates with 5+ years where the project portfolio is exceptional.)
• Degree (or equivalent) in Automation, Control & Instrumentation, Electrical/Electronic, Mechatronics or a related engineering discipline, with demonstrable Automation, Control & Instrumentation content.
• Proven competence on at least one major PLC platform: Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider or Mitsubishi.
• Proven competence on at least one major SCADA platform: AVEVA, Ignition, Iconics or Vijeo Citect.
• Hands-on experience commissioning VSDs and instrumentation, and integrating them into control systems.
• Strong on-site commissioning track record for automated control systems, including PLC/SCADA loop checkout, end-to-end I/O testing, control loop commissioning, plant start-up and client handover.
• Working knowledge of industrial communication protocols: EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Profibus, Modbus TCP/IP, Modbus RTU, DeviceNet.
• Experience producing FDS, SDS, FAT and SAT documentation to international standards.
• Knowledge of applicable codes and regulations; experience working to UK / EU / IEC standards is an advantage.
• Excellent problem-solving, fault-finding and analytical skills, with the ability to use your own initiative when issues arise during project delivery.
• Strong written and verbal English, comfortable presenting technical solutions to clients and chairing review meetings.
• Demonstrable project engineering, package management or technical-coordination experience in automation, EC&I or systems integration; water/wastewater or another regulated process sector preferred.
• Demonstrable experience managing technical subcontractors and the supply chain, including Automation System Integrators, panel builders, instrumentation suppliers.
• Strong working knowledge of at least one major PLC platform (Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider or Mitsubishi), sufficient to credibly review SI design deliverables, challenge technical decisions and resolve issues in detailed design and FAT.
• Strong working knowledge of at least one major SCADA platform (AVEVA, Ignition, Iconics) at architecture and design level.
• Solid working understanding of the electrical interface, including MCCs, VSDs, soft starters, field instrumentation and cable design, to coordinate effectively with the Electrical Design team.
• Excellent technical document review skills, including FDS, SDS, schedules, network drawings, P&IDs.
• Strong client-facing communication, both written and verbal; confident chairing design reviews and resolving technical issues across multiple stakeholders.
• Practical awareness of project programme, scope, change management and the commercial implications of technical decisions on EC&I packages.
• Full driving licence (or eligibility to obtain an Irish/EU driving licence on relocation).
• Direct delivery experience on water or wastewater treatment plants, including RO desalination, MBR, SBR, MBBR, DAF, tertiary treatment and sludge handling, or on telemetry and SCADA for water networks.
• Experience integrating to enterprise SCADA / historian environments (e.g. AVEVA Historian, PI System).
• Exposure to OT cybersecurity standards (IEC 62443) and modern OT network architecture.
• Direct experience managing automation/EC&I packages on water or wastewater treatment projects, including RO desalination, MBR, SBR, MBBR, DAF, tertiary treatment and sludge handling, or on telemetry/SCADA for water networks.
• Prior experience working with multiple System Integrators across projects and platforms.
• Tender / proposals experience, including SI and panel-builder engagement and BoQ development.
• Awareness of IEC 61131-3, IEC 62443 (OT cybersecurity) and IEC 61511 (functional safety / SIL) where applicable.
• Chartered status (CEng) or actively working toward it.
• Experience working to UK / EU / IEC standards and to UK water-sector frameworks.
• Prior experience working with Tier 1 utilities (Uisce Éireann, Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Affinity Water, or international equivalents such as DEWA, ADWEA, SWCC, PWA, Mowasalat / KAHRAMAA, Diam, etc.).

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead the functional design of PLC architecture, control networks and communication interfaces for water and wastewater treatment plants and networks.
• Develop Functional Design Specifications (FDS) and Software Design Specifications (SDS) from client Control Philosophies, P&IDs and Design Briefs.
• Build and test PLC code to a high standard, primarily on Siemens (TIA Portal / Step 7), Rockwell (Studio 5000 / RSLogix), Schneider or Mitsubishi platforms.
• Design and develop SCADA applications for complete plants, including new builds and modifications to integrate new control into existing client systems, using AVEVA System Platform / InTouch, Ignition, Iconics.
• Develop and configure HMI platforms to control automated systems.
• Specify, configure and commission VSDs, instrumentation and field devices, and integrate them via EtherNet/IP, Profinet, Profibus, Modbus TCP/IP, Modbus RTU, DeviceNet and OPC UA.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to project delivery teams during system design, implementation and testing.
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