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Director – Plant Control Engineering

Job Description

Roles & Responsibilities

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly experienced Director – Plant Control Engineering to lead the design, development, and lifecycle management of control systems across our plant operations. This strategic leadership role is responsible for ensuring that all process control systems—such as DCS, PLC, SCADA, and SIS—are optimally designed, integrated, and maintained to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant performance. The ideal candidate will combine deep technical knowledge with strong leadership to oversee both project execution and operational excellence.


Key Responsibilities:

  • Provide strategic leadership and technical direction for all plant control engineering functions across multiple facilities.

  • Oversee the design, configuration, integration, and validation of Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and SCADA platforms.

  • Establish and enforce engineering standards, guidelines, and best practices for control system design and maintenance.

  • Lead the control engineering scope in capital projects (FEED, EPC, commissioning), ensuring high-quality delivery within cost and schedule constraints.

  • Collaborate with process engineering, operations, instrumentation, and electrical teams for integrated plant control solutions.

  • Drive modernization and optimization initiatives including alarm management, loop tuning, and APC (Advanced Process Control).

  • Ensure compliance with regulatory and functional safety standards (IEC 61511, ISA, API, NEC).

  • Support OT cybersecurity policies and infrastructure in collaboration with IT and automation teams.

  • Manage relationships with control system vendors, contractors, and integrators.

  • Build and lead a high-performing control engineering team, including staffing, development, and succession planning.


Key Focus Areas:

  • Plant-Wide Control System Strategy and Architecture

  • DCS, PLC, SIS, SCADA Lifecycle Management

  • Functional Safety & SIL Compliance (IEC 61511)

  • Control System Standardization and Documentation

  • APC and Real-Time Optimization Implementation

  • Alarm Management and Loop Performance

  • Cybersecurity for Industrial Control Systems (ISA/IEC 62443)

  • Project Execution and Technical Assurance

  • Digitalization and Smart Control Initiatives

  • Team Development and Cross-Functional Collaboration


Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Control Systems, Electrical, Instrumentation, or Automation Engineering

  • 15–20+ years of experience in plant control engineering, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role

  • Strong expertise in leading DCS/PLC/SCADA/SIS design and integration projects (e.g., Honeywell, Siemens, Emerson, Yokogawa, ABB)

  • Certifications in Functional Safety (e.g., TÜV) and knowledge of industrial cybersecurity (ISA/IEC 62443) preferred

  • Demonstrated success in managing complex plant control systems across multiple facilities

  • Excellent leadership, planning, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills

Job Detail
  • Work Type: Full Time
  • Languages to be known : Arabic, English
  • Country: United Arab Emirates
  • City: Dubai
  • Job Category : Power Plants