SCADA Engineer at SolarAfrica Energy Pty Ltd

Job Description

• We are seeking an experienced SCADA Engineer to join our team, responsible for designing, developing, implementing, and maintaining Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems for monitoring and controlling renewable energy plants. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in power industry electrical engineering, industrial automation, and networking, with expertise in SCADA systems, logical programming languages, and industrial control systems.
• Position of the job in the organisation: This person will report to the Head of Engineering. 

Principal responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and implement SCADA and monitoring systems for renewable energy plants.
• Configure and program SCADA software and hardware components.
• Develop and maintain Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and Graphical User Interface (GUI) designs.
• Integrate SCADA systems with other control systems and devices.
• Troubleshoot and resolve SCADA system issues and faults.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure effective system integration and operation.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation and standards.
• Provide training and support to operators and maintenance personnel.
• Assist with setup and configuration of all onsite networking devices as required.

PERSON DESCRIPTION

Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in SCADA engineering or a related field.
• Strong knowledge of SCADA systems, programming languages (e.g., Python, IEC61131-3-Logical programming, and industrial control systems).
• Experience with SCADA software and hardware components (e.g., Schnieder Electric- Citect SCADA, Power Monitoring Expert).
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.

Specific attributes:

• Excellent understanding of the following protocols (Modbus RTU/TCP, DNP3 serial and TCP).
• Setup and configuration of routers/security gateways for remote site access to onsite devices. (e.g., Zero Tier SD-WAN, OpenVPN client and server).
• Industrial networking specification explicitly related to RS232/RS485 and TCP/IP ethernet based networks and communication.
• Setup and configuration of onsite media converters. (e.g. Ethernet to Serial).
• Understanding of VLAN setup, configuration, and spanning tree protocol. (e.g., RSTP).
• Industrial network time synching with GPS clocks.
• Fault finding on industrial networks with wireshark.

Desirable attributes:

• Knowledge of cybersecurity principles and best practices.
• Certification in SCADA engineering or a related field (e.g., Certified SCADA Engineer).
• Schneider Electric Citect SCADA training.
• Onsite SCADA system commissioning.
• Additional preferred protocols are SCADA IEC-61850 MMS, Metering protocols DLMS/COSEM and M-Bus.
• Basic understanding of onsite metering and metering platforms.