Engineer - Instrumentation مهندس - الأجهزة

Brief Posting Description
The Senior Engineer – Instrumentation Maintenance is responsible for leading the maintenance, reliability, availability, and performance optimization of all instrumentation systems across the Copper Concentrator Plant. The role ensures the safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of field instrumentation, analyzers, control valves, actuators, weighing systems, process measurement systems, and associated plant equipment through effective maintenance strategies, shutdown planning, reliability improvement initiatives, asset integrity management, and continuous improvement programs. The position provides technical leadership to maintenance teams, supports operational excellence, and maximizes equipment availability while minimizing lifecycle costs and production losses. The incumbent is responsible for the maintenance and reliability of instrumentation systems associated with the Primary Crusher, Apron Feeders, Conveyors, Ore Stockpile Stacking and Reclaiming Systems, SAG Mill, Ball Mills, HIG Mill, Flotation Plant, Thickeners, Concentrate Filtration Plant, Slurry Pumps, Process Water Systems, Tailings Systems, and associated plant infrastructure. The role works closely with Operations, Reliability, Mechanical Maintenance, Electrical, Automation, and Project teams to achieve production, safety, reliability, and asset performance objectives while ensuring compliance with safety, environmental, and asset management standards.
Detailed Description
INSTRUMENTATION MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT
Lead maintenance activities for instrumentation systems across the concentrator plant and supporting infrastructure.
Ensure maintenance practices support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operation.
Develop and implement maintenance strategies to maximize equipment reliability and availability.
Monitor equipment condition and recommend corrective and preventive actions.
Ensure compliance with OEM recommendations, instrumentation standards, and statutory requirements.
Support long-term asset lifecycle management and replacement planning.
Provide technical guidance on instrumentation maintenance planning, scheduling, and execution.
Support commissioning, startup, and ramp-up activities for instrumentation systems and equipment.
INSTRUMENTATION–AUTOMATION / PLC / DCS INTERFACE
Provide technical leadership for the interface between field instrumentation and PLC, DCS, SCADA, and associated automation systems.
Ensure reliable communication and signal integrity between transmitters, analyzers, control valves, actuators, weighing systems, and PLC/DCS/SCADA systems.
Support troubleshooting of instrumentation-related PLC/DCS input and output signals, communication faults, alarms, interlocks, and control-loop performance issues.
Coordinate with Automation and Electrical teams for instrument signal interfaces, control system modifications, logic changes, and system upgrades.
Review instrumentation requirements for PLC/DCS/SCADA modifications, including I/O requirements, signal types, communication protocols, alarm and trip interfaces, and control-loop functionality.
Support loop checking, instrument calibration, functional testing, interlock testing, commissioning, energization, and startup activities involving instrumentation and automation systems.
Ensure proper configuration, documentation, and management of instrument I/O, loop drawings, instrument data sheets, cause-and-effect diagrams, alarm settings, and associated technical documentation.
Participate in troubleshooting and Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) where instrumentation, PLC/DCS, or communication-system interfaces contribute to equipment or process failures.
Support implementation of improvements to process control, instrumentation reliability, measurement accuracy, and automation system performance.
Ensure instrumentation and automation interfaces comply with approved engineering standards, OEM requirements, cybersecurity requirements, HSE procedures, and applicable statutory requirements.
INSTRUMENT RELIABILITY & PERFORMANCE
Lead reliability improvement initiatives for field instrumentation, analyzers, control valves, actuators, weighing systems, sampling systems, and process monitoring equipment.
Analyze equipment failures and identify opportunities to improve reliability and maintainability.
Conduct Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) for major instrumentation failures.
Facilitate Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) studies.
Identify recurring equipment issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Develop reliability-centered maintenance strategies.
Monitor instrument performance against established reliability and availability KPIs.
Support predictive and condition monitoring programs for critical instrumentation assets.
PROCESS INSTRUMENTATION & ANALYZER SYSTEMS
Ensure safe and reliable operation of process instrumentation systems.
Maintain pressure, flow, level, temperature, density, pH, conductivity, and other process measurement devices.
Maintain online analyzers, sampling systems, and associated instrumentation.
Monitor instrument accuracy and implement corrective actions where necessary.
Ensure compliance with calibration standards and measurement integrity requirements.
Support process optimization and operational efficiency initiatives through accurate measurement and monitoring.
MAINTENANCE PLANNING & EXECUTION
Support development of annual maintenance plans and budgets for instrumentation assets.
Review and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
Optimize maintenance frequencies and task scopes based on equipment criticality and performance.
Coordinate maintenance resources for planned and corrective maintenance activities.
Ensure work orders are properly executed, documented, and closed in SAP PM.
Improve maintenance work management processes and effectiveness.
Monitor maintenance backlog and prioritize critical equipment activities.
SHUTDOWN & TURNAROUND MANAGEMENT
Lead preparation and execution of instrumentation shutdown and turnaround activities.
Develop shutdown scopes, resource requirements, budgets, and schedules.
Coordinate contractors, OEM specialists, and internal teams during shutdown execution.
Monitor shutdown progress and manage critical path activities.
Ensure shutdown work complies with safety, environmental, and quality requirements.
Conduct post-shutdown reviews and capture lessons learned.
ASSET INTEGRITY MANAGEMENT
Ensure the integrity and reliability of critical instrumentation assets.
Review calibration findings, inspection reports, and test results and establish corrective maintenance actions.
Support predictive maintenance and condition monitoring programs.
Participate in risk assessments and asset criticality evaluations.
Ensure compliance with asset management standards and engineering requirements.
Support development of asset lifecycle and replacement strategies.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT & TROUBLESHOOTING
Provide advanced troubleshooting support for major instrumentation and analyzer failures.
Support operations in resolving process measurement and control performance issues.
Review calibration reports, instrument health reports, analyzer performance reports, and diagnostic data.
Evaluate equipment modifications and instrumentation improvements.
Review OEM recommendations, technical reports, and upgrade proposals.
Support commissioning, loop checking, testing, and startup of new equipment and system modifications.
PEOPLE LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
Provide technical leadership, guidance, and mentoring to instrumentation supervisors, technicians, planners, and maintenance personnel.
Develop team competency in instrumentation maintenance, calibration, analyzers, control valves, measurement systems, and associated process instrumentation.
Identify competency gaps and support the development and implementation of training and competency development programs.
Promote knowledge sharing, technical coaching, and transfer of best practices across the instrumentation maintenance team.
Establish clear performance expectations and promote accountability, teamwork, and a continuous improvement culture.
Support succession planning and workforce capability development for critical instrumentation maintenance positions.
Encourage effective collaboration between Instrumentation, Automation, Electrical, Mechanical, Operations, Reliability, and Project teams.
Promote a strong safety culture and ensure team members understand and comply with approved maintenance procedures, HSE requirements, permit-to-work, and LOTO practices.
Support performance reviews and provide constructive feedback to improve individual and team performance.
Develop and maintain a technically competent, motivated, and high-performing instrumentation maintenance team.
COST CONTROL & BUDGET MANAGEMENT
Support the preparation and management of annual instrumentation maintenance budgets and forecasts.
Monitor maintenance expenditures and ensure spending remains within approved budget limits.
Identify opportunities to optimize maintenance costs while maintaining safety, reliability, and equipment performance.
Review and control costs related to instrumentation maintenance contracts, calibration services, analyzer maintenance agreements, and external resources.
Support development of business cases for equipment upgrades, replacement projects, and reliability improvement initiatives.
Monitor and optimize spare parts inventory levels for instrumentation equipment to balance asset reliability and working capital requirements.
Participate in procurement activities including technical evaluations, vendor selection, and contract reviews.
Track and report maintenance cost performance, budget variances, and cost-saving initiatives.
Ensure efficient utilization of manpower, materials, tools, and contractor resources.
Support lifecycle cost analysis and long-term asset replacement planning for critical instrumentation equipment.
Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives aimed at reducing total maintenance costs and improving asset performance.
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance instrumentation reliability, measurement accuracy, and plant availability.
Identify opportunities to reduce maintenance costs and minimize unplanned downtime.
Implement reliability improvement and Lean Maintenance methodologies.
Develop business cases for instrumentation upgrades and modernization projects.
Track and report benefits realized from improvement initiatives.
Promote maintenance and operational best practices across the organization.
SAFETY, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT & QUALITY
Act as a technical authority for instrument calibration standards, measurement integrity, and instrumentation maintenance best practices.
Ensure compliance with company HSE policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
Promote safe work practices and adherence to permit-to-work and LOTO procedures.
Participate in risk assessments, incident investigations, and hazard identification programs.
Ensure compliance with instrumentation standards, quality requirements, and engineering procedures.
Support achievement of zero-harm and operational excellence objectives.

Job Requirements
Education:
• Bachelor's Degree in Instrumentation, Electronics, Control Systems, Automation, Mechatronics, or Electrical & Instrumentation Engineering is mandatory.
Experience:
• Bachelor’s Degree with 10+ years of experience in a Copper Concentrator Plant or related process plant with similar type of equipment is mandatory.
• Minimum 8 years of experience in Instrumentation maintenance and reliability engineering is mandatory.
• Proven track record of successfully managing maintenance and reliability of Instrumentation assets in large-scale mineral processing facilities.
Certifications: Candidates holding or pursuing any of the following certifications will have an added advantage:
• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP)
• ISA Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST)
• ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP)
• Six-sigma (BB)
Technical Skills:
• Maintenance experience in process instrumentation, transmitters, analyzers, control valves, actuators, weighing systems, sampling systems, and calibration equipment is mandatory.
• Working knowledge of ABB 800xA or equivalent DCS platforms.
• Experience supporting instrument integration with PLC and DCS systems.
• Experience with fieldbus systems, HART communication, Profibus, Modbus, Foundation Fieldbus, and industrial communication protocols is mandatory.
• Experience supporting concentrator equipment including Primary Crusher, Apron Feeders, Conveyors, Ore Stockpile Stacking & Reclaiming Systems, SAG Mill, Ball Mills, HIG Mill, Flotation Plant, Thickeners, Concentrate Filtration Plant, Slurry Pumps, and utility systems are highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of calibration management, measurement integrity, reliability engineering, predictive maintenance, and asset management strategies.
• Strong knowledge of SAP PM, CMMS/ERP systems, RCFA, FMEA, and reliability-centered maintenance methodologies.
Soft Skills:
• Fluency in English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership and people management skills.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing abilities.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethical standards and commercial integrity.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.
• Strong decision-making and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and perform under pressure