Senior Automation Engineer
VIDA Projects & Engineering
Role Summary
As a Sr. Automation Engineer within the Central Projects & Engineering team, you play a key role in shaping and delivering automation and process control solutions across multiple bio‑energy facilities and projects. You work closely with engineering contractors, system integrators, OEM vendors and VTTI Group OT experts to ensure robust SCADA/PLC design, safeguarding, cybersecurity, and process control implementation. Your work spans the full lifecycle: concept, design, execution, commissioning, and optimization of automation systems that ensure safety, reliability, and high plant performance.
Key Responsibilities
1. Automation & Control Systems
- Design, program, and maintain PLC‑based control systems and associated SCADA/HMI environments.
- Ensure correct integration of instrumentation, gas quality analyzers, safety devices, interlocks, and ESD logic.
- Lead troubleshooting across control systems to improve plant stability and reduce downtime.
2. Process Control Strategy & Architecture
- Develop and maintain the Process Control Strategy (PCS) for bio‑energy assets.
- Create and own control narratives, Cause & Effect (C&E), alarm philosophy, and functional logic.
- Define, develop, and maintain the site-wide Process Control Architecture (networks, segregation, security layers, protocols) of all our locations (NL and UK).
3. Functional Design Specification (FDS) & Safety
- Prepare and maintain FDS, SDS, FAT/SAT documentation, commissioning plans, and test procedures.
- Participate in HAZOP, LOPA and SIL review meetings and implement safeguarding according to HAZOP, LOPA, and SIL requirements.
- Validate and support Safety Instrumented Functions (SIF), shutdown logic, and emergency response behavior.
4. IT/OT & Cybersecurity
- Work across IT and OT domains to ensure secure, resilient industrial networks.
- Define and maintain communication structures, including Modbus, OPC-UA, MQTT, Profinet, and secure remote access.
- Collaborate with cybersecurity specialists to strengthen critical infrastructure and maintain compliance standards.
5. Data Historian & Analytics
- Configure and maintain data historian systems (e.g., PI, Aveva, Ignition).
- Build dashboards and analytics that support operational decision-making, performance reviews, and reliability tracking.
- Support digitalization initiatives such as anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and energy optimization.
6. Process Optimization
- Use operational data, trends, and plant diagnostics to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement, cost reduction, and methane yield optimization.[Rv1] [GK2]
- Provide automation expertise to troubleshoot complex process issues related to fermentation, gas upgrading, utilities, and thermal systems together with other engineering disciplines.
7. Project Engineering & Vendor Management
- Act as automation lead in CAPEX projects, coordinating with:
- Engineering contractors (FEED, detailed design, commissioning)
- System integrators (software, PLC, SCADA programming)
- OEM vendors (compressors, digesters, analyzers, upgrading equipment)
- Ensure vendor-supplied packages meet functional, cybersecurity, and integration requirements.
- Support project delivery from design reviews through commissioning and handover.
Qualifications & Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Automation, Electrical Engineering, Control Engineering, Industrial IT, Mechatronics, or equivalent.
- 5–10+ years experience in industrial automation, preferably in bio‑energy, utilities, chemicals, food processing, or waste‑to-energy.
Technical Skills
- Strong PLC programming experience (e.g., Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider).
- SCADA/HMI development and alarm management skills.
- Deep understanding of process control, instrumentation, and safeguarding.
- Experience with FDS, C&E, SIL/LOPA, FAT/SAT.
- Knowledge of IT/OT architecture and industrial cybersecurity.
- Experience with historians and data analytics.
Soft Skills
- Strong communicator with the ability to manage diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- Proactive, structured, and hands‑on problem solver.
- Capable of guiding contractors and OEM vendors in a multi‑project environment.
What We Offer
- A central role in scaling and optimizing sustainable bio‑energy assets.
- Collaboration with a wide network of engineering partners, vendors, and internal specialists.
- Opportunities for technical leadership, innovation, and cross‑site influence.
Apply now
If you have built your career in strategy, transformation, or performance improvement consulting and are looking for an opportunity to drive meaningful impact within a growing industrial business, we would love to hear from you. Email: imh@vtti.com – Shiva Ahmadi, Sr. talent acquisition VTTI/ Vida
Hiring process
We invite you to take a look through our website to get an insight into our business, our values, our ambitions, and our people.
When you are ready to apply, the first step is simple: submit your application through our website or via LinkedIn. You will need to upload your resume and any other relevant documents specified in the job description, such as a portfolio. We also encourage you to write and upload a short cover letter explaining why you are a great fit for the role.
Do you already know someone at VTTI? If so, they may be open to sharing their experiences, answering any questions, and even introducing you as a referral candidate.
We embrace diversity, inclusivity and non-discrimination in our hiring practices, and are open to people of all backgrounds. We recognize that different applicants may have different needs, so feel free to share any support needs with our recruiter, for example due to any type of disability. It is in our interest to help you show us the best, most comfortable version of who you are.
Once we have received your application, our recruitment team will review it to see if your skills and experience align with the role.
If we think you could be a good fit, we may schedule a quick phone or video call to get to know you a little better. This is a chance for us to learn more about your background and for you to ask any questions you might have about the role or our company. We will also discuss your experience with the hiring manager or panel.
If we think you might be a better fit for a different position within our organization, now or in the future, we will contact you and discuss the opportunity and/or next steps.
If things go well during the initial screening, you will move on to the first interview.
We want this to be a two-way conversation—because this is also your opportunity to find out more about whether you would like to work with us and make VTTI the next step in your career. The process and the number of interviews depending on the seniority level and the location of the role. All candidates for the same position will follow the same process.
Depending on the role we might ask you to prepare a technical task or business case or ask you to complete a short personality assessment, a skills assessment, or a full day in-person assessment. The purpose of this is to give us a better sense of how you approach problem-solving, your leadership style and/or how you would apply your skills to the role.
You are also welcome to ask for an extra interview or an orientation day at the terminal or office, if you need further conversations or in-person experience to make your decision.
We value your time and effort and will do our utmost to provide feedback as quickly as possible.
Whether it’s an offer or constructive feedback, we will try to communicate clearly with you about the next steps.
If you are offered the role, be available to answer any questions you might have. We know that changing jobs is something you don’t do every day and is a major life event, so we’ll try to support you as well as we can.
Good luck, and we can’t wait to meet you!
