Senior Control Systems Specialist

Job Title: Senior Control Systems Specialist

Location:
United Arab Emirates (Remote) Employment Type: Full-Time Work Arrangement: 100% Remote — Work From Home Level: Senior

About the Role
We are seeking an experienced and technically proficient Senior Control Systems Specialist to support the design, configuration, monitoring, optimization, and maintenance of industrial control systems. The successful candidate will help improve system reliability, operational efficiency, process automation, and control system security while ensuring compliance with applicable technical standards and organizational requirements. The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), industrial automation, and control system troubleshooting. This role requires analytical thinking, technical problem-solving, project coordination, and the ability to provide remote technical support to engineering and operations teams.

Key Responsibilities

Control Systems Management: Oversee the configuration, monitoring, and optimization of industrial control systems to support reliable and efficient operations. PLC Programming: Develop, review, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC programs, control logic, and automation sequences according to project specifications. SCADA Systems: Support the configuration, maintenance, and improvement of SCADA platforms, including alarm management, process visualization, data acquisition, and system monitoring. Distributed Control Systems: Provide technical support for DCS environments, including control loop configuration, process monitoring, system diagnostics, and performance optimization. System Design and Integration: Review control system architectures, functional specifications, wiring diagrams, instrumentation layouts, and integration requirements. Automation Engineering: Develop and improve automation strategies to enhance process consistency, reduce manual intervention, and improve operational performance. Troubleshooting and Diagnostics: Investigate control system faults, communication failures, software issues, sensor abnormalities, and equipment interface problems. Control Loop Optimization: Analyze process behavior, evaluate control loop performance, and recommend adjustments to improve stability, accuracy, and responsiveness. Industrial Instrumentation: Coordinate with instrumentation specialists to review sensor signals, transmitters, actuators, control valves, and related field devices. System Testing and Commissioning Support: Prepare test procedures, review functional testing results, and provide remote technical assistance during factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), and commissioning activities. System Documentation: Maintain accurate technical documentation, including control narratives, functional design specifications, PLC program records, SCADA configurations, and system operating procedures. Control System Security: Support industrial control system cybersecurity measures, access control, configuration management, backup procedures, and secure remote access practices. Alarm Management: Review alarm configurations, identify nuisance alarms, assess alarm priorities, and recommend improvements to alarm handling and operator response. System Reliability: Analyze recurring faults, system performance data, and equipment behavior to identify reliability risks and recommend preventive measures. Change Management: Review and document control system modifications, software updates, configuration changes, and associated testing requirements. Vendor Coordination: Liaise with automation vendors, system integrators, equipment manufacturers, and engineering contractors to resolve technical issues and support project delivery. Technical Standards Compliance: Ensure control system designs and modifications align with approved engineering specifications, relevant industry standards, and organizational procedures. Project Engineering Support: Contribute to automation upgrades, system modernization, process improvement initiatives, and control system integration projects. Performance Reporting: Prepare technical reports covering system availability, faults, control performance, outstanding issues, and recommended improvements. Remote Technical Support: Provide troubleshooting guidance, review system data, coordinate engineering activities, and support on‑site personnel through secure remote collaboration tools.
Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline. At least 5–8 years of relevant experience in industrial automation, control systems engineering, instrumentation, or process control. Strong knowledge of PLC programming, SCADA platforms, DCS architectures, and industrial automation pri