Principal ICA Engineer

Canal & River Trust • Full-time • Leeds • 2w ago

Job Purpose

Job Title: Principal ICA Engineer (Projects)

Advertised Salary: £57,500 + £450 per month car allowances + benefits  

Looking for an exciting opportunity to help shape our MEICA projects across a complex and historic waterways infrastructure? We offer professional development, flexible working, a diverse portfolio and prioritise wellbeing.

The Trust

At the Canal & River Trust, we believe life’s better by water, and that the waterways we take care of make an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of local communities and economies. We have an extraordinary range of professionals to help bring our waterways to life, including people with the competence and skills to deliver our MEICA/SCADA programs and keep our network open and safe.

Working for the Trust we believe passionately that our waterways can play an important role in mitigating the impact of climate change, helping to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions which drive global warming. Our network of canals and river navigations in the hearts of towns and cities are perfectly placed to provide ‘net zero’ solutions & reduce the impact of climate change, as well as providing fantastic green & blue doorstep destination spaces for everyone to enjoy.

See how we make difference: (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/how-we-make-a-difference) and the work the Trust has done over the last 10 years as a Charity: (Canal & River Trust - Celebrating 10 years as the charity making life better by water - YouTube)

The role

Join us as our Principal ICA Engineer and you will play a vital role in every aspect of ICA engineering on programs to refurbish and maintain our Trust infrastructure, and with opportunities to work on iconic engineering heritage such as the Anderton Boat Lift. You will provide leadership to our Control Systems Engineers and take ownership of our ICA related schemes while supporting our frontline teams and framework contractors. Our diverse portfolio of M&E assets, from our mechanised locks and bridges – some of the oldest in the UK, pumping stations and water control structures all depend on PLC software to operate reliably and safely. You will deliver high quality control system software engineering service across the Trust and be expected to develop and deliver safe and reliable software conforming to relevant internal and external standards, all fully documented.

Working closely with our Principal MEICA Projects/Systems Engineer you will provide control system engineering technical input to multiple projects, writing FDS, FAT and SAT documents, and be our technical authority on design, testing and commissioning of PLC, HMI and SCADA software.

You will join an inclusive and diversely skilled team of professional Mechanical, Electrical, SCADA and ICA Engineers, and M&E skilled technicians and apprentices, that work together, share knowledge and skills and support each other.

Location:

Home working -  base location flexible within easy access to any of our current main Hubs: Leeds, Liverpool, Burnley, Newark, Birmingham, Hatton (Warwick), Milton Keynes, Gloucester, London. 

Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience

Key Accountabilities:

Supporting the National MEICA/SCADA Manager as technical authority on all aspects Control System Engineering.

Design, testing and commissioning of PLC, HMI and SCADA software for our MEICA assets including bridges, locks, pumps, sluices and other bespoke assets. Preferably Mitsubishi PLC/HMI although consideration given to relevant experience on other systems.

Lead and manage a small team of ICA Engineers

Provide the Trust with definitive expert advice on ICA engineering issues

Be a focal point for collaboration in multi-disciplinary projects with the Trust’s other engineering and delivery teams

Ensure that technical specifications, FDS, FAT, SAT and software documentation is prepared and issued in a timely manner to the required programme.

Ensure technical management of the ICA element of projects so that effective and efficient engineering solutions are delivered.

Provide on going technical support on installed PLC & SCADA systems

Use professional knowledge and experience to provide definitive recommendations to senior managers and other colleagues on appropriate approach.

Always Displaying the Trust values and behaviours.

Ensuring that diversity and inclusion are integrated into all aspects of Trust life and promoting inclusion by challenging behaviour, practices, actions, or decisions that are counter to the objectives of the Trust’s policies and values.

Lead, develop and coach individuals through the development of a people plan to ensure that the appropriate skills and competencies are maintained to deliver the objectives of the team.

About You

Reporting to the National MEICA SCADA Manager you will manage a small team of ICA Engineers who provide technical advice and support across the business, designing and developing software solutions, and supporting our project process in addition to providing support on installed systems. This is an exciting opportunity for an ICA professional with strong technical capability and great leadership qualities to lead our ICA team supporting the delivery of our planned program of works across the Trusts MEICA estate, and to develop cost effective solutions to ensure our assets remain safe and reliable for our customers and stakeholders.

We anticipate that successful candidates will have a variety of previous technical and leadership experience in order to;

Be our ICA engineering subject matter expert providing technical solutions and definitive advice.

Be accountable as the owner of our engineering control software, with the authority to make decisions.

Be sufficiently aware and experienced in the practices underpinning project-based working to be able to make informed decisions as to whether the work is been managed effectively, responsibly and sustainably against the Business Case.

Lead, motivate and develop our professional ICA team.

What you'll bring

Chartered Electrical/Instrumentation Engineer with full membership of relevant professional body at an appropriate level, e.g. IET.

Substantial post-chartered experience and proven experience of delivering complex ICA solutions and projects.

Sound knowledge ICA design (instrumentation, PLC and SCADA systems), motor/pump control systems, system architecture, fieldbus/communication networks, P&ID’s, functional safety, development of control specifications (URS/FDS), HAZOP, schedules and system requirements within process/industrial environment.

Design, testing and commissioning of PLC, HMI and SCADA software. Mitsubishi PLC experience preferred but other system experience considered with a willingness to learn and develop.

Continuous Professional Development including considerable proven experience in applying complex engineering concepts.

Excellent technical report and specification writing skills.

Experience of line managing a range of staff including professional Engineers.

Be confident in supporting other areas of the business, taking account of overall business priorities and negotiating resources as appropriate.

Be a confident negotiator with internal and external contacts.

If you have any questions about the role please contact CRT.recruitment@canalrivertrust.org.uk

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 

What We Offer

In addition to your annual base salary of £57,500, we also offer Car Cash Allowance (£450 per month), a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, and numerous other employee benefits, including several salary sacrifice benefits we are also open to flexible working arrangements. These include:

25 days paid holiday, plus paid Bank Holidays, increasing to 27 days plus Bank Holidays after 3 years

Home working status with ‘hub’ facilities available if a need to work outside of home – flexibility. Monday to Friday working, no weekend working. 

Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity – hobbies; aspirations etc. 

Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues – health; financial; lifestyle; well-being; domestic & neighbourly matters. 

Access to a range of employee benefits including – store discounts; boating holiday discounts; holiday purchase scheme. 

2 days paid volunteering leave, volunteering for local community project work.

At the Trust we care passionately for our waterways, and as importantly, for those who look after and use them. We strongly believe that a diverse workforce brings with it a diversity of ideas, thinking and ways of working which enhances what we do as a Trust. We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of and welcome applicants from across all sectors of the community.

All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.

When you join the Canal & River Trust you become a member of an engaged team working to preserve our heritage for future generations. Come and share your passion and knowledge with a team that makes a difference to millions of people every day.

Find out more about us on our website: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us