Automation and Control Systems Engineer - Nelson Based

Industrial Marine Electrical Nelson is seeking an experienced Automation / Control Systems Engineer to join our team, delivering system integration projects across industrial, food & beverage, refrigeration, water treatment, and municipal infrastructure clients in the Nelson/Tasman region.

This is a great opportunity for an intermediate to senior engineer with a systems integration background to take on varied, technically challenging work — moving between PLC programming, SCADA development, and on-site commissioning across a broad range of platforms and industries.

Key Responsibilities:

• Program, configure, and commission PLCs across multiple platforms, including Schneider Electric (Control Expert, M340/M580), Rockwell Automation, and Omron ecosystems
• Develop and maintain SCADA/HMI systems, primarily using Ignition and AVEVA System Platform
• Configure and troubleshoot VSD and Motor Control Circuits
• Configure and diagnose field instrumentation
• Read, interpret, and produce electrical schematics and functional design documentation
• Liaise directly with clients on site to scope requirements, resolve faults, and hand over completed work
• Contribute to the design and delivery of new automation and control system integration projects
• Support the development of emerging IoT-based environmental monitoring products
• System integration and controls delivery across food & beverage processing, refrigeration, and water treatment facilities

About You

You will ideally have:

• A background in systems integration, having worked across multiple client sites, industries, and control platforms rather than a single in-house system
• Prior hands-on experience with Schneider Electric Control Expert (M340/M580 Controllers) — essential
• Prior hands-on experience with AVEVA System Platform — essential
• Exposure to other PLC ecosystems is a strong advantage, including: Rockwell Automation, Omron, Siemens
• Experience configuring and diagnosing VSDs and communications over Modbus TCP and/or EtherNet/IP
• SCADA development experience with Ignition, in addition to AVEVA System Platform
• A solid working knowledge of industrial instrumentation and control loop principles
• Familiarity with AS/NZS 3000 and AS/NZS 3008 standards, or equivalent
• Strong troubleshooting instincts and confidence working independently on site
• Good communication skills, as this role is client-facing as well as technical
• A full, clean New Zealand driver's licence
• Ideally, experience in one or more of the following industries:
• Refrigeration
• Water treatment
• Food and beverage processing

Also useful:

• Machine safety (TÜV) certification
• Scripting or software development experience, applicable to internal tooling and IoT product development
• Experience with industrial networking, historians, or database-driven reporting systems

What We Offer

• Competitive renumeration package based on experience
• Relocation assistance for those wishing to relocate (within NZ)
• Varied, technically rich work across multiple industries and control platforms
• A small, experienced team where your contribution is visible and valued
• Exposure to genuinely novel projects
• Based in Nelson — one of New Zealand's best-located regions for lifestyle and outdoors access
• Opportunity to upskill and gain certifications

We are looking for someone practical, adaptable, and confident working across a range of platforms and industries, who enjoys solving real-world control and automation problems both on site and at the desk.