Senior Instrumentation Engineer – Meerssen, Netherlands

Contract Duration: Initial 12-month contract working via Leap29, after the 12 months there is a potential permanent position.

Proficiency in English (both written and spoken); Dutch language skills are a plus.

The Senior Instrumentation and Control Systems (ICS) Engineer will play a vital leadership role, overseeing and coordinating the daily activities of the ICS Engineering and Design teams assigned to projects. This role includes managing global integrated delivery, particularly with teams based in the India offices.

Reporting to the Department Manager functionally and Project Managers operationally, the successful candidate will provide guidance during evaluation, definition, and design phases. Occasional field engineering work and attendance at Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT) or Site Acceptance Tests (SAT) will also be part of the role.

We are seeking experienced Lead Instrumentation and Control Systems Engineers who have successfully led projects of various scales (up to €100 million total installed cost) within the downstream refinery, chemical, and petrochemical sectors. Candidates should have strong leadership abilities in a multi-office setting and be capable of providing innovative solutions to meet client needs. Experience in EPC & EPCm environments is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure personal and team adherence to safety and environmental standards, leading by example.
• Provide leadership in engineering, managing complex projects with a focus on success and team direction.
• Plan and manage workload, man-hour estimates, and progress tracking.
• Exhibit strong communication and coordination skills, both written and verbal.
• Travel as required on a regular basis.
• Manage teams of 5+ engineers across multiple office locations.
• Understand project business cases and incorporate elements such as productivity and innovation into the work environment.
• Drive the adoption of new technologies and methodologies to improve departmental efficiency and accuracy.
• Collaborate effectively with project management and other disciplines, both internally and with clients.
• Relocate to Meerssen or live within 100 km.
• Lead and ensure timely, high-quality project execution in compliance with department quality standards and project-specific contractual requirements.
• Maintain effective communication with other engineering disciplines, project management, and client teams.
• Participate in daily scrums and project status meetings, providing accurate reporting on progress, delays, and lessons learned.
• Manage cost, schedule, materials, and budget control for projects.
• Oversee management of change processes.
• Define the discipline scope of work and develop input for the ICS Execution Plan.
• Promote the use of risk management techniques within the discipline (e.g., IEC61508/11).
• Support procurement activities related to instrumentation.
• Issue all required ICS deliverable documents.
• Familiarize yourself with the client’s proprietary software tools, such as Engineering Database (EDB), SPI (Smart Plant Instrumentation), AVEVA Engineering, and Aconex (Project Information tool).
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the professional development of team members.
• Provide input for project proposals, including man-hour and schedule estimates related to ICS.
• Contribute optimization ideas to add value.
• Engage in developmental tasks, such as preparing work instructions, procedures, and guidelines.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Instrumentation, Automation, or Control) with proven leadership experience in refinery and petrochemical markets. Experience in downstream oil & gas, fertilizers, or mining industries will also be considered.
• Minimum 8+ years of experience, with demonstrated leadership in similar roles.
• Strong commercial acumen and project controls expertise (planning, scheduling, man-hour estimates, progress measurement).
• Experience leading Instrumentation and Control (I&C) teams.
• Experience managing multi-office project execution.
• Proficient in relevant IT systems (e.g., Smart Plant Instrumentation).
• Experience in Conceptual, FEED, and Detailed Engineering projects, with field engineering exposure.
• Ability to organize and prioritize tasks efficiently.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Proficiency in English (both written and spoken); Dutch language skills are a plus.
• Proactive and flexible attitude, with a willingness to travel for business as needed.