Lead PLC Control Systems Engineer (Portsmouth)

Are you a Lead PLC Control Systems Engineer ready to to join a pioneering team that's delivering innovative, energy-efficient propulsion solutions?

This is an opportunity to be part of a ground-breaking engineering project with real-world impact. If you're driven by problem-solving, thrive in dynamic environments, and enjoy working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams — this role is for you.

What You'll Be Doing

• Innovate and Create: Design, develop, and maintain advanced PLC control systems focused on performance, reliability, and maintainability.
• Precision Programming: Build solutions using Beckhoff TwinCAT 3 and Siemens TIA Portal, applying structured text and object-oriented programming principles.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with mechanical, electrical, and software teams to ensure seamless system integration.
• Modular Development: Develop scalable, reusable control libraries that follow structured version control workflows (Git/Git Flow).
• Documentation Excellence: Produce comprehensive technical documentation to support independent commissioning and maintenance by third parties.
• Commissioning: Support deployment and commissioning of systems, both remotely and on-site as required.
• User-Centric Design: Ensure systems are maintainable by non-specialist users, even in demanding environments.
• Safety & Standards: Implement safety-critical functionality and work with a range of control hardware — including drives, sensors, and actuators.
• Lifecycle Support: Provide ongoing system support and implement improvements as systems evolve.

What You’ll Bring

• Academic Background: Degree in Electrical Engineering, Control Systems, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Technical Expertise: Strong experience programming PLCs, particularly using Beckhoff (TwinCAT 3) and Siemens (TIA Portal).
• Programming Skills: Proficiency in structured text and object-oriented programming.
• Version Control: Familiarity with Git and Git Flow versioning practices.
• Commissioning Experience: Demonstrated ability to commission systems in production environments with a focus on usability and robustness.
• Safety Knowledge: Experience programming safety PLCs and implementing safety-related functions.
• Hardware Familiarity: Knowledge of electronic drives, sensors, actuators, and optionally, hydraulic or pneumatic systems.
• Team Player: Comfortable collaborating with engineering peers, writing documentation, and using agile tools such as Jira.

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting production systems and understanding end-user needs
• Willingness to travel occasionally for commissioning and reviews
• Interest in sustainable technology and innovation
• Thrives in a small, high-performing technical team