Lead Drives & Control Systems Engineer
Location: Commutable of Liverpool or Birmingham
Salary: £85,000 - £100,000
Our client are expanding their Engineering team and have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Lead Engineer with a strong background in Drives, Motion Control and Automation Systems to take full ownership of the electrical and control systems delivery on major projects. This is a senior “lead” position where you will combine deep technical expertise (especially in variable speed drives, servo systems and safety-related control systems) with proven project leadership and people-management skills. Previous experience in a Project Engineering or Project Management role within industrial automation is highly advantageous.
Key Highlights
* True leadership role - supervise, mentor and motivate multi-disciplinary engineering teams (internal + external resources)
* Full ownership of the Functional Safety lifecycle (FuSa) on safety-critical projects
* Work closely with Project Managers to deliver complex systems on time and on budget
* Opportunity to shape internal standards through the Engineering Management Working Group
* Hands‑on design, software delivery, FAT, commissioning and SAT on customer sites
Responsibilities
* Lead the electrical/controls workstream on projects from concept through to site acceptance
* Produce high‑quality design deliverables: Functional Design Specifications, Safety Requirements Specifications, drive system architectures, network topology, cause & effect matrices, etc.
* Software design and configuration of PLC, HMI, SCADA, Robot, Drives and BMS platforms
* Own the Technical Construction File and ensure compliance with Machinery Directive, IEC 61508/61511, and other relevant standards
* Mentor graduates, apprentices and junior engineers
* Identify technical risks, propose mitigations and drive continuous improvement
Qualifications / Experience
* BEng/BSc or Level 6 Apprenticeship in Electrical/Electronic Engineering
* Minimum 7 years' experience in industrial control systems with significant expertise in variable speed drives and motion control
* Proven track record of leading engineering teams and delivering full project lifecycles
* Strong Functional Safety experience (SIL/PL rated systems)
* Excellent client‑facing and communication skills
* Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to customer sites when required
* Previous role as a Project Engineer or Project Manager in automation
* TUV Functional Safety Engineer certification or equivalent
* Experience with Siemens, Rockwell, Schneider or Beckhoff drive platforms
Benefits
* Holidays 25 days (plus Bank Holidays)
* Bonus scheme
* BUPA Medical plan
* Car allowance
* Pension scheme
* Life Insurance
* Employee assistance programme
* Flexible working
For more information on this role, please contact Andrew Haddon on (phone number removed) or send a copy of your CV to (url removed)
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