IT Systems Engineering Lead - Major Energy/Petrochemical Project
Location: Reading, UK (On‑Site)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Contract Length: 12 Months, start date ASAP
Pay Rate Banding: PAYE - £43-17ph - £58.46ph / Umbrella - £56.91ph - £75.31ph
IR35:Inside of IR35
About the Opportunity
Our Client is delivering a large‑scale petrochemical and refinery upgrade programme aimed at modernising existing assets, integrating new world‑scale facilities, and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
As part of this major long‑term project, they are seeking an experienced IT Systems Engineering Lead to join their Project Management Team based in Reading.
This is a senior technical leadership role, supporting the pre‑FEED and FEED phases of a complex integrated refinery and petrochemicals development. You will represent Our Client in guiding contractors, shaping engineering standards, driving IT/OT system integration, and ensuring robust, secure, and cost‑effective digital infrastructure across all project scopes.
Key Responsibilities
As IT Systems Engineering Lead, you will:
Technical Leadership & Governance
Provide IT and digital systems expertise to align with project objectives and technical strategies.
Lead development and optimisation of engineering philosophies, standards, procedures, and specifications relating to IT systems.
Ensure technical maturity meets expectations across pre‑FEED and FEED stages.Contractor & Vendor Oversight
Oversee contractor design deliverables, ensuring alignment with Our Client's IT standards, cybersecurity requirements, and regulatory obligations.IT/OT Integration & System Architecture
Define and steward requirements for enterprise IT, industrial networks, OT interfaces, cloud/on‑premise architectures, and data management frameworks.
Ensure secure, reliable interaction between operational technology systems, control networks, historian platforms, and digital applications.
Review proposals for network architecture, server/storage design, virtualisation, cloud strategy, and disaster recovery.Risk, Compliance & Surveillance
Ensure adherence to cybersecurity standards, regional data protection regulations, and internal engineering governance.
Develop and execute an engineering surveillance programme to ensure design integrity and compliance.
Experience & Background
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
15+ years' relevant experience in IT systems engineering within large‑scale industrial, petrochemical, or refining environments.
Strong technical expertise across networks, cybersecurity, enterprise/OT architecture, applications, and digital system integration.
Proven ability to work across owner/operator and contractor environments.
Experience with major energy, refining or chemicals projects-knowledge of Middle Eastern project environments beneficial.
Understanding of heavy oil upgrading, hydroprocessing, ethylene cracking, offsites/utilities, or similar downstream operations (an advantage).
If you think this could be a new and exciting career opportunity for you and you would like to learn more or just for an initial, no-obligation conversation please contact me on (phone number removed) or you can apply directly by following the Easy Apply link and I will contact you as soon as I receive your contact details.
This vacancy is being advertised by Belcan