Principal Automation Engineer - (Oil & Gas, Downstream) Contract Details Duration: 12 Months Working Pattern: 5 Days per Week (40 Hours) Location: Manchester (Hybrid Working) Rate: £55-65 PAYE per hour (plus holiday pay) Position Overview We are seeking an experienced Automation Engineer to lead and coordinate automation activities under a long-term Master Service Agreement within the downstream Oil & Gas sector. This role will act as the primary focal point for stakeholders, vendors, and project teams, ensuring that all technical, safety, commercial, and schedule requirements are delivered successfully. The successful candidate will play a critical role in system integration, plant operations, and project execution from FEED through to commissioning. Key Responsibilities Conduct site surveys to identify optimal cutover strategies aligned with plant outages and manual operation capabilities Lead the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) process, including: Engineering work requests Deliverable structuring Testing and cutover strategies Review and approve DCS / PLC proposals from vendors and system integrators Review and approve EC&I and OEM detailed design documentation Facilitate and lead multi-disciplinary design review meetings with Client, EPC, and OEM stakeholders Develop Control Narratives from: P&IDs Operational procedures Existing PLC/DCS configurations (reverse engineering where required) Develop and overse...