Automation Lead – Software

Permanent Position.

Probation Period of 3 months.

Reporting to
: Project Specialist

Remuneration
: R35 000 – R45 000 CTC

Level in the organisation:
Supervisory

Location:
– Lambda Automation, Pretoria with occasional travel to client locations, local and international

Job Purpose:

The Automation Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating PLC, HMI, SCADA, and robotic software installation projects, ensuring successful delivery from development through commissioning and handover.

This role requires strong technical competence in industrial automation, structured project coordination, and hands-on leadership of software, commissioning, and onsite installation teams.

The Automation Lead ensures project delivery meets deadlines, quality standards, and safety requirements while maintaining clear communication with clients and internal stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

Project Management

• Plan and coordinate automation projects from initiation to commissioning.
• Define project scope, milestones, resource requirements, and delivery timelines.
• Track progress against schedules, budgets, and risk registers.
• Conduct regular progress meetings and provide structured status updates to stakeholders.

Technical Delivery

Lead and execute software tasks including:

• PLC programming (Siemens / Beckhoff preferred)
• HMI development
• SCADA configuration
• Robot programming, calibration, and integration (KUKA / ABB / FANUC / Yaskawa etc.)
• Manage and verify daily PLC & Robot backups, ensuring correct naming conventions and secure storage.
• Interpret control system architectures, I/O lists, function block diagrams, and network layouts.
• Troubleshoot and resolve software, robotics, communication, and instrumentation faults.
• Collaborate with engineering for changes, updates, reworks, and re-lining of programs.
• Conduct FAT, SAT, commissioning tests, optimisation, and final handover checks.

Team Leadership

• Lead teams of automation technicians, programmers, and site staff.
• Allocate tasks, monitor execution, and ensure quality and compliance.
• Provide mentorship and skills development to junior technicians.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of automation team members if required

Client & Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary contact for clients during execution phases.
• Manage expectations, provide updates, and address concerns professionally.
• Align system functionality and modifications with client specifications.
• Liaise closely with internal departments (Engineering, QA/QC, HSE, Procurement).

Documentation & Reporting

Maintain all project documentation including:

• Change requests
• Commissioning reports
• Software version control logs
• As-built software packages
• Configuration sheets
• Ensure all handover packs meet client and internal requirements.
• Store documentation according to Lambda's approved naming conventions and folder structures
  .

Qualifications:

• Degree or National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Industrial Automation, or related field.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in automation, PLC programming, or robotic commissioning.
• Proven experience delivering multi-disciplinary automation projects in industrial environments
• Strong understanding of:
• PLC/HMI/SCADA development lifecycle
• Industrial networks (Profinet, EtherNet/IP, Profibus)
• Robotic programming workflows
• Experience leading small to medium technical teams onsite.

Skills:

• Proficient in Siemens TIA Portal / Step7 or Rockwell Studio 5000.
• Robotic experience (ABB, KUKA, Kawasaki, FANUC) is beneficial.
• Strong fault-finding abilities in automation, controls, and networking.
• Excellent planning, coordination, and leadership skills.
• Strong communication skills – verbal & written.
• Computer literacy: MS Office Suite, version control tools, PLC/robotics software.
• Ability to interpret electrical, control, and network drawings.

General:

• Own reliable transport.
• Based in Pretoria or willing to relocate.
• Proficient in English and Afrikaans.
• Willing to travel locally and internationally for installations/commissioning.

Desirable:

• Experience in highly regulated industries (Automotive, Food & Bev, Mining).
• Exposure to safety PLCs, safety circuits, and functional safety.
• Experience with EPLAN / AutoCAD for control-related reviews.
• Project Management certification or training.