Principal Engineer Control Systems

Who We Are

In Melbourne, water is essential to our way of life.

As caretakers for Melbourne’s water cycle, we care for water, life and land throughout Melbourne: both its people and its biodiversity.

Each time you drink from the tap, flush a toilet or kayak down the Yarra, we’re there. Primed and ready, quietly delivering some of the world’s cleanest water for over five million residents and wildlife that call Melbourne home, just as we have for over 130 years.

If you value making it count, diving in with curiosity, and doing what’s right, you're in the right place.

About The Role

As Melbourne Water continues to invest in Operational Technology, we're expanding our Asset Knowledge & Technology team with several newly created roles. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team and help strengthen the systems that support our critical infrastructure.

Reporting to the Manager Operational Technology, this permanent, full-time Principal Engineer Control Systems role will act as Melbourne Water’s technical authority for control systems engineering. You’ll provide organisation-wide leadership across engineering standards, architecture, governance and assurance, ensuring OT systems are safe, secure, reliable and aligned with regulatory and business requirements.

In this role you will:

• Act as the technical authority for control systems engineering across SCADA, PLC/RTU, telemetry, industrial networks, historians, alarm systems, control logic and associated OT platforms and interfaces.
• Set and govern engineering standards, reference architectures, technical specifications and approved control system configurations.
• Provide final technical judgement on complex, high-risk and non-standard engineering matters, including design deviations and non-conformances.
• Define and assure engineering requirements across design, configuration, integration, testing, validation, commissioning and management of change.
• Apply and oversee structured safety and risk processes, including CHAZOP, HAZOP, functional safety and safety-in-design.
• Establish lifecycle and maintenance requirements covering reliability, obsolescence, maintainability, backup and recovery, configuration integrity and replacement strategies.
• Provide technical assurance for major modifications, renewals and integrations, ensuring appropriate engineering evidence, testing and governance.
• Lead technical investigations into significant incidents and engineering non-conformances, identifying corrective actions and systemic improvements.
• Provide technical authority over vendor, contractor and third-party engineering activities impacting the OT environment.
• Lead the control systems engineering community of practice, mentoring engineers and strengthening technical capability and consistency across Melbourne Water.

About You

You are an experienced control systems engineering professional who has operated at a senior technical authority, Principal Engineer or Subject Matter Expert level within complex, high-consequence environments. You bring the technical depth and professional judgement to resolve challenging engineering issues, while being able to influence stakeholders and establish consistent engineering standards and practices.

You’re comfortable working across engineering, operations, cybersecurity, asset management and project delivery, and understand the importance of balancing safety, reliability, resilience, security and operational requirements.

You will bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Electrical, Electronic, Mechatronic, Control Systems Engineering or an equivalent engineering discipline.
• Extensive industrial control systems engineering experience gained within critical infrastructure, energy, utilities, heavy industry, rail, mining or major hazard environments.
• Demonstrated experience as a Principal Engineer, Subject Matter Expert, Discipline Technical Authority or equivalent, providing technical judgement on complex and high-risk control systems matters.
• Expert knowledge of SCADA, PLC/RTU, industrial communications, telemetry, historian platforms, functional safety and system integration within live operational environments.
• Strong experience across the control systems lifecycle, including design, verification, validation, commissioning, operation, renewal and decommissioning.
• Demonstrated knowledge of functional safety, industrial risk management, technical governance, management of change and safety-in-design principles.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant Victorian engineering, WHS, plant and electrical safety obligations.
• Working knowledge of OT cybersecurity frameworks and standards and their application within critical infrastructure environments.
• A recognised engineering qualification and Registered Professional Engineer Victoria (RPEV) registration required
• The ability to obtain and maintain an AusCheck Clearance. (please see important information below*)

For more information, please review the attached position description: Principal Engineer Control Systems.pdf

Why Join Us

At Melbourne Water, we care about water and all life that springs from it.

Our people are fuelled by passion, and with safety at the forefront, we have an unwavering sense of purpose, and are on a mission to protect every Melburnian’s way of life, one drop at a time.

We walk the talk when it comes to flexible working - but that’s not all. Our culture of purpose, safety, results, and learning permeates everything we do. We're dedicated to doing what's right, and this commitment extends to the meaningful work we do in a supportive and inclusive culture that encourages you to make the most of your talents.

Our long-standing commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging means that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ individuals, neurodivergent individuals, people living with disability, mature age and young jobseekers from all cultures can apply with confidence knowing they are safe, affirmed, and celebrated.

If you’re curious, action-orientated, outcomes-focused, and care deeply for public resources, community, and the environment, we'd love to receive an application and learn if you could be a great fit.

How To Apply

Click the 'Apply Now' button below and complete our online application form.

Closing date: Thursday 22nd October at 11:55pm AEST

The Security of Critical Infrastructure (SoCI) Act 2018 requires Melbourne Water, as an operator of critical infrastructure, to prepare a Critical Infrastructure Risk Management Program (CIRMP), which has been undertaken and managed by the Security and Emergency Management Team.

Melbourne Water are required to assess roles across Melbourne Water to determine what roles are critical under the Act. All employees working in a role deemed SOCI critical will require additional background checks via AusCheck. The role is deemed critical and the preferred applicant will be asked to undertake an AusCheck.

The AusCheck process is outlined clearly in this presentation provided by AusCheck CI Critical Worker: Getting Started Guide | Rise 360 (articulate.com).