Systems Engineer Mining Machinery

The successful candidate will work across the full electronic systems development lifecycle, from requirements definition and system architecture through hardware and firmware integration, testing, validation and production support. The role is suited to an engineer who enjoys working at the interface between electronics, embedded systems, software and real-world applications.

Current South African electronic and embedded engineering roles commonly combine embedded firmware, hardware integration, communication protocols, system testing, technical documentation and hands-on debugging.

Key Responsibilities

• Translate customer and project requirements into electronic system architectures and technical specifications.
• Design, develop and integrate electronic hardware and embedded systems for new and existing products.
• Develop and maintain embedded firmware using C/C++ and related programming languages.
• Work with microcontrollers, processors, sensors, actuators and electronic interfaces.
• Develop and integrate communication interfaces and protocols including CAN, UART, SPI, I²C, RS-232/485, Ethernet and other relevant interfaces.
• Support the design and development of analogue and digital electronic circuits, including component selection and circuit-level analysis.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, software, mechanical and systems engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Perform hardware bring-up, system integration, debugging and fault finding.
• Develop and execute unit, subsystem, integration and system-level test procedures.
• Use laboratory and diagnostic equipment including oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analysers, power supplies and electronic test equipment to investigate system performance and faults.
• Analyse system behaviour and troubleshoot complex hardware-software integration issues.
• Participate in design reviews, technical investigations and engineering problem-solving activities.
• Support PCB development, schematic reviews, component selection and design verification where required.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of technical specifications, design documentation, test procedures, reports and engineering records.
• Ensure electronic systems meet defined performance, reliability, quality and regulatory requirements.
• Support prototype development, product verification, validation and transition into production.
• Provide technical support during manufacturing, commissioning, field implementation and customer support.
• Investigate field failures and implement corrective actions and design improvements.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives aimed at improving system reliability, functionality, manufacturability and performance.
• Maintain version control and configuration management for engineering designs, firmware and technical documentation.
• Assist with the evaluation and introduction of new electronic technologies, components and development methodologies.
• Engage with suppliers and technical partners where required to resolve component, manufacturing and integration challenges.

Minimum Requirements

• BEng / BSc / BTech / National Diploma in Electronic Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related discipline.
• Relevant experience in electronic systems, embedded systems, product development or systems engineering.
• Strong understanding of analogue and digital electronics.
• Experience with embedded systems and microcontrollers.
• Proficiency in C/C++ or a similar embedded programming language.
• Experience with electronic communication protocols such as CAN, SPI, I²C, UART or Ethernet.
• Ability to interpret electronic schematics, datasheets and technical specifications.
• Practical experience with electronic test and debugging equipment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Good technical documentation and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

Advantageous Experience

• Embedded Linux, RTOS or bare-metal development.
• PCB design and layout using platforms such as Altium, KiCad, Eagle or similar.
• FPGA development or VHDL/Verilog.
• Device-driver development.
• IoT, wireless or connected-device technologies.
• Sensor integration and signal conditioning.
• Power electronics and power management.
• Python or scripting for engineering automation and testing.
• Git or other version-control systems.
• Experience with automated testing and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Exposure to automotive, mining, industrial, defence, aerospace, telecommunications or other safety/mission-critical applications.