The Combustion & Instrumentation Engineer is responsible for ensuring the optimal performance and reliability of furnaces, ovens, pot systems, burners, PLC systems, automation platforms, and field instrumentation.
This role integrates combustion process stability with automation and instrumentation reliability to support production targets, maintain asset integrity, improve energy efficiency, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across plant operations.
Responsibilities
- Mandatory objectives (Applied for all employees): Implement and comply with Occupational Health Safety & Environment (OHSE) Policy, Quality & Environmental Management System, BSL Policy, Code of Conduct (How We Work), Collective Labour Agreement (CLA) and Government Regulations.
- Ensure Safe Combustion Operations: Lead and govern all combustion systems (furnaces, ovens, pot systems, burners) ensuring safe ignition, flame stability, fuel-air ratio control, and compliance with safety interlock standards
- Maintenance Governance, Develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for: Burners and BMS systems, Gas trains and safety valves, Temperature and pressure instruments, Flow, level, and gas analysers, PLC & control panels
- Documentation & Compliance Control, Maintain up to date: P&ID, Loop drawings, Control philosophy, PLC backup programs, Calibration records, Safety interlock matrices
- Maintain Automation & Instrumentation Reliability: Design, develop, troubleshoot, and optimize PLC, HMI, SCADA, and field instrumentation systems to ensure accurate monitoring and process control
- Improve Process Stability & Efficiency: Optimize combustion tuning, temperature control loops, pressure systems, and instrumentation calibration to support OEE, yield, and energy performance.
- Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis: Provide technical expertise in diagnosing combustion failures, PLC faults, instrumentation drift, and control loop instability using structured RCA methodology.
- Energy & Cost Optimization: Improve fuel efficiency, reduce excess air, minimize heat losses, and support cost-saving programs related to maintenance and energy consumption
- System Integration & Upgrade: Lead automation upgrades, burner management system improvements, PLC migration, and instrumentation modernization projects.
- Continuous Improvement & Digitalization: Support digital monitoring, data logging, process trending, and predictive analytics to enhance plant reliability.
- Technical Leadership & Support: Provide technical guidance to technicians and contractors; validate external services and materials; ensure installation quality and compliance with design standards
Qualification And/or Experience Required
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.
- Strong knowledge of: Industrial furnaces & ovens, Burner Management Systems (BMS), Gas train systems, PLC programming & automation, Field instrumentation & calibration
- Advanced troubleshooting skills
- Understanding of industrial safety standards (NFPA / combustion safety best practice)
- Familiarity with CMMS / M3 systems
- Ability to interpret P&ID, electrical drawings, loop diagrams
- Ability to communicate well to other members of the development team
Preferred Qualification And/or Experience Required
- PLC Technical and instrumentation Certification
- Experience in metal coating, steel, or metal melting industry
- Minimum 3 years in combustion or automation role
- Experience in energy optimization projects
- Knowledge of industrial communication protocols (Modbus, Profibus, Ethernet/IP)
At NS BlueScope our success comes from our people. We choose to treat each other with trust and respect. We understand that the range of perspectives that result from having a diverse and inclusive workplace will strengthen NS BlueScope's capability for continued and sustained business success.
