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Automation Engineer Job Description

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Job Description

Automation Engineer Job Description — Roles, Skills & Salary (SA)

Automation Engineer Job Description

Complete Automation Engineer job description: role summary, responsibilities, required skills, qualifications, South African salary guide, and interview tips.

What is an Automation Engineer?

Introduction
An Automation Engineer designs, builds and maintains automated systems that improve production, testing, or operational processes. These professionals work across manufacturing, mining, utilities and software testing — converting process requirements into reliable control logic, hardware setups and automation software.

Why this role matters

Automation Engineers reduce manual work, increase uptime, improve product quality and cut operational costs by designing control systems (PLCs, HMIs, SCADA) and automation scripts that run reliably in production environments.

Key responsibilities

  • Design and document automation solutions based on process requirements.
  • Program, test and commission PLCs, PACs and HMIs (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Schneider and similar).
  • Configure SCADA/MES integrations and industrial communication (Modbus, Profibus, OPC UA).
  • Build, debug and maintain automation code or test automation frameworks (Python, C#, Java, Structured Text).
  • Perform on-site commissioning, calibration of sensors/instruments and fault diagnosis.
  • Produce technical documentation, operation procedures and training materials.
  • Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, QA and production teams and support continuous improvement & safety processes.

Required qualifications & experience

  • Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechatronics, Industrial or Electronic Engineering (or related).
  • Practical experience with PLC programming and on-site commissioning (typically 2+ years for junior/mid roles).
  • For software/test automation roles: scripting skills (Python, Java, C#) and familiarity with CI/CD and version control.
  • Vendor certifications (e.g., Siemens, Rockwell) are advantageous but not always mandatory.

Essential technical skills

  • PLC programming: Ladder Logic, Function Block, Structured Text.
  • HMI and SCADA design and alarm handling.
  • Industrial networks & protocols: Modbus, Profibus, Ethernet/IP, OPC UA.
  • Electrical drawings, instrumentation and control valve basics.
  • Software skills: scripting for automation, basic database/SQL familiarity for MES integrations.
  • Troubleshooting, testing and commissioning experience.

Soft skills employers look for

  • Logical problem solving and attention to detail.
  • Clear written documentation and reporting.
  • Strong communication and teamwork — able to work with operations, maintenance and project teams.
  • Time management and project planning for multi-phase rollouts.

Typical career progression

  • Junior Automation Engineer: assists in programming and testing; learns commissioning (0–2 years).
  • Automation Engineer: independently delivers automation projects and supports production (2–5 years).
  • Senior / Lead Automation Engineer: owns architecture, leads teams, vendor management and project delivery (5+ years).

South Africa salary guide (estimate)

Salary bands vary by industry, company size and experience. Use the following as a guide and verify with current local data when hiring:

  • Junior: entry to ~R250,000 per year
  • Mid-level: ~R300,000 – R450,000 per year
  • Senior: ~R500,000 – R820,000+ per year

(Include a salary band in your job advert as “market-related” or a specific range — it improves application quality.)

How to write the job ad (template)

Job title: Automation Engineer / PLC Programmer
Location: [City], South Africa — on-site / hybrid as required
Role summary (2 lines): Responsible for designing, programming and commissioning automation systems to improve production reliability and efficiency. Hands-on PLC programming and on-site commissioning required.
Key responsibilities: (pick 6–8 from the list above)
Must-have: Diploma/degree in engineering, PLC experience, 2+ years commissioning.
Nice-to-have: SCADA/MES experience, vendor certifications, scripting/IT automation skills.
Salary: R[low]–R[high] p.a. (market related)
How to apply: Submit CV + brief project summary to [email/contact link]

Interview & assessment ideas

  • Practical PLC exercise (ladder logic or Structured Text scenario).
  • Walkthrough of a previous commissioning project including fault diagnosis.
  • Short HMI design or alarm-handling mock test.
  • Behavioural questions about teamwork, documentation and safety compliance.

SEO & publishing checklist (on-page)

  • Page title includes primary keyword near the start.
  • H1: “Automation Engineer Job Description” (use only one H1).
  • Lead paragraph contains the primary keyword and user intent.
  • Use related keywords naturally in H2s and body text (PLC, SCADA, commissioning, salary).
  • Add internal links to related pages (see suggestions below).
  • Add structured data: FAQ JSON-LD for the page’s FAQ, and optional JobPosting JSON-LD if you include an active vacancy.
  • Optimize meta description (150–160 chars).
  • Add a clear CTA: “Apply” or “See similar job descriptions.”
  • Alt text for images should describe the image and include relevant keywords where natural.

Suggested internal links

(Use exact slugs from your site where available — examples below follow your site style)

  • /how-to-write-a-job-description/
  • /plc-programmer-job-description/
  • /scada-engineer-job-description/
  • /salary-guides/automation-engineer-salary-south-africa/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Do I need PLC experience to be an Automation Engineer?
Yes — for industrial automation roles, PLC programming and commissioning experience is typically required.

Q2: Can software testers be Automation Engineers?
Yes — in software and QA contexts, “automation engineer” often refers to test automation (scripting, frameworks, CI/CD).

Q3: What languages should an automation engineer know?
For PLCs: Ladder, Function Block or Structured Text. For scripting/integration: Python, C# or Java are common.

Q4: Is fieldwork required?
Often — many roles require on-site commissioning and troubleshooting.

Q5: How do I attract qualified applicants?
Be specific about tools (PLC brands), required experience, and include a realistic salary band.

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