Smelter Operation Readiness - Engineer Network, Wireless And Control Systems

The purpose of this position is:

The Engineer Network and Wireless will be responsible for designing, implementing, maintaining, troubleshooting, and supporting the organizations business and process control networks and wireless infrastructure.

This role will work closely with production teams and other engineers to identify and solve process control issues, and ensure that production processes are efficient, reliable and safe.

This position will play a critical role in ensuring that the organizations business and process control networks are designed, implemented, and maintained to meet business needs, while ensuring the security, reliability, and performance of the network and make important decisions to achieve these goals.

The key duties and responsibilities of this position are:

• Develop and maintain network documentation, including network diagrams, inventory lists and maintenance schedules.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and implement security policies and procedures to protect the network against unauthorized access, viruses, and other security threats.
• Design and implement network infrastructure solutions that meet the companys business requirements.
• Ensure the timely and accurate reporting of network related issues and resolutions in accordance with ITSM standards.
• Monitor network performance and troubleshoot network issues to ensure uptime and performance targets of 99.95% are meet.
• Collaborate with production teams, management, and other engineers to identify process control problems, analyze data, and propose solutions.
• Configure and maintain network hardware and software, including routers, switches, wireless access devices, network controllers, and virtual appliances.
• Planning and executing network infrastructure upgrades, such as upgrading hardware, software and security protocols and ensure these upgrades are implemented in a timely and efficient manner.

The key challenges in this position include:

• Communication Skills: Network engineers need to have excellent communication skills to collaborate with other IT professionals, stakeholders, and end users. You must be able to explain complex technical issues in non-technical terms to ensure that everyone understands the problem and proposed solution.
• Network Security: Ensuring network security is a critical task for network engineers. As hackers become more sophisticated, protecting networks against cyber-attacks is becoming more challenging. You will need to stay up to date with the latest security threats and implement measures to prevent them.
• High Pressure Environment: Mining and smelting operations are often high-pressure environments where downtime can result in significant financial losses, you may need to deal with high-pressure situations where time is of the essence. You need to be able to make quick decisions and take appropriate actions to resolve issues promptly.
• Managing Customer Expectations: Customers may have high expectations with the resources and capabilities of the team. Effective communication and managing expectations can help mitigate these challenges.
• Troubleshooting: Network outages can be detrimental to the business operations and profitability. You must be able to diagnose and troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively to minimize downtime.
• Keeping up with Technology: Networking technology is constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. It is important to stay up to date with industry trends and advancement to ensure that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to provide effective support. This means you need to invest time and resources in continuous learning and development.
• Hazardous Environment: Smelting operations can be dangerous, you must be aware of and follow strict safety protocols when visiting and working in these environments, using specialized protective gear to ensure safety.

The background, education, and work experience needed to succeed in this job are:

Minimum Education & Experience

• Certification, Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
• 5+ Years of experience in network support.
• Bachelors degree in Computer Science or related field.

Core Competencies (Knowledge, Skills & Characters)

• Strong knowledge of business network infrastructure and design including telephone systems, digital trunk radio, network protocols, fiber optic / ethernet cabling standards and AC/DC power systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English, technical and conversational.
• Experience in mining or process automation industries is a plus.
• Ability to troubleshoot network issues and provide technical support.
• Knowledge of safety procedures and regulations in the metal processing industry.
• Strong knowledge of network protocols and technologies such as TCP/IP, routing protocols (BGP, OSPF), VLANS, VPNs and QoS.
• Experience with network security technologies such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of process control systems such as Distributed Control Systems (DCS) Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC) and other data acquisition systems.

The key areas in which you have decision-making responsibility are:

• Capacity planning: Must forecast the companys future network needs and make decisions about how to scale the network infrastructure to meet those needs. Must analyze traffic patterns, predict growth, and make recommendations for upgrades and expansions.
• Selecting hardware and software components: Must choose the right hardware and software components for the network, based on factors such as performance, compatibility, scalability, security, and cost. Must evaluate and compare different options and make recommendations to management.
• Troubleshooting network issues: When network issues arise, must diagnose the problem, and find a solution quickly. Must make decisions to ensure that the network is up and running as soon as possible and minimize downtime and data loss.
• Designing and implementing network architecture: Responsible for designing and implementing network architecture based on the companys requirements and industry best practices. Must analyze the companys network needs, assess the available hardware and software options, and make informed decisions to build an efficient and secure network infrastructure.
• Planning and implementing network security: Must decide on the appropriate security measures to protect the network from cyber threats. Must evaluate risks, select security tools, configure firewalls and other security devices, and monitor the network activity for signs of intrusion.

Dimensions

Financial

• Cost Control: Will be responsible for controlling costs associated with network support, including identifying areas for cost savings.
• Repair or Replace: Making decisions as to if repairing or replacing a device would be the most cost-effective long term.

Non-Financial

• Customer Satisfaction: Meeting the needs of the organizations one thousand end users, spread across several geographic locations, including users working remotely and resolving technical issues in a timely and effective manner.
• Maintain: Manage the lifecycle of network infrastructure assets comprising hundreds of network routers, switches, wireless access points, telephones, digital trunk radio systems, fiber and ethernet cabling systems.

Dateline: 27 may 2023