Senior Electrical Engineer (Process Equipment)

Senior Electrical Engineer / Superintendent – Electrical Process Equipment SME

Position Summary

The Senior Electrical Engineer / Superintendent – Electrical Process Equipment SME is a senior technical leadership role responsible for improving the reliability, availability, maintainability, safety, and lifecycle performance of critical electrical process equipment across mining and mineral processing operations.

This position serves as the organization's technical authority for electrical process equipment reliability, asset management, troubleshooting, maintenance, modernization, commissioning, and capital projects. The role is responsible for conducting detailed assessments of electrical assets, identifying gaps and deficiencies in design, construction, maintenance, commissioning, operating practices, and asset management, and developing practical solutions to eliminate those gaps.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership and oversight for maintenance, reliability improvement, equipment upgrades, modernization projects, and commissioning activities involving motors, drives, switchgear, mobile mining equipment, and process infrastructure.

 

Key Responsibilities

Asset Assessment and Reliability Improvement

• Conduct comprehensive assessments of electrical process equipment including:
  • Medium- and low-voltage VFDs
  • Cycloconverters and large drive systems
  • MCCs and switchgear
  • Electric motors and synchronous motor systems
  • Crushers, mills, conveyors, and material handling systems
  • Electric shovels and electrified haul trucks
  • Fluid couplings and associated drive systems
  • Motor protection, controls, and automation systems
• Assess equipment against:
  • Company standards
  • OEM recommendations
  • Industry best practices
  • Reliability-centered maintenance principles
  • Asset management standards
• Identify deficiencies related to:
  • Equipment design and application
  • Construction and installation quality
  • Commissioning practices
  • Maintenance effectiveness
  • Reliability performance
  • Spare parts and obsolescence risks
  • Protection and control systems
• Develop risk-ranked corrective action plans and long-term improvement strategies.

 

Troubleshooting and Failure Analysis

• Lead complex troubleshooting efforts involving:
  • VFDs and cycloconverters
  • Motor failures and performance issues
  • MCC and switchgear problems
  • Electrical protection and control systems
  • Power quality and harmonic issues
  • Electric shovel electrical systems
  • Electrified haul truck systems
  • Crusher, mill, conveyor, and process equipment electrical failures
• Review alarms, fault logs, oscillography, event records, and field test results to determine root causes.
• Lead major failure investigations and root cause analyses.
• Develop fact-based corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
• Communicate lessons learned and reliability improvements across operations.

 

Maintenance and Asset Management

• Evaluate and improve maintenance programs for critical electrical equipment.
• Define corporate maintenance standards and best practices.
• Develop and optimize:
  • Preventive maintenance programs
  • Predictive maintenance programs
  • Condition monitoring strategies
  • Asset health assessments
  • Spare parts strategies
  • Equipment lifecycle plans
• Establish maintenance frequencies, acceptance criteria, inspection standards, and reliability KPIs.
• Audit maintenance execution and verify compliance with approved procedures and standards.

 

VFD and Cycloconverter Upgrades, Commissioning, and Technical Support

• Serve as the technical lead for VFD, cycloconverter, and large drive system modernization projects.
• Develop upgrade strategies to address:
  • Obsolescence
  • Reliability concerns
  • Capacity increases
  • Safety improvements
  • Spare parts risks
• Review and approve:
  • Drive system architecture
  • Motor-drive compatibility
  • Protection schemes
  • Harmonic mitigation solutions
  • Cooling systems
  • Control and communication interfaces
• Lead troubleshooting of drive system issues including:
  • Tripping and nuisance shutdowns
  • Power semiconductor failures
  • Synchronization issues
  • Motor control and feedback system problems
  • Thermal performance issues
  • Harmonics and power quality concerns
• Oversee commissioning and startup activities including:
  • FAT and SAT testing
  • Protection verification
  • Parameter validation
  • Functional testing
  • No-load and loaded commissioning
  • Performance verification
  • Reliability stabilization and turnover to operations

 

Construction, Installation, and Commissioning

• Provide technical oversight for:
  • New installations
  • Equipment replacements
  • Infrastructure upgrades
  • Major maintenance outages
  • Capital projects
• Review contractor and vendor work for compliance with:
  • Engineering specifications
  • OEM requirements
  • Company standards
  • Applicable codes and regulations
• Conduct field inspections and quality audits.
• Review and approve commissioning plans, test procedures, and acceptance criteria.
• Ensure safe and successful turnover of equipment to operations.

 

Capital Projects and Modernization

• Develop project scopes, technical specifications, and business cases.
• Lead reliability and modernization projects involving:
  • VFD and cycloconverter replacements
  • MCC and switchgear upgrades
  • Motor and drive system improvements
  • Electric shovel electrical upgrades
  • Crusher, mill, and conveyor system upgrades
  • Protection and automation improvements
• Coordinate engineering consultants, OEMs, contractors, and site personnel.
• Ensure projects achieve intended safety, reliability, and operational objectives.

 

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the organization's Electrical Process Equipment Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• Develop technical standards, maintenance requirements, and engineering best practices.
• Mentor engineers, electricians, technicians, planners, and reliability personnel.
• Support workforce development in troubleshooting, maintenance, testing, commissioning, and reliability improvement.
• Provide technical guidance to site and corporate leadership.

 

Required Qualifications

Option 1 – Engineering Path

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related discipline.
• Minimum 7+ years of progressively responsible experience supporting electrical process equipment within mining, industrial, utility, manufacturing, metals, or heavy industrial facilities.
• Demonstrated experience in maintenance, troubleshooting, commissioning, reliability, asset management, capital projects, or modernization of electrical equipment.

OR

Option 2 – Technical SME / Field Leadership Path

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
• Minimum 10+ years of relevant industry experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Demonstrated progression from field maintenance, commissioning, operations, construction, or technical specialist roles into SME, reliability, asset management, supervisory, or technical leadership positions.
• Proven expertise in electrical equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, reliability improvement, asset management, or equipment lifecycle management.

 

Required Technical Knowledge

Demonstrated experience with several of the following:

• Medium- and low-voltage VFDs
• Cycloconverters and large drive systems
• MCCs and switchgear
• Induction and synchronous motors
• Motor protection systems
• Electric shovels
• Electrified and battery-electric haul trucks
• Crushers, mills, conveyors, and material handling systems
• Fluid couplings
• PLCs, automation, and industrial controls
• Electrical testing and commissioning
• Power quality and harmonic analysis
• Reliability engineering and root cause analysis
• Asset management and lifecycle planning

Working knowledge of:

• IEEE, NEMA, NFPA, NEC, OSHA/MSHA requirements
• NETA testing standards
• OEM maintenance and commissioning practices

 

Success Measures

Success in this role will be demonstrated by:

• Improved reliability and availability of critical electrical process equipment.
• Reduction in unplanned failures and production interruptions.
• Improved maintenance quality and asset health.
• Successful execution of modernization and capital projects.
• Reduction of equipment obsolescence and lifecycle risks.
• Effective troubleshooting and elimination of recurring failures.
• Improved safety, operational performance, and workforce technical capability.

Ideal Candidate

Experienced electrical professional who has personally performed, led, advised, or overseen the maintenance, troubleshooting, commissioning, modernization, and reliability improvement of critical mining or industrial electrical equipment, and who can independently identify technical gaps, develop practical solutions, and lead corrective actions from assessment through successful project execution.