Group ECIA Engineer

Synthomer is a leading supplier of high-performance, highly specialised polymers and ingredients that play vital roles in key sectors such as coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection – growing markets that serve billions of end users worldwide. Headquartered in London, UK and publicly listed there since 1971, we employ c.3,900 employees across our 5 innovation centres of excellence and more than 29 manufacturing sites across Europe, North America and Asia. Around 20% of our sales volumes are from new and patent protected products.

At our innovation centres of excellence in the UK, Germany, China, Malaysia and Ohio, USA we collaborate closely with our customers to develop new products and enhance existing ones tailored to their needs, with an increasing range of sustainability benefits. Since 2021, we have been proud holders of the London Stock Exchange Green Economy Mark, which recognises green technology businesses making a significant contribution to a more sustainable, low-carbon economy.

This is a global role, can be based in any region - Asia, Europe or US.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Group EICA Engineer to join the Synthomer Group Engineering Team to provide global technical leadership and specialist support across our manufacturing sites. This is a senior expert role supporting Projects, Operations, and Maintenance for Electrical, Instrumentation, Control and Automation (EICA) systems across complex chemical manufacturing environments. Acting as a subject-matter expert, you will partner closely with site teams, project managers, contractors, and leadership to ensure safe, compliant, reliable, and effective EICA systems aligned with corporate standards and best practice.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Expertise

• Provide specialist expertise in EICA systems, including:
  • DCS, PLC and SCADA systems
  • Process instrumentation and automation
  • Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS)
  • Electrical distribution, MCCs, motors and drives
  • Process historians and automation platforms
• Act as the EICA authority supporting CAPEX projects across the Group.
• Advise on the procurement, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of EICA systems.

Safety, Compliance & Governance

• Support and advise sites on compliance with local legislation, electrical safety requirements, and regulatory standards.
• Ensure alignment with Synthomer SHE management system standards and expectations.
• Appoint, guide, and support Site Electrical Duty Holders for HV and LV systems.
• Support SIS lifecycle activities, including HAZOP, LOPA, SIF design, and ongoing management.
• Conduct EICA audits and support sites in implementing improvement actions.

Operational Support & Continuous Improvement

• Provide technical support to production and maintenance teams to maximise plant availability and reliability.
• Liaise with external contractors and suppliers to resolve equipment and system issues.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve safety, reliability, functionality, and standardisation of EICA systems across the Group.
• Stay current with emerging technologies and best practices relevant to EICA and industrial automation.

• Expertise - Develop and maintain Group standards, systems, and procedures to ensure compliance with regulatory, safety, and reliability requirements.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Essential Requirements

• Degree-qualified (Bachelors or Masters) in:
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Instrumentation & Control Engineering
  • Automation Engineering
  • or a closely related discipline

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in EICA engineering within chemical, process, or allied industries.
• Hands-on experience configuring or programming industrial control systems, such as:
  • Emerson DeltaV
  • Siemens PCS7
  • ABB 800xA
  • HIMA
  • AVEVA PI (or equivalent)
• Strong knowledge of industrial plant systems and operational environments.
• Experience working with global manufacturing sites and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience of leading EICA teams in capital projects, new builds and/or brown fields 

Personal Attributes

• Strong organisational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Proactive problem-solver able to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable influencing without direct authority.
• Confident working collaboratively within international and cross-functional teams.
• Proficient in Windows environments and MS Office (Word, Excel).
• Language – Excellent written and spoken English.

🌍 Global Benefits Overview

• 💰 Competitive, market-aligned compensation

• 🎯 Discretionary global bonus scheme

• 📈 Discretionary Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) – for senior positions

• 🚗 Company car or car allowance – varies by region and role

• 🩺 Healthcare – tailored to regional locations

• 👶 Parental leave and family support – maternity, paternity, adoption (aligned with regional policies)

• 🏡 Working options – flexibility where it matters, based on role and business needs

• 📚 Learning & development opportunities – training, online platforms, buddy/mentorship programs, Internal Synthomer University with L&D offers

• 💙 Wellbeing support – employee assistance program (EAP), mental health resources, wellbeing initiatives

• 🌱 Retirement / pension contributions – plans vary by country

• 🤝 Culture of Inclusion – where everyone can thrive

• 🏆 Performance culture, global reward & recognition programmes