Once in a Lifetime

We’re a great Australian success story, having rapidly grown to become a major player in the global lithium market. Our Pilgangoora Operation is one of the largest, hard-rock lithium operations in the world.

THE OPPORTUNITY: 

Reporting to the Technology Infrastructure Lead with a functional reporting line to the Process Control Superintendent, the Senior OT & Processing System Engineer is a technical authority responsible for the strategic design, implementation, and optimization of PLS's operational technology infrastructure supporting critical plant processing operations.

This mid to senior level position requires a proven expertise to architect resilient OT systems, lead complex technical initiatives, and provide strategic guidance ensuring the reliability, security, and performance of mission-critical processing infrastructure. The role requires hands-on technical expertise combined with strategic planning, vendor management, and cross-functional leadership.

The Senior OT & Processing System Engineer serves as the primary technical expert for all OT processing systems, driving innovation, establishing best practices, and ensuring operational excellence across the entire technology stack supporting plant operations.

This is a permanent full-time role based at our West Perth office, near the City West train station. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Architecture & Infrastructure Leadership

• Lead the strategic planning and architecture of OT infrastructure roadmaps, ensuring alignment with business objectives and operational requirements
• Design and implement enterprise-level solutions for OT servers, storage, networking, and virtualization platforms supporting critical plant processing systems
• Drive infrastructure modernization initiatives, evaluating emerging technologies and recommending strategic investments to enhance operational capability
• Architect high-availability and disaster recovery solutions tailored to the unique requirements of OT processing environments
• Establish infrastructure standards, design patterns, and technical frameworks that ensure consistency, scalability, and maintainability
• Lead capacity planning and performance optimization initiatives across the entire OT infrastructure stack
• Oversee the full lifecycle management of OT infrastructure, from strategic planning through decommissioning

Advanced System Administration & Technical Expertise

• Design and implement complex Active Directory architectures, Group Policy frameworks, and security controls specific to OT environments
• Develop automation solutions and scripts to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual intervention
• Conduct advanced troubleshooting and root cause analysis of technical issues across the OT infrastructure
• Establish proactive monitoring and performance baselines for early detection of potential issues

MES & Processing Systems

• Collaborate strategically with the Process Control Superintendent to align technology solutions with operational requirements
• Manage system access frameworks including vendor and contractor remote access to critical infrastructure and systems with effective security controls
• Support data provisioning and integration requirements for business intelligence and analytics

Cybersecurity Leadership

• Implement comprehensive cybersecurity for OT processing environments in collaboration with the Cybersecurity Lead
• Deploy and manage advanced security tools in OT environment
• Establish security hardening standards and conduct regular security assessments of OT systems
• Lead incident response activities for OT security events and coordinate remediation efforts
• Ensure compliance with PLS cybersecurity frameworks and industry best practices

Business Continuity & Resilience

• Design and operate backups and disaster recovery solutions for critical OT processing systems
• Develop comprehensive recovery procedures and runbooks for various failure scenarios
• Conduct regular disaster recovery testing of critical systems
• Establish Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) aligned with business requirements
• Lead system restoration activities during outages, ensuring minimal disruption to operations
• Implement high availability architectures for business-critical systems

Governance, Documentation & Compliance

• Develop and maintain technical documentation including system architectures, configurations, and standard operating procedures
• Establish configuration management processes and ensure accurate asset inventory
• Ensure software licensing compliance and lead vendor license optimization initiatives
• Develop technical standards and policies governing OT infrastructure management
• Conduct internal audits to ensure compliance to standards and regulatory requirements

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Evaluate vendor solutions and provide technical recommendations for procurement decisions
• Negotiate technical aspects of contracts and service level agreements related to OT infrastructure
• Coordinate with vendors on technical issues, upgrades, and strategic initiatives
• Represent the technology team in cross-functional meetings related to OT infrastructure

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for automation, optimization, and modernization of OT infrastructure
• Research emerging technologies and industry trends relevant to OT environments
• Lead proof-of-concept initiatives for new technologies and approaches
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to improve system performance, reliability, and security
• Champion innovation while maintaining stability and minimizing operational risk

ABOUT YOU:

• Tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Information Systems, Computer Science, or Engineering with up-to-date industry certifications
• Microsoft Certifications Engineer or higher
• VMware Certified Professional (VCP) or higher
• WA Driver’s License
• Minimum 7-10 years of progressively responsible experience in OT/IT infrastructure roles, with at least 3-5 years in senior technical positions
• Demonstrated expertise in maintaining complex infrastructure in industrial or plant processing environments
• Advanced knowledge of the Microsoft technology stack including Windows Server, Active Directory, Group Policy, and PowerShell automation
• Proven experience managing VMware vSphere environments at enterprise scale
• Deep understanding of OT networking principles, industrial protocols, and network segmentation strategies
• Experience with Rockwell Thin Manager or equivalent systems
• Experience with Claroty SRA or similar
• Advanced experience with Dell enterprise server infrastructure and storage systems
• Proven ability to lead complex technical projects
• Exceptional communication skills with ability to present technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated problem-solving abilities and analytical thinking for complex technical challenges
• Experience developing and maintaining technical documentation and standards

WHAT WE OFFER

• Excellent remuneration package
• Novated leasing through salary sacrifice
• Health & Wellbeing Allowance
• Access to the Company’s KidsCo holiday program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Community Leave

WHAT WE STAND FOR

• Safety First
• Great People
• We Deliver
• One Team
• Shaping Tomorrow

PROMOTING DIVERSITY

PLS recognises that talented people come from diverse backgrounds, who can contribute to our successes in different ways.  We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly recommend women and Australian indigenous people to apply.

OUR RECRUITMENT PROCESS

As part of our recruitment process, we require proof of eligibility to work in Australia, reference checks, a pre-employment medical, drug and alcohol screen and a National Police Clearance.

We respectfully request agencies not to forward unsolicited resumes unless requested.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

PLS respectfully acknowledges the Nyamal and Kariyarra People of the Pilbara, and the Whadjuk Noongar People of the Perth region who are the traditional owners and first people of these lands. We would like to pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and hopes of the Nyamal, Kariyarra and Whadjuk Noongar Peoples.

If you are interested in learning more about PLS or registering for future opportunities, please visit our website  www.pls.com.