Senior Electrical Engineer

Senior Electrical Engineer - Saudi Arabia

About Saudi Gold Refinery

Saudi Gold Refinery (SGR) is a Saudi mining and precious-metals company specialized in the refining of gold and precious metals, bullion production, and value-added precious-metal services. Operating within the Kingdom's mining value chain, SGR is aligned to the Vision 2030 mining pillar and to the regulatory framework set by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM) and applicable Saudi and international standards. We produce responsibly sourced, traceable, and certified bullion, operate to LBMA Good Delivery and ISO-aligned quality standards, and invest in the people, processes, and controls behind every bar we produce.

Role Overview

Saudi Gold Refinery (SGR) is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer in Saudi Arabia to lead the reliability and safety of electrical infrastructure across our refining plant, assay laboratory, and CIL processing units. This role ensures uninterrupted power supply for critical operations such as electrolytic refining and fire assay, directly supporting our production of LBMA-grade bullion. The engineer will manage high-voltage systems, oversee project commissioning, and enforce strict compliance with Saudi Electricity Company and SASO standards.

The Senior Electrical Engineer will report directly to the Engineering & Projects Manager and will play a key role in maximizing plant uptime and energy efficiency. This position drives technical excellence in maintenance strategies and leads the electrical competency development of our workforce, contributing to SGR's position as a leader in the Kingdom's mining sector.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Electrical Engineer will be responsible for the following key areas of technical leadership and operational support.

- Asset Reliability Management: The role develops and executes preventive and predictive maintenance schedules for high-voltage substations, switchgear, and distribution networks to ensure continuous plant operation.

- Project Commissioning Oversight: The position leads the factory and site acceptance testing for new electrical equipment, ensuring safe energization and handover for capital projects such as the CIL plant expansion.

- Regulatory Compliance Assurance: The engineer ensures all electrical installations comply with the Saudi Electrical Code, SASO standards, and hazardous area classification requirements for chemical processing zones.

- Safety Protocol Enforcement: This role conducts regular audits of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and permit-to-work (PTW) compliance to maintain a zero-harm environment for electrical maintenance tasks.

- Technical Team Leadership: The engineer mentors junior staff and technicians, defining competency requirements and coordinating specialized training to close skill gaps in high-voltage operations.

- Energy Efficiency Optimization: The position monitors power consumption patterns and investigates power quality issues to implement cost-saving measures and protect sensitive refining control systems.

- Root Cause Analysis Execution: The role leads technical investigations into electrical failures using RCFA and FMEA methodologies to prevent recurrence and improve system reliability.

- Contractor Performance Management: The engineer evaluates the technical performance and HSE compliance of electrical contractors, ensuring their work meets SGR's rigorous operational standards.

- Spare Parts Inventory Control: This position manages the electrical spare parts inventory, balancing the availability of critical components with cost control and obsolescence management.

- Design Review and Validation: The role reviews electrical design drawings and protection coordination studies for new projects to ensure alignment with operational requirements and industry best practices.

Qualifications

• The candidate holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited university recognized by the Saudi Ministry of Education.
• The candidate possesses a minimum of 12 years of experience in electrical engineering within heavy industry, mining, or precious metals refining environments.
• The candidate is registered as a Professional Engineer with the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) and holds a valid membership status.
• The candidate demonstrates proven expertise in high-voltage substation operations, switchgear maintenance, and power distribution network management.
• The candidate has extensive experience with hazardous area classifications (ATEX/IECEx) and electrical safety in chemical processing plants.
• The candidate exhibits strong leadership capabilities in managing multidisciplinary teams and coordinating with EPC contractors during project execution.
• The candidate possesses advanced proficiency in reading and interpreting single-line diagrams, protection coordination studies, and control logic schematics.
• The candidate demonstrates the ability to operate independently in a 24/7 industrial environment and respond effectively to emergency electrical failures.

Preferred / Nice-to-have

• The candidate holds a Master's degree in Electrical Power Systems or Asset Management.
• The candidate has prior experience working in a LBMA-accredited gold refinery or a similar precious metals processing facility.
• The candidate possesses certification in Energy Management (CEM) or Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodologies.
• The candidate has experience with digital twin technologies or advanced condition monitoring systems for electrical assets.
• The candidate is proficient in power system analysis software such as ETAP, SKM PowerTools, or DigSILENT.

Success Metrics

• The engineer reduces unplanned electrical downtime in the refining and CIL plants by 15% compared to the previous year's baseline.
• The position achieves 100% compliance with scheduled preventive maintenance tasks for all critical high-voltage assets.
• The engineer successfully commissions the electrical systems for the new CIL plant expansion within the approved budget and timeline.
• The role implements a revised LOTO and PTW audit process that results in zero electrical safety violations during internal and external audits.
• The engineer completes a comprehensive power quality study and implements mitigation measures for sensitive laboratory equipment.
• The position develops and delivers a technical training program that upskills 80% of the electrical maintenance team on new technologies.
• The engineer reduces electrical maintenance costs by 10% through optimized spare parts inventory and energy efficiency initiatives.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Saudi Gold Refinery welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. Hiring decisions are made based on role requirements, skills, experience, and alignment with Saudization and Vision 2030 priorities.