Shift Charge Engineer - RO Plant (Umluj - Red Sea)

About ACWA Operations

ACWA Operations, previously known as NOMAC, serves as the operations and maintenance arm of ACWA. The company focuses on running power generation and water desalination assets safely, reliably, and economically throughout their lifecycle. Since 2005, it has supported complex infrastructure projects across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, contributing technical expertise, disciplined operations, and a strong accountability culture. Its work spans commissioning, asset management, preventive and corrective maintenance, technical support, and performance improvement, all aimed at keeping essential services dependable for communities and industries.

About the Red Sea Utilities Multi-Utilities Project

This role is part of the Marafiq Red Sea Project, a major greenfield utilities development created by ACWA Power with Red Sea Global to support Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea tourism destination. The project runs under a 25-year utilities concession and covers the development, construction, operation, and handover of integrated off-grid utilities infrastructure. It includes a 340 MWac solar PV plant, a large captive battery storage system with 1,000–1,200 MWh capacity for round-the-clock clean power, seawater desalination of up to 32,500 m³/day, wetland-based sewage treatment of 16,000 m³/day, district cooling of 32,500 RT, and zero-landfill waste handling of approximately 11,775 tons per year.

Role Summary

The Shift Charge Engineer will report to the Operations Manager and will be responsible for overseeing plant operations during the assigned shift. The role requires ensuring that all plant activities are carried out safely, efficiently, and in line with approved operating procedures, quality expectations, time requirements, and other operational standards. It also includes responsibility for safe plant start-up and shutdown in accordance with the standard operating procedures.

Key Responsibilities

During each shift, the engineer will manage operational activities, maintain safety discipline, coordinate with other departments, and respond quickly to abnormal conditions or emergencies. The role also involves managing permits to work, monitoring plant status, keeping records, preparing reports, supporting training, and contributing to performance and compliance improvements.

Additional Details

The position requires strong knowledge of plant operations, safety systems, environmental controls, integrated management systems, and emergency response practices. The engineer is expected to handle plant-related documentation, support regulatory compliance, investigate deviations, lead corrective actions, and provide leadership to reporting staff. Other assigned duties may also be included.

Workplace Standards and Compliance

The incumbent must maintain a strong focus on health, safety, environmental protection, and legal compliance while identifying hazards, controlling risks, monitoring environmental aspects, and ensuring that all operational controls are followed. The role also includes supporting incident management, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Education and Experience

A bachelor’s degree in engineering, or an equivalent qualification, is required. The role also calls for at least 8 years of experience in a power, desalination, or RO plant environment.

Required Knowledge and Capabilities

Candidates should be comfortable with quality, occupational health and safety, and environmental management principles, as well as legal and regulatory requirements. They should also be capable of performing root cause analysis, risk assessments, emergency handling, waste control, emission monitoring, and operational decision-making under pressure.

Reporting and Supervision

The role includes maintaining shift logs, daily status reports, evaluation records, vacation schedules, incident documentation, and personnel performance reviews. It also involves identifying skill gaps, arranging on-the-job training, and assessing the performance of newer team members.