Controls and Instrumentation Lead

About Uganda National Oil Company Limited

Uganda National Oil Company Limited (UNOC) is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Government of Uganda. It was established under Section 42 of the Petroleum (Exploration, Development and Production) Act and Section 7 of the Petroleum (Refining, Conversion, Transmission and Midstream Storage) Act, both of 2013, and incorporated under the Companies Act 2012 on 12 June 2015. UNOC is owned by the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development (51%) and the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (49%).

Vision: To be a profitable company that sustainably operates across the petroleum value chain by 2030.

Mission: To sustainably develop and manage the state's commercial interests in the petroleum sector to contribute to Uganda's socio-economic transformation.

Purpose: Creating Value for Generations.

UNOC manages the Government's commercial interests in the petroleum sector, investigates and proposes new upstream, midstream and downstream ventures, develops in-depth expertise in oil and gas, and participates in joint ventures on behalf of the State. Its two subsidiaries are Uganda Refinery Holding Company Ltd (URHC) and National Pipeline Company (U) Ltd. URHC holds up to 40% participating interest in the Uganda Refinery to be constructed in Kabaale, Hoima and manages the Kabaale Industrial Park (KIP) – comprising the refinery, Hoima International Airport, crude oil export hub and petrochemical industries. This position sits within URHC and is directly linked to the Refinery, KIP and related facilities, offering the successful candidate exposure to Uganda's flagship midstream projects, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) ecosystem, and UNOC's sustainability, health & safety and national content commitments.

Job Details

Department: Uganda Refinery Holding Company (URHC)

Job Title: Controls and Instrumentation Lead - (1 Vacancy)

Employment Type: Contract – 3 Years

Reports To: Manager Technology & Engineering

Duty Station: Kampala (Kampala | Kampala) – Successful candidates MUST be willing and ready to work in any UNOC office location

Job Purpose: Responsible for offering technical guidance on all aspects of Controls and Instrumentation design and execution as the Lead Subject Matter Expert in the Controls and Instrumentation Engineering discipline for the Refinery, KIP and related facilities.

Work Hours: 8

Salary: Not Disclosed

Application Deadline: Friday 11th September 2026 by 11:59pm EAT via the UNOC online recruitment system at https://www.unoc.co.ug/careeropportunities/ . Only applications submitted through the UNOC recruitment system shall be considered. Applicants are required to scan and attach copies of required academic documents only e.g. Relevant Degree Transcript, Postgraduate Diploma or Masters.

Enquiries: recruitment.unoc@unoc.co.ug

Note: UNOC is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge any monies at any stage of the recruitment process.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide input to scope and design of assigned projects and identify Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) and implementation deliverables necessary for the control and instrumentation scope of the project.
• Participate in the implementation of instrument detail design on P&IDs.
• Review instrumentation and control deliverables such as instrument datasheets, instrument index, sizing calculations, cause and effect diagrams, control narratives, functional checkouts, control system architecture, & control panel design.
• Participate in the selection and specification of process instruments and electronic transmitters for pressure, temperature, flow, position, composition analyzers, etc.
• Review and perform technical evaluations on documentation for instrumentations and controls requisitions.
• Support Process Hazard Analysis and other process safety assessment, evaluation, and design sessions.
• Provide inputs in project-driven scoping, specification, and configuration of process control (DCS, ESD, valves) and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), including Fire & Gas systems.
• Participate in the Factory and Site Acceptance Tests for controls equipment.
• Prepare and implement inspection and maintenance schedules of the control equipment and instrument installations, in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.
• Undertake any other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time by the supervisor(s).

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree (Hons) in Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering or Process Control Engineering from a recognized University.
• At least Six (6) years of relevant working experience in Instrumentation and Control within upstream, refining, petrochemical, manufacturing or industrial plant in a reputable and busy company, three (3) years of which attained in a supervisory role.
• Registration with the Uganda Institute of Professional Engineers (UIPE) or Engineers Registration Board (U) or equivalent is an added advantage.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience with distributed control systems (DCS) and/or programmable logic controllers (PLC) is essential.
• Experience with SCADA and with advanced process control (APC) is an added advantage.
• Experience with APC, DCS, PLC and SCADA systems is an added advantage.
• Good understanding of the relevant health and safety regulations and quality standards.
• Knowledge in system dynamics & process controls.
• Understanding of process plant unit operations sufficient to develop and challenge control philosophies, alarm strategies and safe operating envelopes for those units.
• Preparation and review of instrument datasheets, loop and hook-up drawings, sizing calculations, control system architecture and panel design.
• Excellent Stakeholder Management Skills.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Process safety practice - HAZOP, LOPA and SIL determination, and safe execution of factory and site acceptance testing.

Job Summary

• Job Category: Science & Engineering, Energy & Mining, Engineering
• Job Type: Contract (Full-time, 3 Years)
• Deadline of this Job: Friday, September 11 2026 by 11:59pm EAT
• Duty Station: Kampala | Kampala (Kampala)
• Posted: Monday, August 24 2026
• No of Jobs: 1 Vacancy