Plant Operation Network Engineer

CrossBoundary Energy, part of the CrossBoundary Group, was launched in 2015 as Sub-Saharan Africa's first dedicated fund for commercial and industrial renewable energy systems, including hybrid power systems for the mining sector. CrossBoundary Energy is currently active in more than 17 countries and has developed a portfolio exceeding US$500 million in renewable energy projects for commercial and industrial clients across the continent.

CrossBoundary Energy's approach to the industrial renewable energy transition has enabled the delivery of some of the world's most significant mining-focused hybrid power projects. The company operates as a direct investment platform of the CrossBoundary Group and is funded by ARCH Emerging Markets Partners' Africa Renewable Power Fund (ARCH ARPF). For more information, visit: www.crossboundary.com/energy

The CrossBoundary team is a unique group of people genuinely excited by the opportunity to make a difference in some of the world's most challenging and dynamic markets. Team members come from diverse backgrounds but share core qualities: curiosity, humility, integrity, a drive for excellence, and a strong bias for action. Learn more at: www.crossboundary.com

What You'll Do

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) is recruiting a Plant Operation Network Engineer to ensure the availability, performance, integrity, and security of the operational technology (OT) network at the solar PV and battery energy storage (BESS) plant during the operations and maintenance phase of the project. The role supports reliable communications across plant systems - including SCADA, the Power Plant Controller (PPC) / Energy Management System (EMS), inverter and BESS communications, battery management systems (BMS), control systems, servers, operator workstations, industrial switches, firewalls, met stations, and field devices - while ensuring compliance with plant safety, cybersecurity, and change management requirements.

This is a site-based role in Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Primary Responsibilities

• Maintain and support the plant OT and industrial network infrastructure to ensure continuous and secure operations.
• Administer and troubleshoot industrial Ethernet networks, switches, routers, wireless links, firewalls, and fibre communication systems used across the power plant.
• Support SCADA, PPC/EMS, PLC, HMI, historian, inverter and tracker controller networks, BESS PCS and BMS communications, met-station data acquisition, and interface communications between generation, the BESS, auxiliaries, the grid interface, and monitoring systems.
• Monitor network performance, alarms, bandwidth, and availability, and take corrective action to prevent disruption of plant operations.
• Implement and maintain network segmentation (Purdue model zoning), VLANs, access control, firewall rules, and remote access controls in line with OT cybersecurity requirements, including IEC 62443 and applicable DRC regulatory and offtaker requirements.
• Perform backup, patch coordination, firmware updates, and lifecycle maintenance for network devices and related OT infrastructure in accordance with approved change control procedures.
• Investigate and resolve communication faults affecting plant control, protection, metering, grid-interface telemetry to the offtaker / system operator, and operational reporting systems.
• Maintain current network diagrams, IP address registers, asset inventories, backup records, and technical documentation.
• Participate in risk assessments, root cause analysis, and emergency response related to communication or control system failures.
• Ensure compliance with plant standards, cybersecurity controls, vendor recommendations, and applicable regulatory or internal governance requirements.
• Provide technical guidance and on-the-job support to technicians and other plant personnel on network-related issues.
• Support 24/7 plant operations by participating in after-hours callout rosters when required.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or diploma in Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, Control and Instrumentation, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 3-5 years of relevant experience in industrial networking, power generation (renewable or thermal), mining, utilities, process plants, or other critical infrastructure environments.
• Hands-on experience with OT/ICS environments, including SCADA, PLCs, HMIs, industrial switches, managed networks, and firewall administration.
• Good knowledge of network protocols and services such as TCP/IP, VLANs, routing, switching, VPNs, DNS, DHCP, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, IEC 60870-5-104, IEC 61850 (MMS/GOOSE), DNP3, SunSpec, and other industrial communication protocols used in renewable plants.
• Experience in OT cybersecurity practices aligned with IEC 62443, including network zoning, access control, secure remote access, hardening, backup, and incident response.
• Ability to interpret network architecture drawings, control system interfaces, and technical manuals.
• Experience working in a safety-critical, high-availability plant environment.
• Proficiency in English is required; working proficiency in French is strongly preferred given the site location in Kolwezi, DRC.

Preferred

• Experience with Microsoft server and workstation environments in industrial settings.
• Relevant certifications such as CCNA, CompTIA Network+, Fortinet, or industrial cybersecurity training.

Location

Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Think you have what it takes but are not sure you check every box? Research shows that while men apply to roles when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women often only apply when they meet every requirement. If you're passionate about what we're building, we want to hear from you!

Equal Opportunity Employer

CrossBoundary is an equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected]