Director Instrumentation Effectiveness

Freeport McMoRan•Phoenix, AZ

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Ensuring field instrumentation, including sensors and final process control elements such as valves and actuators, across the Americas remains reliable, safe, and fit for purpose throughout its full lifecycle—from initial deployment through operation, maintenance, and eventual retirement. This role is accountable for developing, enhancing, and implementing the strategy and technical standards that govern the selection, maintenance, monitoring, and replacement of instrumentation to consistently support safe, stable, and compliant operations. In partnership with site maintenance and operations leadership, the role establishes standardized work processes, performance indicators, and clear accountability across multiple locations, operating through influence within a matrixed organization to promote best practices, enable resource sharing, and drive cost‑effective, risk‑mitigating maintenance outcomes. Success is demonstrated through instrumentation systems that perform as designed, reduce unplanned failures, and deliver continuous availability of accurate, trusted operational data, including the effective adoption of innovative technologies that strengthen reliability, enhance asset health monitoring, and improve data‑driven decision making. You will align stakeholders on standardized field instrument deployment practices, deliver technical training on installation, commissioning, and configuration, and assess internal engineering and maintenance capacity to determine the need for third‑party technical services. In this role, you conduct instrumentation needs assessments across surface and underground mining assets, define key and operational performance indicators, and standardize sensor models, specifications, and installation procedures supported by complete, controlled technical documentation. As the Director Instrumentation Effectiveness, you monitor sensor lifecycle performance aligned with site asset management plans, establish end‑of‑life and decommissioning criteria, and implement proactive, risk‑based replacement strategies informed by condition monitoring, geotechnical risk, and reliability analysis. You utilize mine planning tools and digital twin environments to model instrumentation requirements, optimize deployment, and validate system integration. Implement standardized installation kits, interoperable integration platforms, and clear commissioning, testing, and acceptance criteria. Emphasize workforce training, role clarity, safety, and compliant end‑of‑life disposal practices. Implement criticality‑based inspections, condition monitoring, incident reporting workflows, and calibration routines. Leverage SAP, AI‑driven analytics, PlantESP, and mobile tools to support advanced sensor diagnostics, forecasting, and centralized configuration control, ensuring traceability, version control and consistent documentation. Support compliant retirement and replacement using asset, e‑waste, and procurement systems, and perform other duties as requested.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical or Electronic Engineering (or similar), and fifteen (15) years of maintenance experience in the mining industry, including mobile and fixed plant equipment
OR Master’s Degree (M.Eng, M.Sc., MBA), and twelve (12) years of maintenance experience in the mining industry, including mobile and fixed plant equipment
Previous maintenance management experience
Experience leading and managing large, diverse work groups
Understanding and experience with SAP Maintenance Module
Knowledge and experience with CMMS programs
Working knowledge and experience with low and medium‑voltage Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
Strong working knowledge and experience with industrial instrumentation—selection, installation, configuration, calibration, maintenance, communication networks, and process control systems
Strong understanding of ISA standards
Knowledge and experience with commissioning protocols
Experience implementing lifecycle programs for instrumentation field devices and systems
Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA) process knowledge and experience
Experience in financial and project management, including cost‑control methods
Understanding of mine and processing operational needs and requirements
Computer proficiency, including MIMS and Microsoft Office Suite
Knowledge of NEC, NESC, MSHA/OSHA legislation, and safety regulations
Requires ability to perform work at extreme elevation levels.
Requires (domestic and international) travel up to 50% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of applicable employment laws, regulatory frameworks, and industry trends impacting technical and operational environments
Demonstrated experience leading and executing electrical focused engineering projects
Superior technical communication capabilities, including clear documentation and effective cross functional communication
Proven history of driving safety improvements through disciplined processes and adherence to engineering safety standards
Familiarity with structured quality methodologies such as Six Sigma or Total Quality Management (TQM)

Responsibilities

Ensuring field instrumentation remains reliable, safe, and fit for purpose throughout its full lifecycle.
Developing, enhancing, and implementing strategy and technical standards for instrumentation selection, maintenance, monitoring, and replacement.
Establishing standardized work processes, performance indicators, and clear accountability across multiple locations.
Promoting best practices, enabling resource sharing, and driving cost-effective, risk-mitigating maintenance outcomes.
Aligning stakeholders on standardized field instrument deployment practices.
Delivering technical training on installation, commissioning, and configuration.
Assessing internal engineering and maintenance capacity to determine the need for third-party technical services.
Conducting instrumentation needs assessments across surface and underground mining assets.
Defining key and operational performance indicators.
Standardizing sensor models, specifications, and installation procedures.
Monitoring sensor lifecycle performance aligned with site asset management plans.
Establishing end-of-life and decommissioning criteria.
Implementing proactive, risk-based replacement strategies.
Utilizing mine planning tools and digital twin environments to model instrumentation requirements, optimize deployment, and validate system integration.
Implementing standardized installation kits, interoperable integration platforms, and clear commissioning, testing, and acceptance criteria.
Emphasizing workforce training, role clarity, safety, and compliant end-of-life disposal practices.
Implementing criticality-based inspections, condition monitoring, incident reporting workflows, and calibration routines.
Leveraging SAP, AI-driven analytics, PlantESP, and mobile tools to support advanced sensor diagnostics, forecasting, and centralized configuration control.
Supporting compliant retirement and replacement using asset, e-waste, and procurement systems.