John Robinson steps up to Senior Control Systems Engineer
When a mine site in Canada’s Elk Valley was looking for someone to carry its automation work forward, it needed a person it could trust on the ground. What it got was John Robinson, a Brisbane control systems engineer who soon had to learn how to drive through blizzards to get to work.
Four years after joining Mipac, John has now been promoted to Senior Control Systems Engineer. His path there says a lot about how we grow engineers: give them real responsibility, back them with experienced people, and let them prove what they can do.
Starting out
John began his career on Bowen Basin coal mines around Mackay, first as an undergraduate electrical engineer and then as a graduate control systems engineer. A digital industry role in Brisbane followed, before he joined Mipac in October 2022.
The draw was simple. What excited him most about Mipac was the chance to travel internationally.
He also found something he hadn’t come across before.
I had never worked at a company, or even heard of one, that was mainly automation. I had only really heard of multi-disciplinary companies.
On site, on his own
Mipac Project Manager, Ryan Twible brought John to site and introduced him to the team at Teck’s Elkview Operations (now part of Elk Valley Resources) for project work. As the site’s need for automation support grew, they needed another hand on the ground, and John stepped in.
The scope was broad. He worked on a Wonderware to FactoryTalk View SE conversion, ControlLogix card upgrades in Studio 5000 and PlantPAx, PID tuning, alarm rationalisation, control strategies, testing and commissioning, and on-site support for breakdown investigations.
Then there was the climate. Snowfall plugged up equipment. Temperatures of minus 40 degrees Celsius stopped electronics from working. These are not problems you plan for on a Queensland site.
Being on site in Canada on my own really helped develop my problem-solving skills and my relationships with site personnel.
Ask John to name one technical problem he is proudest of and he won’t pick one. What he’s proud of is how he solves them.
I'm proud of being able to solve problems in a calm and timely manner.
He says the Canadian work proved he could operate independently on client sites, and that has opened doors since. Working across a team spread between Brisbane, Perth, Vancouver and Tucson also taught him to be flexible with time zones. In his words, that flexibility is what made it easy.
Mipac Project Manager (now Engineering Manager), Ryan Twible watched that growth up close.
I saw John grow significantly through this engagement, both technically and in the confidence he showed working independently with the client and site teams. He consistently stepped up to challenges, stayed calm under pressure and earned the trust of those around him. His promotion to Senior Control Systems Engineer is very well deserved
The people behind the progression
No one gets to Senior on their own, and John is quick to name the people who helped him along the way.
Ryan pushed me and encouraged me into these opportunities. Yasser (Elshohna) has been a supportive and patient leader. Sushil (Rane) helped me out technically.
What changes as a Senior
Mipac’s career pathway draws a clear line between the two levels. An Engineer (E2) travels to site accompanied, while a Senior Engineer (E3) goes unaccompanied, handling commissioning, operational support and investigations on their own. In many ways, John had already taken that step in Canada.
The rest of the step up is about other people. A Senior Engineer supervises, mentors and upskills other engineers, reviews their work, and approves their engineering deliverables. They take a bigger role with clients, sometimes leading technical stakeholder discussions, and may act as Lead Engineer on some projects. The role also reaches beyond project delivery, with Seniors providing technical support to other parts of the business, such as Sales & Growth.
So for John, the new title is less about a new job and more about a change in balance. He’ll keep doing much of what he already does, but more of his time will shift from hands-on technical execution to technical input, mentoring and working directly with clients.
No escalation needed
For Yasser Elshohna, Lead Control Systems Engineer, John’s independence on site has made a difference well beyond his own work.
John has shown he can work independently onsite and represent Mipac professionally with the client and other stakeholders. When technical or site issues come up, he stays calm, works out the root cause, and resolves them without needing escalation or close supervision. That self-reliance has built client confidence in Mipac’s site presence and lets the wider team stay focused on other priorities.
Life in the mountains
The cold mountain climate was the biggest adjustment. It also came with rewards: snowboarding, rock climbing, and the chance to travel and see plenty of new places.
And then there was the wildlife.
Almost every day you would see wildlife, usually on the way to or from site. Coyotes, bears, elk, deer, rams, mountain goats, skunks and moose.
As for what he enjoys most about mineral processing, John keeps it honest: “I like seeing big machines.”
Thinking about your next move?
We asked John what advice he’d give a control systems, electrical or instrumentation engineer thinking about joining Mipac. His answer was short.
Your answers are probably in the manual.
And if he had to describe the team in three words? Supportive, encouraging and technical.
If that sounds like the kind of team you want to grow with, explore current opportunities at Mipac.
