STATUS: ACTIVE · TRENTON, ON

Laeeq Zafar

Electrical Reliability Engineer
Electrical Engineering · Industrial Automation · Reliability · Industrial Systems

Ten years of hands-on electrical engineering across offshore drilling rigs and heavy steel manufacturing — from troubleshooting 3,000 HP drive systems to leading root-cause investigations that cut recurring failures. PMP-certified, MEng in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Waterloo.

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PORTRAIT
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About

Who I am

I'm an electrical engineer who has spent most of his career at the equipment, not behind a desk — commissioning drive systems on jack-up rigs in the Arabian Gulf, running maintenance for unionized trades in a steel mill, and now leading reliability engineering across a multi-vendor automation environment in Ontario.

My path has moved from execution toward reliability strategy: root-cause analysis on repeat failures, criticality-based maintenance planning, and the automation and instrumentation systems that keep heavy industrial equipment running. I hold a PMP and an MEng from the University of Waterloo, and I'm currently working through the technical competency documentation for a P.Eng. license with APEGA.

Outside engineering, I serve as an officer in the Canadian Army Reserve and sit on the board of a non-profit that teaches technology skills to youth and seniors — both places where discipline and teaching intersect with the same instincts I bring to industrial reliability work.

~10 yrsHeavy industrial experience
3,000 HPLargest drive systems supported
2Continents of offshore & industrial work
PMP+ MEng, Waterloo
Career

Career progression

From offshore drilling electrics, through steel-mill maintenance leadership, to reliability engineering in pulp & paper automation.

KRUGER
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[Start date TBD] — Present

Electrical Reliability Engineer

Kruger Products · Trenton, Ontario, Canada

Reliability engineering across a multi-vendor mill automation environment — PLCs, VFDs, and robotics — with responsibility for failure analysis, root-cause investigations, and technical recommendations to improve equipment uptime.

  • Own failure analysis (FA) and root-cause analysis (RCA) for reliability issues across mill automation systems
  • Work across multi-vendor PLC, VFD, and robotics platforms
  • Develop technical recommendations to improve equipment reliability
Awaiting: exact start date, full role scope, and any metrics from your Kruger job description
TENARIS
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March 2023 — [End date TBD]

Electrical and Automation Supervisor

Tenaris Canada · Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Supervised unionized electricians and mechanics across routine and emergency maintenance in a steel pipe manufacturing plant, with direct responsibility for HSE compliance, CMMS planning, and cross-functional reliability improvement.

  • Supervised unionized electricians, mechanics, and contractors on predictive/preventive and emergency maintenance, with 100% HSE compliance
  • Planned shutdown and routine maintenance in SAP CMMS — resourcing, KPI alignment, critical spares, and budget forecasting
  • Provided technical support on drive controllers and dynamic braking systems up to 3,000 HP, PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Modicon), HMIs, and plant networking (Ethernet/IP, Profibus, fiber)
  • Led failure analysis and root-cause analysis on critical and repeat failures — reduced breakdowns roughly 80% through RCA-driven PM program improvements
  • Ran training programs for shop-floor staff on JSPs, SOPs, CSA standards, and electrical fundamentals
VFD / SCR drivesAllen-Bradley PLCsSAP CMMSRCA / FASIS / SIF / SIL
ADNOC
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June 2015 — December 2021

Site Electrical Engineer / Supervisor (Offshore)

ADNOC Drilling · Abu Dhabi, UAE

Led electrical maintenance and major overhaul projects on offshore jack-up drilling rigs, working in ATEX Zone 0 hazardous areas across equipment from multiple manufacturers.

  • Led all electrical maintenance activities with 100% SOP/HSE compliance, including work in Ex-rated (ATEX Zone 0) areas
  • Ran equipment criticality analysis to prioritize assets by operational risk, optimizing spares and preventive maintenance planning
  • Directed electrical scope on rig major maintenance and overhaul projects — engineering assessments, Management of Change (MOC) compliance, and vendor technical/cost evaluations for CAPEX initiatives
  • Managed contractors and trained technicians across commissioning and hand-over of rig electrical systems
High-voltage distributionGenerator systemsElectrical protectionVFDsCAPEX / MOCSAP CMMS
Skills

Technical skills

Organized the way the equipment is — by system, not by buzzword.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

  • High-voltage electrical distribution
  • Electrical protection systems
  • Generator systems
  • Instrumentation (temp, pressure, flow, level, speed)

AUTOMATION & CONTROLS

  • PLCs — Allen-Bradley, Modicon
  • Studio 5000, Unity Pro
  • HMI / SCADA
  • Ethernet/IP, Profibus, fiber optic networks

DRIVES & MOTORS

  • VFD / SCR drives, motors to 3,000 HP
  • Dynamic braking systems
  • ABB G380 / ACS880 fundamentals

INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS

  • SIS / SIF / SIL safety systems
  • Hydraulic and pneumatic control
  • ATEX Zone 0 hazardous-area work

RELIABILITY & MAINTENANCE

  • Root-cause & failure analysis (RCA/FA)
  • Equipment criticality analysis
  • SAP CMMS planning
  • Preventive & predictive maintenance

DATA & PROGRAMMING

  • Power BI (PL-300)
  • Python

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

  • PMP-certified
  • MS Project
  • CAPEX planning, MOC processes
Education & Credentials

Education & credentials

UW
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MEng, Electrical & Computer Engineering
University of Waterloo
January 2022 — December 2022
KU
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BSc, Electrical Engineering
Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi
May 2011 — December 2015
PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) CE CompEx — Explosion Proof Fundamentals MS Microsoft PL-300 — Data Analyst ABB ABB G380 / ACS880 Fundamentals AP Pursuing P.Eng. (APEGA)
Notable Work

Selected engineering work

A few examples where the problem, the approach, and the result are all documented.

Recurring-failure reduction program — Tenaris Canada

Problem: Repeated equipment breakdowns were driving unplanned downtime on plant floor equipment.→ Approach: Structured root-cause analysis on critical and repeat failures, feeding directly into the preventive maintenance program.→ Technology: SAP CMMS, RCA methodology, cross-functional reliability collaboration.→ Result: ~80% reduction in breakdowns tied to the targeted failure modes.

Rig electrical major overhauls — ADNOC Drilling

Problem: Multiple jack-up rigs needed electrical major-maintenance and overhaul work across equipment from different manufacturers.→ Approach: Led engineering and risk assessments under Management of Change (MOC) procedures, coordinating vendor technical and cost evaluations.→ Technology: CAPEX evaluation, schematics/documentation, commissioning.→ Result: Overhaul projects executed to completion and formal hand-over across multiple rigs.

Mill reliability engineering — Kruger Products

Problem: Reliability issues across a multi-vendor automation environment (PLCs, VFDs, robotics).→ Approach: Failure analysis and root-cause investigation feeding technical recommendations.→ Technology: Multi-vendor PLC/VFD/robotics platforms.→ Result: [metrics/outcomes to be added once available]
Interests

Outside the plant

[ MIL ]

Canadian Army Reserve

2Lt, Electrical Mechanical Engineering Officer, 33 Service Battalion, 33 Canadian Brigade Group.

[ FIT ]

Fitness

Weightlifting, MMA, swimming, and hiking.

[ AVI ]

Aviation

Ongoing interest in recreational aviation.

[ STEM ]

STEM outreach

Director at Open Code Canada, a non-profit providing tech skills training for youth and seniors.

[ TRV ]

Travel

Time across the Gulf, North America, and beyond, shaped by an offshore and expat career.

[ TECH ]

Emerging technology

Following industrial data/analytics and AI tooling as it applies to reliability engineering.

Want the full picture?

Download the complete résumé for detailed history, dates, and scope.

Download Resume (PDF)