Operations Technology Engineer

Equal Plus Consulting has been engaged to search for an Operations Technology Engineer to work full time/perm for a client in West Monroe, LA.

Title: Operations Technology Engineer
Status: Full Time/Permanent
Location: West Monroe, LA, US - on-site
Department: Information Technology
Travel: Up to 25%

Non-Local candidates willing to relocate will be considered. 

Mission Summary:
Our client is hiring an experienced Operations Technology Engineer. The Operations Technology Engineer will be responsible for supporting and implementing Industrial Control Systems in accordance with company policies and standards. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with Process Control, Cyber Security, Infrastructure, Audit, Governance and Mills Division leadership to deliver, maintain, and improve operational performance, capability, and cybersecurity posture within our manufacturing facilities. The Operations Technology Engineer will support the local mill site and will lead implementation of IT policies in OT domain. In addition, the Operations Technology Engineer will provide leadership and support to all mill sites and oversee policy consistency across all mills division sites. The Operations Technology Engineer will also serve as technical lead and liaison for new corporate initiatives. This role will report directly to Sr. IT Manager and will have a daily responsibility to support Process Control and Cyber teams as needed.

JOB FUNCTIONS: (Job functions include, but are not limited to the following)

Manage and support IT/OT convergence activities at local site
Manage Full Life Cycle of OT/ICS equipment
Leads Manufacturing Audit initiative activities for local site
Implement ICS standards as directed by corporate policy in conjunction with Infrastructure teams
Manage collaborative relationship with Audit, Governance and Cyber Teams to deliver world class support
Lead Incident Response Team in coordination with Security and Cyber Response teams
Provide OT and Cyber leadership in mill management and production meetings.
Effectively coordinate multiple IT and OT Engineering departments to address business needs
Coordinate local efforts with Vendor and Corporate IT teams as required.
Manage DCS/QCS implementations and ensure company standards are being implemented.
Coordinate with Process Control to manage and maintain warranty support for all local Industrial Control Systems and mill specific applications.
Support ICS systems to help Process Control manage and maintain steady state support for local OT Process, Systems and Engineering projects
Translate business requirements of the customers to specific system requirements.
Prioritize business requested enhancements and lead team to develop requirements, obtain vendor estimates and determine spend based on available funding and business priorities.
Manage Mill IT projects and related budgets.
Coordinate and document OT related training.
Maintain appropriate documentation for process and systems.
Adhere to change control, security policy and audit requirements.

GENERAL DUTIES: (General duties include, but are not limited to the following)

OT Systems and Engineering support leader for Mill.
OT project management and OT Systems and Engineering Support
Coordination of periodic business and vendor meetings.
Establish and maintain regular written and in-person communications with executives, department heads, and end users regarding pertinent OT activities.
Ensure that all related policies and processes are followed.
On call support as required.
Escalation of any issues that require resolution
Travel as needed
Performs other duties as assigned

SPECIFIC SKILLS: (General duties include, but are not limited to the following) Extensive Experience with Manufacturing and OT related system processes.
Strong Working knowledge of Industrial Control Systems including Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), SCADA systems, DCS system standards.
Strong working knowledge of ICS communications and protocols including: OPC-DA and UA standards, HART; Profinet; Fieldbus; ControlNet, etc.)
Strong Industrial Networking skills including Firewall rule development & troubleshooting, Windows based PC applications, industrial networks, TCP/IP/IoT connectivity, Edge Devices, Cloud Connectivity, Data Analytics, and how to effectively apply these technologies to complex manufacturing environments.
Strong Project Leadership skills.
Significant knowledge of OT systems and infrastructure
Strong Analytical Skills.
System/Project Deployment, configuration, documentation, and training.
Good interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
Strong work ethic and commitment to getting the job done.
Considerable experience in facilitating requirements and problem management sessions
Ability to operate effectively either independently or in teams, making progress on tasks while dealing with potential process and project ambiguity
Strong personal organization skills including the ability to multi-task and prioritize job requirements
Ability to meet deadlines

KEY COMPETENCIES:

Record of accomplishment of strong people/team development. Develops technical talent in the assigned facilities
Ability to establish and maintain strong, effective team relationships with multiple organizational levels across manufacturing sites and corporate
Strong written and verbal communication, including documentation standards, adept at articulating priorities, and speak to stakeholders at all levels in the organization.
Management skills that can mobilize, influence, and lead a matrixed team towards a common vision and set of objectives.
Ability to consistently meet deadlines and see projects through completion
Ability to travel up to 10%

EDUCATION / KNOWLEDGE:

Four-year degree in any of the following IT related or areas of engineering: IT, Networking, Software, Mechanical, Electrical, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or any other equivalent degree provided with the required experience
Minimum 5 years of experience in OT systems support and integration, managing manufacturing process control applications projects, supporting, and developing hardware and software solutions, assets, and databases
Thorough Knowledge of control systems, DCS, PLCs, HMIs, operator interface panels, safety systems and hardware/software implementation and validations.
Ability to generalize manufacturing technology and solutions and competently communicate complex solutions to leadership
3-5+ years of experience managing or administering manufacturing process controls networks, OT or IT infrastructure for manufacturing operations
Experience working with third party vendors and system integrators, specifying hardware and software for controls and automation projects, Factory and Site acceptance tests, and project management
Experience with network layouts, servers, switches, firewall configurations and hardware/software specifications
Knowledge of Purdue ISA95 standards, cybersecurity controls, NIST Framework, ISA 62443 standards and applicability in manufacturing, IoT and intersection of IT and OT space