Application Engineer

Industrial Automation Application Engineer

Contract with option to extend or convert

4 days/week Onsite – Houston, TX

Job Summary: Brooksource's client is looking for a highly motivated and skilled Operational Technology (OT) Engineer with a strong foundation in backend enterprise design architecture and a passion for industrial automation technologies. The ideal candidate will possess a blend of Operational Technology fundamentals with a deep understanding of modern IT concepts, including cloud computing, architecture, databases, and data integration. Responsible for monitoring, supporting, and deploying SCADA and industrial automation applications in a standardized manner and providing enterprise-level data integration and visibility. Provides technical expertise for software and hardware used to support industrial automation applications. Provides technically advanced and in-depth troubleshooting to readily identify complex or ambiguous problems and/or technical issues and escalates/delegates to appropriate staff for resolution. Provides leadership and direction in developing and implementing Technical Support systems and strategies to achieve business objectives within set deadlines. This role will play a crucial part in designing, implementing, and supporting the company’s digital transformation initiatives within the operational technology space and is recognized across the organization for functional expertise.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Digital Enterprise Architecture:
• Participate in designing and implementing digital transformation strategies within the OT domain.
• Develop and maintain OT system architectures aligned with enterprise-wide IT and business objectives.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies and solutions to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

Cloud Computing:
• Design and implement cloud-based OT solutions (e.g., cloud-based SCADA, edge computing, data lakes).
• Ensure the secure and reliable operation of cloud-based OT systems.
• Collaborate with IT teams to integrate OT systems with cloud infrastructure.

Data Integration:
• Develop and implement data integration strategies to connect OT systems with enterprise data systems (e.g., ERP, MES, data warehouses).
• Design and implement data pipelines for real-time and historical data collection, processing, and analysis.
• Ensure data quality and integrity throughout the data lifecycle.

SCADA and Automation Systems:
• Maintain a working knowledge of SCADA systems (e.g., Ignition).
• Work directly with existing SCADA Engineers and the Industrial Automation department.
• Participate in designing, implementing, and commissioning new automation projects.

Okta Integration:
• Integrate Okta into OT systems to enhance user authentication, authorization, and access control.
• Manage and maintain user identities and access privileges within the OT environment.

Application Support:
• Process highly complex help desk tickets passed on from ITSC. Provide highly complex functional support of applications, isolate issues, and distribute tickets to the appropriate team for resolution.
• Isolate highly difficult or significantly ambiguous issues by reproducing incidents, identifying invalid data within the database, and/or tracing transactions through infrastructure to identify failure points.
• Provide data mining, write specifications for development fixes, and perform advanced configuration of hardware and software.
• Create database scripts to correct invalid data within the database.
• Lead in resolving tickets passed to any Tier 3 support group, working with external vendors as needed. Ensure all ticketed items are completed within set timeframes.
• Lead in the creation and modification of complex systems.
• Create and update documentation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Knowledge of deploying and supporting Industrial Automation Ignition and VTScada platforms at multiple physical locations in an enterprise.
• Experience with remote equipment network connectivity, WAN connectivity, cloud-based data storage, servers, and load balancers.
• Ability to document user, support, and maintenance procedures.
• Ability to document standardized communications to users and management.
• Customer service skills, including conflict resolution.
• Effective communication with staff, management, end users, and other customers.
• Ability to present, communicate, and articulate technically advanced information to all levels of the organization (including technical and non-technical personnel, outside vendors, Senior Leadership, and Executive Leadership).
• Ability to conceptualize end-user steps and processes to readily identify issues/problems.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Qualifications:

Education:
• Required: Bachelor’s Degree (accredited) in Computer Science or a related field.

Work Experience:
• Required: 5+ years of experience in Inductive Automation systems.

Additional Required Qualifications:
• Experience with cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and cloud-based OT solutions.
• Experience with database design, construction, and support.
• Experience with data integration technologies (e.g., APIs, message queues, data streaming platforms).
• Experience with identity and access management solutions (e.g., Okta).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience with industrial communication protocols (e.g., Modbus, UPC-UA, Profibus, Ethernet/IP).
• Experience with virtualization technologies (e.g., VMware, VirtualBox).
• Experience with scripting languages (e.g., Python, PowerShell).
• Experience with Canary Labs Historian.
• Ignition 8.1 Certifications.
• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., ISA, IEC 62443).