Digital Automation Consultant - Energy

Belden•Chicago, IL

56d•$130,000 - $180,000•Remote

About The Position

As a Digital Automation Consultant for our Energy (power, transmission and distribution) vertical, you will drive Belden's mission to provide advanced network and connectivity solutions by partnering with customers on their digital transformation journeys. Reporting to the Director of Digital Automation Consulting, you will play a key role in diagnosing operational challenges, developing tailored energy system solutions, and delivering business outcomes that enhance efficiency and performance. By leveraging your knowledge in power, transmission, and distribution system process and technical expertise, you must be able to ask probing questions to our customers to identify their needs and translate those responses into technical languages for the solutions engineering team.

Requirements

Industry Expertise: A solid background in the Energy vertical technology systems, with 5-7 years of experience in the energy and power systems sector, the ability to fluently navigate discussions across Telecom, IT/OT/WAN, and Protection & Control / Substation Automation / Digital Substation domains. The ideal candidate understands both the operational and engineering perspectives of these environments and can bridge them effectively in front of customers and internal stakeholders.
Technical Knowledge: Experience with MPLS(-TP), SDH/SONET, tele-protection circuits, and time synchronization technologies such as PTP (IEEE 1588) and SyncE. Strong understanding of Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, including PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol) and HSR (High-availability Seamless Redundancy) architectures. Understanding of tele-protection schemes, communication protocols (DNP 3.0, IEC 61850, PTP) in protection and automation systems.
The candidate should demonstrate proven experience applying telecom-grade design principles to substation-grade systems.
Solution Consulting Mindset: Proven ability to analyze and diagnose complex operational challenges and develop innovative, practical solutions. Capable of engaging with utilities, integrators, and OEMs to design interoperable solutions that comply with industry standards and evolving best practices.
Customer-Centric Approach: Strong communication and presentation skills to build trust and deliver tailored value propositions aligned with customer goals.
Results-Oriented: A track record of driving measurable business outcomes through technical sales and strategic problem-solving.
Collaborative Spirit: Ability to work effectively in a matrixed, cross-functional environment to execute shared goals.
Educational Background: Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.

Nice To Haves

Global Collaboration skills a plus: Experience in international collaboration, such as working groups (CIGRE, IEC, IEEE) or cross-regional projects, is highly desirable. The candidate should be comfortable presenting at technical conferences, developing solution blueprints, and supporting product evolution from field feedback to roadmap definition.

Responsibilities

Partner with key stakeholders to understand and analyze customer operations, identifying bottlenecks and opportunities for digital transformation in Energy systems technology environments.
Design and deliver compelling, outcome-driven solutions that align with customers' goals and KPIs, building trust and long-term partnerships.
Support Sales team in growing our Energy vertical market share.
Collaborate with Solution Consultants and Technical Teams to execute Proofs of Concept (POCs), and network audits, ensuring seamless solution implementation.
Provide Thought Leadership and vertical presentations as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) at Energy Industry association conferences, and events.
Provide industry insights and present innovative use cases that demonstrate the value of Belden's solutions in addressing customer pain points and driving ROI.
Serve as a trusted advisor by creating tailored proposals and financial justifications for energy technology specific solutions, effectively influencing decision-making at all organizational levels.
Train and empower customer teams to adopt tools and methodologies for continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Communicate customer insights and market trends internally to refine and evolve Belden's strategies and solution offerings.