Lead, Automation & Controls Technician, NA

Vantage Data Centers•Ashburn, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Vantage is hiring an Automation & Controls Technician or Lead Automation & Controls Technician to support the daily operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of industrial automation systems across its data center portfolio. The role is based on-site in Ashburn, Virginia, with three days on site required and two flexible days. The level of hire will be determined through interviews based on the candidate’s demonstrated and verified skills. The technician executes automation tasks, assists with system diagnostics, and helps ensure reliable performance of PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, field devices, and related control infrastructure. The position works with Senior Specialists, Developers, Operations teams, and others to maintain system integrity and support continuous improvement in a mission-critical environment. Responsibilities also include supporting automation deployments for construction and retrofit projects, training Site Operations personnel to use the BMS platform, and creating controls architecture documents for new data centers. Travel is expected to be 25% and may increase as the business evolves. The role requires following system-access, change-management, and safety protocols, and supporting compliance with internal standards and external regulations.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience in industrial automation is required.
Knowledge of automation systems, including control loops and field I/O, in a mission-critical environment.
Advanced knowledge of PLC programming, including Rockwell Automation and the Carel software platform, is required.
Knowledge of industrial PLC and SCADA systems manufactured by large-scale vendors.
Ability to meet the role’s physical demands, including occasionally lifting and/or moving up to 25 pounds.
Ability to travel; expected travel is 25%, with the possibility of an increase over time.

Nice To Haves

5–7 years of industrial automation experience is preferred.
Data center experience is strongly preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

Monitor automation systems for power and cooling infrastructure across assigned data center sites.
Assist in diagnosing and resolving issues involving PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, and field devices; escalate complex issues and support root-cause analysis.
Perform routine checks, firmware updates, and basic configuration changes on control systems.
Support automation system deployment during construction and retrofit projects.
Develop and maintain documentation for control systems, wiring diagrams, and device configurations.
Work with Senior Specialists and Developers to implement automation changes and enhancements.
Coordinate with Operations teams to ensure systems meet performance and reliability expectations.
Communicate technical observations and status updates to team members.
Collect operational data from automation systems for reporting and analysis.
Ensure proper system logging and data integrity across platforms; assist in identifying performance trends or anomalies.
Follow system-access, change-management, and safety protocols; help ensure compliance with internal standards and external regulations.
Participate in audits and inspections as needed.
Handle additional responsibilities assigned by Automation Leadership and support the broader Vantage portfolio.
Train Site Operations personnel to use the BMS platform for critical facility system monitoring.
Create controls architecture documents, including network topology and IP schemes, for new data centers.