Operational Technology Solutions Architect - Oahu

hawaiianel • Kailua, HI

11h

About The Position

The OT System Architect is a senior technical leader responsible for planning and implementing the Company’s OT Energy management system (EMS) architecture. This architecture encompasses the Energy Management System (EMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Outage Management System (OMS), Generation Dispatch, application software, and enterprise IT platforms that enable monitoring, control, and automation of real-time grid operations. The goal is to ensure safe, reliable, and resilient operations while minimizing implementation and lifecycle costs. This role directly supports real-time grid operations and is critical to ensuring safe, reliable, and resilient energy delivery. The architect provides company-wide technical leadership, guiding strategic decisions, project planning, and integration of the OT ecosystem that supports EMS operations.

Leads initiatives to improve system resilience (including loss-of-control scenarios), technology direction, acquisition planning, migration strategies, data integrity, documentation, cybersecurity, and standardization across the EMS ecosystem. This includes close collaboration with telecommunications and cybersecurity architects to support safe and reliable grid operations.

As a grid modernization subject matter expert, the solutions architect enhances the Company’s grid monitoring and control capabilities in alignment with strategic goals, ensuring contingency plans for loss of monitoring/control are embedded in system design.

Requirements

• Extensive knowledge of real-time operational systems, data and operational technology management normally acquired through college level courses and work experience.
• Protocols and middleware that enable interoperability between disparate systems.
• Integration of hardware and software components across OT and IT.
• Understanding the nuanced similarities/differences between OT and IT.
• Programming and scripting for automation and system logic.
• Scripting for configuration and deployment tasks.
• Experience with documentation, change control, compliance tracking, metrics.
• Creating clear system diagrams, data flow maps, and interface definitions.
• OT cybersecurity.
• Complex decision-making:
• Operates at a high level of autonomy, making strategic decisions that affect real-time operations and long-term infrastructure investments.
• Balances technical depth with cross-functional coordination, influencing both engineering and executive stakeholders.
• Navigates evolving regulatory, cybersecurity, and operational requirements in a dynamic energy environment.
• Leadership & Influence:
• Leads cross-functional teams and external vendors in the design and deployment of OT solutions.
• Advises senior leadership on technology direction, risk mitigation, and investment priorities.
• Working knowledge of utility business, business and/or engineering principles & practices.
• Ability to develop system configuration standards and guidelines.
• Ability to identify system constraints or gaps in business requirements and effectively communicate issues/risks to management.
• Ability to keep abreast of ever evolving and emerging information technologies.
• In depth knowledge of people, processes, and technologies in use within multiple teams within the division.
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical design and maintain comprehensive technical documentation.
• Ability to identify system constraints or gaps in business requirements and effectively communicate issues/risks to the project manager in a timely manner.
• Familiar with:
• Network design, segmentation, and secure communication protocols.
• Attention to detail and ability to dive in when needed while remaining cognizant of the bigger picture.
• Ability to remain flexible in a demanding work environment and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.
• Ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization, both verbal and written communication.
• Leadership skills and ability to work with a variety of individuals, occasionally dealing with sensitive, difficult, or confrontational issues.
• Strong interpersonal skills to influence and persuade various groups or individuals.
• In-depth analytical, organizational, and conceptual skills to handle various projects and programs.
• Ability to translate business requirements into technical design and maintain comprehensive technical documentation.
• Ability to develop system configuration standards and guidelines.
• Ability to identify system constraints or gaps in business requirements and effectively communicate issues/risks to management.
• Ability to keep abreast of ever evolving and emerging technologies.
• In depth knowledge of people, processes, and technologies in use within multiple teams within the division.
• Demonstrated ability and motivation to learn new tools and products independently.
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop other team members.
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or other scientific or technical discipline directly related to the labor category + five (5) years specialized experience; OR Bachelor’s degree Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or other scientific or technical discipline directly related to the labor category + ten (10) years experience of which at least eight (8) years must be specialized; OR Fifteen (15) years experience of which at least fourteen (14) years must be specialized.
• Specialized experience includes, expert level experience in one or more of the following the areas: Real-time monitoring and control, energy management system, supervisory control and data acquisition, multilevel systems integration, system integration design and implementation strategies, large-scale network performance monitoring, communications systems design and operation.

Nice To Haves

• Several (3-5) years’ managerial/supervisory experience is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain system interfaces and integration requirements with OMS, SCADA, generation dispatch, and IT systems.
• Provide support to develop, maintain, update the procedures and guidelines for the loss of real-time monitoring and control of the EMS. Work with stakeholders and subject matter experts to identify single points of failure in the OT system architecture or with process/people.
• Provide technical input in the development and updates to metrics to capture operational risk using knowledge of the EMS ecosystem architecture and dependencies.
• Develops processes and programs to enhance operational performance and reliability.
• Provides technical direction across departments, influencing long-term technology planning, acquisition strategies, and modernization initiatives aligned with corporate goals (reliable/resilient/efficient). From these inputs, short-term (1-3 year) and long-term (5+ year) plans for the OT infrastructure are generated, which may include deployment of new technology, reconfiguration of existing technology, and decommissioning of old technology as appropriate. The strategy/plan is based on the CIO and operating units’ technological direction and is an end-to-end view that includes hardware, software, operating systems, application systems, platforms, networking, interoperability, contingency arrangements, and directions for acquisition of technology resources. Advises client and project teams on how to integrate with and leverage existing IT/OT architecture.
• Provides high level strategic business consultation including organizational alignment, business process development.
• Ensures seamless integration and clear boundaries between EMS and adjacent systems. Leads efforts to enhance system resilience, including contingency planning for loss of automation or control.
• Collaborates with cybersecurity and telecommunications architects to embed security, standardization, and documentation across the OT ecosystem.
• Serves as subject matter expert for OT modernization, driving improvements in grid visibility, control capabilities, and incident response readiness.
• Provides analysis of both short-term (3 year) and long-term (5+ year) outlook of EMS ecosystem needs and requirements.
• Responsible for evaluating the viability of new projects.
• Represents OT division in project planning meetings that may impact the EMS and/or interconnected systems/platforms.
• Maintains the holistic view of the EMS ecosystem to ensure projects under consideration are planned, in alignment with lifecycle management projects, and risk to operational capabilities are documented and communicated to stakeholders and senior level management and executives.
• Develops and evaluates alternative utilization or configuration options.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop technical solutions with pros and cons weighing cost/risk/impact for senior management and executive level review. Using engineering system knowledge of the current system identifies and evaluates vulnerabilities and single points of failure, operations knowledge of the current system usage, new system requirements, and engineering analysis of new system impacts, planning determines what OT resources and projects will be required when.
• Works closely with management and CIO staff to analyze existing and emerging technologies. Recommends pilots, prototypes, and/or adoption. Develops plans to help determine which technology directions are appropriate for the business and CIO units to achieve company and CIO goals. This includes migration strategies of infrastructure, application, and hardware components. Provides functional guidance, technical guidance, training and quality assurance/quality control to personnel.
• Work solely or in concert with others to author requisite documentation to meet a variety of company needs, be it text for rate case or project filings, responses to information requests from interveners, decision synopses, department/team strategies, etc.
• Participates in Company emergency response activities as assigned, including any activities required to prepare for such emergency response.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level