OTCR Senior Technical Specialist I

West Yost Careers•Phoenix, AZ

12h•$105,000 - $138,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Technical Specialist I leads the planning, design, programming, and management of industrial control systems. This position provides advanced expertise in PLC and SCADA programming, control strategy development, SCADA standards development, SCADA master planning, and the application of Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles. This role combines technical leadership, project management, client engagement, mentorship, business development, and support of critical infrastructure resilience initiatives. The successful candidate exercises independent technical judgment and serves as a trusted advisor to clients and internal teams.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.
7+ years of experience in PLC and SCADA system design and programming.
Strong experience with major PLC platforms (Rockwell, Siemens, Schneider, etc.).
Experience with SCADA platforms (Ignition, Wonderware/AVEVA, FactoryTalk, Citect, VTScada, iFix, ).
Experience in control strategy development and system commissioning.
Working knowledge of industrial networking and basic cybersecurity principles for control systems.
Proficiencyin industrial communication protocols (Modbus, Ethernet/IP, DNP3, OPC, Profibus, etc.).
Experience querying SQL databases and working with industrial historians.
Demonstrated project management and client coordination experience.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Applicant must carry a valid driver’s license.
Applicant must also be able to meet West Yost’s rules and be eligible to drive for business.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) license.
PMP certification or equivalent project management training.
Experience in water/wastewater, utilities, or infrastructure sectors.
Experience supporting AWIA-related projects or resilience planning efforts.
Experience developing SCADA Master Plans and standards.
Knowledge of ISA/IEC 62443 and industrial cybersecurity best practices.
Demonstrated history of publishing or presenting technical content.

Responsibilities

Develops, tests, maintains, and updates SCADA and PLC programs that provide monitoring and control of plant and process systems.
Designs and configures PLC logic and HMI applications for water and wastewater processes.
Designs and develops control systems including instrumentation, panels, field devices, and associated equipment.
Develops Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), control narratives, control strategies, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and technical specifications.
Develops and maintainsSCADA standards to promote consistency, scalability, cybersecurity, and reliability.
Contributes to the development and implementation of SCADA Master Plans.
Queries databases and historians for historical datato facilitate report development by utilities.
Applies advanced knowledge of instrumentation and automatic control of dynamic processes to promote safe, reliable, and efficient Designs advanced control strategies including PID control, sequencing, interlocks, redundancy schemes, and fail-safe systems.
Applies the Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) methodologyto control systems design and programming.
Demonstrates working knowledge of industrial networking fundamentals, including Ethernet-based control networks, managed switches, VLANs, network segmentation, and routing.
Applies basic cybersecurity principles as they relate to industrial control systems, including secure remote access, user access management, system hardening, patch management coordination, and network architecture awareness.
Exercises independent technical judgment in routine and moderately complex assignments.
Performs engineering services during construction, including submittal review, Requests for Information (RFI) response, and field observations.
Supports control system installation, startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting activities.
Coordinates with contractors, integrators, and field personnel to support successful system implementation.
Manages technical projects involving PLC programming, SCADAconfiguration, control system integration, and infrastructure modernization.
Develops scopes of work, schedules, budgets, and project execution plans.
Leads project meetings and coordinates multidisciplinary teams.
Manages a team of technical staff with emphasis on workload planning, task delegation, and delivery accountability.
Provides mentorship and training to junior and mid-level technical staff.
Performs QA/QC reviews of technical work products in accordance withcompany quality standards prior to client delivery.
Prepares and reviews invoices and monitors project financial performance.
Provides leadership to support successful project delivery aligned with schedule, scope, and budget objectives.
Supports the Electrical, Instrumentation, and Controls (EI&C) practice area in electrical design and review processes.
Reviews electrical design documents, control panel layouts, and instrumentation specifications for technical accuracy and integration with control systems.
Coordinates with electrical engineers to promote alignment between instrumentation and automation system design.
Supports projects associated with the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), including Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRA) and Emergency Response Plan (ERP) updates.
Evaluates control system vulnerabilities and resilience considerations as part of AWIA compliance efforts.
Assistsin identifying critical control assets, system dependencies, and potential operational risks.
Contributes to development of mitigation strategies to enhance operational continuity and infrastructure resilience.
Supports documentation and reporting efforts related to AWIA regulatory requirements.
Interfaces directly with clients and external organizations to define system requirements and provide technical leadership.
Serves as primarytechnical point of contact for assigned projects.
Prepares letter proposals, scopes of work, and fee estimates.
Assistsin developing technical approaches for proposals.
Participates in client interviews and project pursuits.
Contributes to company-wide strategic initiatives.
Supports sector and cross-sector standards development initiatives.
Establishes and maintainsleadership roles in relevant professional organizations.
Presents technical papers at industry conferences.
Publishestechnical articles in industry publications.
Networks at conferences and professional organization meetings to support industry engagement and business development.
Promotes continuous improvement and technical excellence within engineering.