Principal Automation Systems Engineer, NA

Vantage Data Centers•San Antonio, TX

22h•$155,000 - $165,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands. The Automation Systems Group is responsible for the design, construction and support of cutting-edge data center automation and control infrastructure. The department collaborates with Operations, Sales, Engineering, Information Technology and Management to ensure the system continues to fulfill Vantage customer requirements. Automation Systems works closely with partner contractors to come up with the best design and helps manage these partners to success by providing accurate requirements, goals, and timelines. In addition to design and construction, we are also responsible for the technical requirements of the Operations department involving troubleshooting, calibrating, and repairing mission critical control systems throughout all Vantage locations. This role can be based at any of our US Locations with a flexible work arrangement: 3 days on-site and 2 days remote. Vantage is looking for an experienced, highly technical, and hands-on Principal Automation Systems Engineer to serve as a leading technical authority for SCADA (Ignition) and PLC (Rockwell) software development supporting new construction, sustaining operations, and live mission-critical data center infrastructure. This role functions as a principal individual contributor within the Automation Development team with expectations for portfolio-level technical ownership, architecture direction, standardization leadership, and cross-functional influence. You will define and guide automation architecture, development standards, reusable frameworks, and technical practices across the North America portfolio. This role is expected to solve high-complexity automation challenges, provide direction for critical design decisions, mentor engineers and integration partners, and strengthen the quality, reliability, maintainability, and scalability of automation solutions used across both new builds and production environments.

Requirements

Expert-level knowledge of the Ignition (Inductive Automation) SCADA platform or Rockwell Automation PLCs is required, with strong working knowledge of both preferred.
Ten or more years of experience in industrial SCADA or PLC based controls system development required, with data center or other mission-critical infrastructure experience strongly preferred.
Deep understanding of automation systems including control loops, field I/O, alarming, telemetry, data integrity, control narratives, and mission-critical control system behavior.
Demonstrated experience designing, governing, and improving scalable automation architectures, reusable logic libraries, UDT frameworks, visualization standards, and PLC or SCADA development practices.
Advanced experience with industrial PLC platforms, including but not limited to Rockwell Automation and Carel systems.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and challenge Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), control narratives, control panel drawings, network architecture diagrams, equipment specifications, instrumentation lists, and sequence of operations.
Strong knowledge of software development tools and disciplined engineering practices such as version control, structured code reviews, release management, technical documentation, and controlled deployment into production environments.
Working knowledge of startup and commissioning procedures for industrial automation and control systems, including system verification, functional testing, issue resolution, and production readiness validation.
Experience supporting live, mission-critical environments where change control, clear communication, and risk management are required.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and troubleshooting skills with the ability to identify, diagnose, and resolve complex technical issues across systems, vendors, and functional teams.
Proven track record of leading complex control system projects, technical standards, or architecture initiatives from concept through delivery while coordinating cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and project deliverables.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical topics clearly to engineers, operations teams, contractors, clients, and leadership stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to take portfolio-level technical ownership, influence without direct authority, mentor other engineers, and make sound engineering decisions under pressure.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and SharePoint.

Responsibilities

Own and advance portfolio-level automation architecture, including Ignition gateway strategies, PLC design patterns, reusable UDT frameworks, alarm philosophy, data models, and standards for scalable automation delivery.
Lead development and governance of automation standards, architecture guidelines, SOPs, technical documentation, and reusable engineering practices supporting regional and portfolio-wide needs.
Provide principal-level technical direction for SCADA, PLC, graphics, UDT, alarming, telemetry, and data integrity solutions across new construction and sustaining operations.
Serve as a technical decision-maker for complex design, commissioning, production support, and continuous improvement initiatives impacting mission-critical systems.
Guide and influence internal Automation Engineering stakeholders, project teams, integration partners, contractors, and cross-functional groups to ensure alignment with company goals, quality expectations, and operating standards.
Review and approve significant automation design decisions, code approaches, release strategies, and change management practices for production environments.
Lead technical reviews of drawings, models, sequences of operation, submittals, factory acceptance testing, commissioning plans, and validation results to ensure automation solutions meet operational and customer requirements.
Provide escalation support and technical expertise for high-impact troubleshooting, commissioning, validation, and production issue resolution in live, mission-critical environments.
Mentor senior engineers, integration team members, and staff augmentation resources, strengthening engineering judgment, development quality, and technical consistency across the team.
Collaborate with Design, Engineering, Construction, Reliability Engineering, Site Operations, Information Technology, and Automation Engineering peers to deliver and sustain reliable automation solutions.
Establish technical direction for automation logic, visualization applications, gateway architecture, PLC standards, system interfaces, and reusable development frameworks.
Translate project documentation, including drawings, sequences of operation, bills of material, instrumentation diagrams, equipment specifications, and network diagrams, into scalable automation solutions and engineering deliverables.
Evaluate automation design options and make sound technical recommendations that balance operational reliability, maintainability, deployment risk, cybersecurity, project schedule, and long-term support needs.
Promote abstraction, reuse, consistency, and standardization of automation logic across the portfolio while allowing for responsible site-specific variation where business needs require it.
Lead root cause analysis and technical remediation planning for complex or recurring automation issues impacting commissioning, customer reporting, alarming, telemetry, or live operations.
Identify gaps in standards, tools, quality controls, and work processes, then lead practical improvements that raise delivery consistency and reduce operational risk.
Provide technical leadership and coaching to engineers and integration partners without direct people management responsibility.
Represent Automation Engineering in cross-functional technical discussions, design reviews, project coordination meetings, and customer or stakeholder-facing technical conversations when needed.