Principal Network Engineer

KION Group•Grand Rapids, MI

1d•$136,800 - $205,200

About The Position

Lead the design, specification, and governance of network architectures supporting SCADA, PLC, and industrial automation systems across enterprise environments. Establish and standardize network segmentation strategies aligned to OT cybersecurity frameworks and business risk models. Define and influence cybersecurity architecture requirements, incorporating industry best practices (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443, zero-trust principles). Review, approve, and govern network design artifacts, ensuring technical accuracy, scalability, and compliance with enterprise standards. Provide strategic technical leadership and oversight for Operational Technology (OT) network architecture, guiding cross-functional engineering and project teams toward aligned, standardized solutions. Architect and oversee network configurations, including physical connectivity, industrial communication protocols, IP schema design, VLAN strategies, and firewall policy frameworks across complex environments. Drive the design and evolution of secure, resilient OT network architectures, ensuring high availability, performance, and compliance with cybersecurity and operational requirements. Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of complex network and infrastructure issues, establishing best practices and improving system reliability across development and production environments. Guide early-stage solution development by reviewing system designs, RFQs, and project requirements, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and long-term scalability. Serve as a thought leader by continuously evaluating emerging technologies, industry standards, and best practices, and translating them into actionable strategies, standards, and roadmaps for the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Information Technology, Network Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline; advanced technical certifications or graduate-level education preferred.
Deep expertise in industrial plant-floor network architectures, with authoritative understanding of IT vs. OT convergence and clear segmentation strategies.
Proven leadership in designing, standardizing, and scaling industrial automation systems and enterprise-wide architectures.
Advanced mastery of networking principles, including complex routing, switching, and large-scale VLAN design across distributed manufacturing environments.
Recognized subject matter expert in industrial cybersecurity, including firewall strategy, zero-trust concepts, and defense-in-depth for OT networks.
Extensive experience architecting and governing Industrial DMZ (IDMZ) frameworks aligned to industry standards (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443).
Demonstrated ability to lead integration of IoT/IIoT technologies within industrial environments, ensuring secure, scalable connectivity.
Expert-level knowledge of industrial communication protocols and architectures (e.g., OPC, MQTT), with experience driving standardization and interoperability.
Industry-recognized certifications (e.g., Cisco, Hirschmann/Belden, or equivalent) with preference for advanced or specialized industrial networking and cybersecurity credentials.
Demonstrated expertise in diagnosing, leading, and resolving highly complex technical challenges within dynamic, large-scale industrial environments, often setting direction for others.
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to influence and align both technical and executive stakeholders, translating complex concepts into clear business and operational impact.
Proven capability to lead comprehensive network assessments and audits, establishing standards and providing strategic recommendations on architecture, topology, cabling, and infrastructure design.
Collaborative technical leader who mentors engineers, drives cross-functional alignment, and enables successful execution of enterprise-wide initiatives.
Strong track record of defining, presenting, and institutionalizing network standards, governance models, and best practices across diverse organizational teams.
Willingness to travel up to 25% and work additional hours as needed to support project and business demands.

Nice To Haves

advanced technical certifications or graduate-level education preferred
preference for advanced or specialized industrial networking and cybersecurity credentials

Responsibilities

Lead the design, specification, and governance of network architectures supporting SCADA, PLC, and industrial automation systems across enterprise environments.
Establish and standardize network segmentation strategies aligned to OT cybersecurity frameworks and business risk models.
Define and influence cybersecurity architecture requirements, incorporating industry best practices (e.g., ISA/IEC 62443, zero-trust principles).
Review, approve, and govern network design artifacts, ensuring technical accuracy, scalability, and compliance with enterprise standards.
Provide strategic technical leadership and oversight for Operational Technology (OT) network architecture, guiding cross-functional engineering and project teams toward aligned, standardized solutions.
Architect and oversee network configurations, including physical connectivity, industrial communication protocols, IP schema design, VLAN strategies, and firewall policy frameworks across complex environments.
Drive the design and evolution of secure, resilient OT network architectures, ensuring high availability, performance, and compliance with cybersecurity and operational requirements.
Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of complex network and infrastructure issues, establishing best practices and improving system reliability across development and production environments.
Guide early-stage solution development by reviewing system designs, RFQs, and project requirements, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and long-term scalability.
Serve as a thought leader by continuously evaluating emerging technologies, industry standards, and best practices, and translating them into actionable strategies, standards, and roadmaps for the organization.