SCADA & Utilities Operational Technology Technician

Deadline:   Open Until Filled

Please visit the  Human Resources page on the Village's website to explore our very competitive benefits package!

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the general direction of the Utilities Director or designee, this position serves as the Utilities Department's technical resource for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and process-control systems supporting the Water Treatment Plant and related water-production facilities. The position is responsible for programming, maintenance, troubleshooting, cybersecurity coordination, documentation, lifecycle support, and continuous improvement of SCADA, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), human-machine interfaces (HMIs), instrumentation, industrial communications, servers, workstations, and related control-system infrastructure. The position performs hands-on technical work, coordinates with specialized contractors and system integrators, supports capital improvement projects, and works closely with plant operations, maintenance, engineering, Information Technology, and the Village Electrician to maintain reliable, secure, and resilient treatment operations.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Position Reports to:            Capital Improvement Project Manager

Positions Supervised:        None; may provide technical direction to contractors, consultants, and project teams as     assigned

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

- Administers, monitors, maintains, and supports the Water Treatment Plant SCADA and process-control environment, including VTScada applications, servers, workstations, historians, alarm notification systems, databases, communications equipment, and related interfaces.

- Develops, modifies, documents, tests, and deploys PLC programs, HMI screens, control logic, alarm logic, trends, reports, scripts, and other automation functions necessary to support safe and reliable treatment operations.

- Troubleshoots and resolves failures involving SCADA software, PLCs, remote I/O, instrumentation, communication networks, industrial switches, radios, modems, protocol converters, variable frequency drive communications, control panels, and related Operational Technology (OT) equipment.

- Monitors system performance and availability, performs preventive maintenance, identifies recurring or emerging issues, and implements improvements to increase reliability, functionality, and maintainability.

- Maintains OT network architecture and communications in coordination with the Information Technology Department, including network segmentation, addressing, switches, firewalls or security appliances, secure remote access, and connectivity between control-system components.

- Coordinates SCADA and OT cybersecurity practices with Information Technology and specialized vendors, including user access, password and account management, backups, restoration testing, software and firmware updates, vulnerability mitigation, logging, incident response, and business-continuity/disaster-recovery planning.

- Maintains complete and current backups of SCADA applications, PLC programs, configurations, server images, databases, and other critical OT assets and establishes procedures for restoring systems following equipment failure, cyber incident, or other emergency.

- Establishes and maintains change-management practices and technical documentation, including network diagrams, control narratives, I/O lists, PLC and HMI version records, software-license inventories, device configurations, equipment lists, maintenance records, and redline drawings.

- Provides technical review and support for capital improvement projects involving treatment equipment, automation, instrumentation, communications, electrical controls, or SCADA integration; reviews plans, specifications, submittals, control narratives, and programming requirements for compatibility with Village standards and existing systems.

- Participates in factory acceptance testing, field testing, startup, commissioning, and performance verification of new or modified process-control equipment and SCADA systems and coordinates correction of deficiencies with engineers, contractors, and system integrators.

- Provides technical support for SCADA and process-control projects from planning through implementation, including development of scopes of work and technical specifications, review of cost estimates and schedules, procurement support, vendor coordination, project documentation, testing, commissioning, and closeout.

- Serves as the Utilities Department liaison to SCADA integrators, instrumentation vendors, engineers, consultants, Information Technology staff, and other technical service providers; coordinates emergency and routine support and evaluates contractor performance.

- Maintains inventory of critical SCADA/OT spare parts, software licenses, support agreements, specialized tools, and replacement equipment and recommends budget needs for system maintenance, upgrades, and lifecycle replacement.

- Analyzes alarms, trends, historian data, and control-system performance to assist Operations staff with process optimization, troubleshooting, regulatory compliance, and reliable treatment performance.

- Protects the integrity and availability of operational data used for regulatory reporting, operational decision-making, and historical records and assists with data retrieval and technical reporting as required.

- Provides technical training and guidance to Water Treatment Plant operators and maintenance staff regarding SCADA functionality, alarm response, proper use of automated controls, basic troubleshooting, and changes to system operation.

- Coordinates closely with the Village Electrician and other qualified electrical personnel. Performs or supports low-voltage control and instrumentation work within the employee's training and authorization and refers high-voltage electrical work and major electrical installations to appropriately qualified personnel.

- Evaluates new SCADA, PLC, instrumentation, networking, and OT technologies and recommends standards and improvements that support reliability, cybersecurity, operational efficiency, and long-term maintainability.

- Responds to SCADA/OT failures, alarms, cybersecurity events, communication outages, and other operational emergencies, including after-hours response, emergency call-out, and storm or disaster assignments as required.

- Communicates with co-workers, management, Village officials, engineers, contractors, vendors, regulatory agencies, and others in a professional manner and coordinates work activities to minimize disruption to plant operations.

- Conforms with all applicable Village policies, safety requirements, cybersecurity procedures, operational standards, and regulatory requirements.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES

- Attends meetings, conferences, workshops, and technical training as assigned.

- Assists with preparation of technical budgets, specifications, procurement documents, reports, and recommendations related to SCADA and OT systems.

- Performs other related duties and assumes other responsibilities as required or delegated.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

Education, Experience, Licensing & Certification

- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering technology, computer science, information technology, instrumentation and controls, electronics, automation, or a closely related field and two (2) years of experience in industrial control systems, SCADA, PLC programming, or process controls; OR

- Associate degree in a related technical field and three (3) years of experience in industrial control systems, SCADA, PLC programming, instrumentation, or process controls; OR

- High school diploma or equivalency and five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in industrial control systems, SCADA, PLC programming, instrumentation, or process controls.

- Experience supporting water or wastewater treatment, water production, or other continuous-process industrial facilities is strongly preferred.

- Experience supporting technical projects and coordinating with contractors, system integrators, vendors, or multidisciplinary project teams is preferred.

- Valid Florida driver's license and safe driving record.

- National Incident Management System (NIMS) certification in accordance with Village policy.

- Required to obtain VTScada Level 1 Configuration Certification within twelve (12) months of employment and VTScada Level 2 Configuration Certification within twenty-four (24) months of employment, or complete comparable manufacturer training designated and approved by the Village within the same respective timeframes.

- ISA Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST), Certified Automation Professional (CAP), industrial cybersecurity certification, or similar technical certification is preferred.

- Florida drinking water treatment operator license or demonstrated municipal water-treatment process experience is preferred but not required.

Necessary Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

- Advanced knowledge of SCADA, HMI, PLC, remote I/O, instrumentation, telemetry, industrial communications, data historians, alarm systems, and process-control principles.

- Knowledge of PLC programming methods such as ladder logic and function block programming and the ability to analyze, modify, test, and document control logic.

- Knowledge of industrial network architecture, Ethernet-based control networks, serial communications, switches, routers, firewalls, radios, remote-access systems, and commonly used industrial communication protocols.

- Knowledge of OT/industrial control-system cybersecurity principles, including network segmentation, least-privilege access, secure remote access, backups, recovery, patch and firmware management, asset inventory, and incident response.

- Knowledge of instrumentation used in water treatment, including flow, pressure, level, analytical, chemical-feed, and process-monitoring devices, and the ability to troubleshoot signal and communication issues.

- Ability to read and interpret P&IDs, electrical and control schematics, network diagrams, control narratives, equipment submittals, plans, and technical specifications.

- Ability to diagnose complex control-system problems, identify root causes, develop safe corrective actions, and restore critical systems under time-sensitive conditions.

- Ability to understand water-treatment processes and evaluate how control-system changes may affect process performance, water quality, regulatory compliance, and plant reliability.

- Ability to establish technical standards, maintain accurate documentation, and apply disciplined change-management practices to mission-critical systems.

- Ability to manage multiple technical priorities, coordinate with contractors and consultants, prepare technical scopes and specifications, and communicate project status and recommendations to management.

- Ability to train operators and staff and to explain complex technical issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Utilities staff, Information Technology, Public Works, engineers, contractors, vendors, regulatory agencies, and other Village departments.

- Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, protect sensitive infrastructure information, and maintain confidentiality of system architecture, credentials, and cybersecurity information.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

- Work is performed in both an indoor office/control-room environment and an active water treatment plant and related field facilities.

- Regularly performs computer-based technical work and may remain at a workstation for extended periods while programming, monitoring, documenting, or troubleshooting systems.

- May be exposed to loud noise, wet or humid conditions, treatment chemicals, moving mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, outdoor weather, and other conditions typical of water-treatment facilities.

- May be required to climb stairs or ladders, stoop, kneel, reach into control panels or equipment areas, and occasionally lift and/or move equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

- Required to respond to system failures and operational emergencies outside normal working hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, storm events, and declared emergencies as assigned.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and the requirements of the job change. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities.