SCADA Process Control Specialist

SCADA Process Control Specialist

The SCADA Process Control Specialist – Drinking Water Systems is responsible for the administration, maintenance, and optimization of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), process control, and supporting IT/OT infrastructure for drinking water treatment, storage, and distribution facilities. This role supports 24/7 mission-critical operations and serves as a technical authority for control systems, industrial networking, and cybersecurity within a dedicated SCADA network environment. The position works closely with water treatment operations, engineering, and management to ensure regulatory compliance, system reliability, and safe delivery of potable water.

The SCADA Process Control Specialist is responsible for configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting SCADA systems supporting drinking water treatment plants, booster stations, reservoirs, and distribution assets. They develop, modify, and maintain PLC and RTU logic to support treatment processes including coagulation, filtration, disinfection, chemical feed, pumping, and storage operations. They design and maintain HMI graphics, alarm management strategies, and trending to support operator situational awareness and regulatory monitoring. They monitor system health, diagnose operational or control system issues, and coordinate corrective actions to minimize service disruptions. They support commissioning, testing, and acceptance of new or upgraded treatment facilities and control systems.

The SCADA Process Control Specialist collaborates with operations and engineering staff to evaluate treatment processes and implement automation improvements that enhance reliability, water quality, and energy efficiency. They perform control strategy validation, factory and site acceptance testing (FAT/SAT), and field verification. They maintain accurate documentation including control narratives, P&IDs, I/O lists, alarm rationalization records, and system configurations. They administer and support the dedicated SCADA/OT network, including servers, virtual environments, workstations, network switches, firewalls, radios, and communications infrastructure. They manage Windows- and Linux-based SCADA servers and clients, including system hardening, patching, backups, and recovery procedures. They configure and maintain industrial and IT networking technologies, including VLANs, routing, VPNs, firewalls, and remote access solutions. They support system integrations with historians, laboratory systems, asset management platforms, reporting tools, and limited enterprise interfaces while maintaining network segmentation.

The SCADA Process Control Specialist implements and maintains OT cybersecurity controls consistent with industry standards and guidance (e.g., NIST, ISA/IEC 62443, AWWA cybersecurity guidance). They support compliance with federal and state drinking water regulations, including requirements related to monitoring, reporting, and system integrity. They manage user access controls, account reviews, logging, backup validation, and vulnerability mitigation within the SCADA environment. They participate in incident response, system recovery, and business continuity planning for SCADA and supporting IT systems.

The SCADA Process Control Specialist provides technical support and guidance to water treatment operators and maintenance staff. They participate in an on-call rotation and respond to after-hours SCADA or network incidents as required. They coordinate with vendors, integrators, and consultants on system design, upgrades, and troubleshooting. They develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), policies, and training materials related to SCADA and IT/OT systems.

Preferred Qualifications include experience with drinking water treatment processes and regulatory monitoring requirements. Familiarity with major SCADA platforms used in water utilities (iFIX Preferred). PLC programming experience (Client Preferred). Experience managing virtualized environments (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V). Knowledge of industrial wireless and long-haul communications (licensed/unlicensed radio, cellular). OT/IT cybersecurity experience, including network segmentation and secure remote access. Relevant certifications (e.g., ISA, CompTIA, Microsoft, Cisco, or cybersecurity-related certifications).

Working Conditions include performing work in an office, control room, and water treatment facility environment. May require travel to remote treatment and distribution sites. Participation in on-call support and emergency response activities is required. Work involves supporting systems critical to public health and safety.

Cogent Infotech is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, identities, abilities, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply. Join us at Cogent Infotech, your ideas matter. Join a purpose-driven organization that celebrates diversity, encourages collaboration, and invests in your future.