OTCR Technical Specialist IV (Controls & Automation)

Job Description

Job Description

Who we are:

We are a water-focused engineering consulting firm, certified as a Great Place to Work® based on feedback from our community of over 265 team members.  We ranked top three in the AEC Advisors 2021 and 2022 Diversity Index Top Firms and have been recognized as one of Fortune’s® Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services from 2023 – 2025.  Since 1990, our mission has been to be the water firm of choice for both our clients and our team. Over the years we have built upon that mission and now integrate a host of high-quality services in groundwater, water supply, water and wastewater treatment, water and wastewater infrastructure, stormwater, recycled water, construction management, and operations technology from our multiple locations in the west.  As a team, we work with our clients to understand their true needs. Our long-term relationships are based on integrity, partnership, and high-value solutions. In 2026 and beyond, West Yost is advancing water resources for future generations and living our core values every day.

Compensation range: $90,000 - $128,000.  Based on our Lake Oswego, OR office location.  (West Yost uses geographic salary differentials that would apply for candidates in other regions). 

Status: Full-time, Exempt

LOCATION:  Lake Oswego, OR - ONLY ( ).  **Relocation is NOT supported for this role.**

**This is a Hybrid role with 3 days in the office and 2 days remote.**

**Sponsorship of work visas is NOT supported for this role.**

OTCR TECHNICAL SPECIALIST IV (Controls & Automation)

Position Summary  

The OTCR Technical Specialist IV leads the planning, design, programming, and delivery of industrial control systems. This position provides advanced expertise in PLC and SCADA systems, control strategy development, SCADA standards and master planning, and the application of Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles. The role provides technical and project leadership, mentors technical staff, and serves as a trusted advisor to clients and internal teams while supporting business development and critical infrastructure resilience initiatives.

Controls & Automation Technical Leadership

• 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. Develops and maintains SCADA standards to promote consistency, scalability, cybersecurity, and reliability. \Queries databases and historians for historical data to facilitate report development by utilities. 
• Applies advanced knowledge of instrumentation and automatic control of dynamic processes to promote safe, reliable, and efficient operability.
• Designs advanced control strategies including PID control, sequencing, interlocks, redundancy schemes, and fail-safe systems.
• Designs and develops control systems including instrumentation, panels, field devices, and associated equipment.
• Develops Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), control narratives, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and technical specifications.
• Provides controls and instrumentation expertise in multidisciplinary EI&C design and review activities.
• Coordinates with electrical engineers to promote alignment between instrumentation and automation system design.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of SCADA Master Plans.
• Exercises independent technical judgment on complex control system assignments and provides technical direction to project teams.
• Promotes continuous improvement and technical excellence within engineering. 

Construction & Field Support  

• 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. 

OT Cybersecurity & Resilience

• Applies Cyber-Informed Engineering (CIE) principles and OT cybersecurity practices to control system design, programming, and modernization.
• Evaluates control system vulnerabilities, critical assets, system dependencies, and operational risks to improve infrastructure resilience and continuity.
• Supports secure OT architectures and practices, including network segmentation, secure remote access, user access management, system hardening, and patch management coordination.
• Develops and supports implementation of mitigation strategies to enhance the security, reliability, and resilience of critical control systems.
• Supports America’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) Risk and Resilience Assessments (RRA), Emergency Response Plan (ERP) updates, and related documentation and reporting.

Project & Technical Team Leadership

• Leads the technical delivery of projects involving PLC programming, SCADA configuration, control system integration, and infrastructure modernization. 
• Develops scopes of work, schedules, budgets, and project execution plans. 
• Leads project meetings and coordinates multidisciplinary teams. 
• Leads and coordinates 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 with company 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. 

Client Engagement & Business Development  

• Interfaces directly with clients and external organizations to define system requirements and provide technical leadership. 
• Develops scopes of work and fee estimates and contributes technical content to proposals.
• Participates in client interviews and project pursuits. 
• Supports sector and cross-sector standards development initiatives. 
• Networks at conferences and professional organization meetings to support industry engagement and business development. 

Required Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline. 
• 7+ years of experience in PLC and SCADA system design and programming. 
• Advanced experience with one or more major PLC platforms (e.g., Rockwell Automation, Schneider Electric, Siemens).
• Experience with one or more SCADA/HMI platforms (e.g., Ignition, Wonderware/AVEVA, Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk). 
• Working knowledge of SQL databases and industrial historians. 
• Experience in control strategy development and system commissioning. 
• Working knowledge of industrial networking and basic cybersecurity principles for control systems. 
• Working knowledge of common industrial communication protocols. 
• Demonstrated project management and client coordination experience. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Professional Engineer (PE) license. 
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training. 
• Experience in water/wastewater, utilities, or critical infrastructure sectors. 
• Experience supporting infrastructure resilience, risk assessment, or AWIA-related projects.
• Experience developing SCADA Master Plans and standards. 
• Knowledge of ISA/IEC 62443 and industrial cybersecurity best practices. 
• Experience presenting technical topics to clients, industry groups, or professional organizations

Key Competencies  

• Independent technical judgment and systems thinking
• Technical leadership and mentorship
• Client-focused communication and collaboration
• Project and financial accountability
• Quality and QA/QC rigor
• Infrastructure resilience and risk awareness

Travel Requirements  

This position may require travel to other offices and/or client locations. 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. West Yost’s insurance carrier reserves the right to exclude applicants based on their driving record.* 

Our commitment to quality begins with our hiring practices. We employ the most talented team members in our industry from all backgrounds. We are highly selective of the individuals we choose to represent the firm, seeking only those individuals whose technical abilities and commitment to client service matches our vision for excellence.  We are dedicated to our number one asset, our employees.  Because we are employee-owned, we are responsible for and rewarded by our own success. Come to West Yost where, with our support, you’ll do the best work of your life.

A day in the life:

You will experience many opportunities to grow and develop professionally with your colleagues through collaborative in-person work experience, knowledge sharing, and mentorship opportunities. We also offer hybrid and flexible work schedules to our employees to help promote and encourage a healthy work/life balance.  All of our team members have access to local and company-wide events, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Workgroup, Culture Workgroup, Wellness Workgroup, book clubs, charitable giving and community service, firm-wide resources, peer groups (young professionals & middlers group), and mentorship and leadership programs.  We support and foster your career success and encourage you to be in control of your future with us. Our annual company-wide monthly staff meetings, annual in-person All Staff meeting, Duck Dinner, company camping events, company celebrations, and other company-sponsored events provide an important part of the West Yost culture, which is to have fun.

Standard benefits:

We provide a comprehensive array of valuable benefits to protect your health, your family, and your way of life. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health saving accounts (with West Yost contribution), paid vacation, paid sick leave and holidays, two employee assistance programs, travel assistance program, 401(k) profit sharing with employer match, leaves of absence with additional supplemental paid time off, parental leave, life and AD&D insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and even pet insurance.

Other unique benefits:

You’ll be provided with support in on-going education through our 529 college savings plan/student loan repayment program, tuition reimbursement, paid professional memberships, paid training, and Leadership Academy programs. You’ll be recognized for your contributions at West Yost through milestone anniversary benefits, peer to peer recognition programs, the potential for employee stock ownership, annual monetary and paid time off bonuses, performance-based bonus eligibility, merit increase eligibility, and employee referral bonuses. We also offer a wellness reimbursement.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.