Senior Information Systems Analyst (Operational Technology)

JOIN THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY WATER AUTHORITY

We welcome veterans or transitioning military to apply. The San Diego County Water Authority is an independent public agency that serves as San Diego County's regional water wholesaler. The mission of the Water Authority is to provide a safe and reliable water supply to its 22 member agencies serving the region's $268 billion economy and 3.3 million residents. The Water Authority is executing a long‑term strategy to diversify the region's supplies, make major investments in the region's water delivery and storage system, and improve water use efficiency. Through dynamic leadership, thoughtful planning, and prudent fiscal policies, the Water Authority is cost‑effectively managing the region's water portfolio while continuing to diversify supplies to enhance current and future reliability. The Operations & Maintenance Department The Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Department is responsible for operating the Water Authority's aqueduct delivery system, ensuring facility security and emergency preparedness, and maintaining and managing the fleet and other assets. The department controls water deliveries to meet member agency demands, manages dam and reservoir operations, ensures water quality, oversees water treatment plant and power generation operations, and manages all vehicles, heavy equipment, electro‑mechanical support, and the Asset Management Program (AMP). It complies with all applicable environmental regulations and develops and manages a computerized Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system. The Operations Technology Division The Operations Technology Division supports and maintains the core IT and OT infrastructure that runs the Water Authority’s mission‑critical systems, including enterprise virtualization platforms, clustered storage environments, network and compute resources, and integrated industrial control and communications systems. Routine work involves sustaining and troubleshooting the IT/OT‑aligned operational technology stack, providing design and construction support for capital improvement projects, and offering technical assistance to the Aqueduct Protection Program. The Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate for the Senior Information Systems Analyst (Operational Technology) is a highly skilled IT/OT professional who thrives in complex technical environments and who is motivated by safeguarding critical infrastructure. Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex system issues and improve system performance. Knowledge of information systems, industrial control systems, standard network architectures, and common OT protocols. Experience applying cybersecurity principles in operational environments, including system hardening, monitoring, and compliance. Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, operations, cybersecurity, integrators, and field staff. Skill in leading technical aspects of multi‑disciplinary projects, including system upgrades and major capital improvement work. Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences. A proactive, forward‑thinking approach and the ability to work independently in a mission‑critical environment. Senior Information Systems Analyst (Operational Technology) – Key Responsibilities The Senior Information Systems Analyst (Operational Technology) serves as the technical lead for OT architecture, cybersecurity, and system reliability. It collaborates closely with engineering, operations, cybersecurity, and field staff to design and maintain resilient control system infrastructures across geographically distributed facilities. OT Infrastructure Administration – Maintains and optimizes physical and virtual servers, storage systems, networks, and ICT components; administers firewalls, switches, routers, secure remote access, and redundant communication paths. Reliability, Redundancy & Disaster Recovery – Implements high‑availability strategies, conducts failover testing, and maintains backup and recovery procedures to support operational continuity. Troubleshooting & Optimization – Diagnoses complex issues across hardware, software, networks, and OT systems; implements corrective actions and system enhancements. Documentation & Governance – Maintains detailed system documentation, network diagrams, configuration records, and assists in developing policies for security, reliability, configuration management, and disaster recovery. Cybersecurity & Compliance – Implements industry‑specific security controls, manages network segmentation, oversees intrusion detection measures, and ensures compliance with cybersecurity requirements for OT environments. Distinguishing Characteristics The Senior Information Systems Analyst (Operational Technology) is an advanced, journey‑level class. Incumbents work independently, exercising judgment and initiative, and serve in a project‑lead capacity on an ongoing basis or provide technical and functional direction over lower‑level staff. Configure, implement, and maintain physical and virtual server infrastructure, enterprise virtualization platforms and storage systems (SAN/NAS) Perform full lifecycle management for services, storage, and network infrastructure, including patching, firmware updates, configuration backups, vulnerability remediation, equipment replacement planning, and performance optimization Implement and maintain hardware, software, and firmware upgrades to meet operational and cybersecurity requirements Administer routers, switches, firewalls, secure remote access, and redundant communication paths to ensure reliable OT connectivity across geographically distributed facilities Perform network design, security, and troubleshooting of overall OT network related problems; conduct network performance monitoring, bandwidth and capacity analysis, and ensure overall OT network reliability Implement OT cybersecurity measures consistent with industry standards (ISA/IEC 62443) Configure, implement, maintain, and test high availability and failover strategies to ensure operational continuity; conduct periodic recovery and failover tests to validate resiliency Administer, configure, maintain, and monitor intrusion detection systems, network monitoring tools, and log aggregation platforms to detect abnormal activity and maintain system security Collaborate with staff from various departments and outside agencies to facilitate upgrades and solve program, system, operational, and procedural problems; analyze problems and recommend corrective action; design, develop and implement solutions; coordinate system activities Monitor platform performance, system logs, and application health to proactively identify and resolve issues affecting reliability or security; implement and maintain OT backup, restore, and disaster‑recovery processes Administer identity and access management; manage and maintain secure active directory integration; design, enforce, and audit role‑based access control models to ensure appropriate access Review engineering plans and specifications for new facilities and capital improvement projects; provide guidance and design recommendations to align with OT standards and cybersecurity requirements Track contracts and agreements for software, hardware, support services, and equipment; participate in procurement processes; coordinate work from vendors, integrators, and contractors to ensure compliance with established OT standards, uptime requirements, and security protocols Develop and maintain system documentation, configuration records, network diagrams, and user guides; create automated reports for internal and external customers Assist with development, implementation, and enforcement of policies related to network reliability, security, backups, and disaster recovery May participate in design and maintenance of Human Machine Interface (HMI) applications to enhance operator situational awareness and system usability May perform testing, commissioning, and startup support for new facilities and control system upgrades while maintaining system reliability and operational continuity Working Hours and Schedule Employees assigned to work at the Escondido office work a 4/10 schedule, Monday–Thursday, during normal business hours. Normal business hours are 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Qualifications Equivalent to a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in information technology, computer science, or a closely related field supplemented by five (5) years of progressively responsible professional experience in supporting information systems or operational systems. Formal cybersecurity training specific to OT is highly desired. Licenses and Other Requirements A valid California driver’s license and the ability to maintain insurability under the Water Authority’s vehicle insurance policy. Desirable certifications include Cisco, VMware, ISA/IEC‑62443 cybersecurity, Security Systems Certified Practitioner (SSCP), or other relevant credentials. Must successfully complete a physical and drug test after a contingent offer of employment. Employees in this classification are subject to on‑call duty. Equal Opportunity Employer Statement The San Diego County Water Authority is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy status), gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability (whether perceived or actual), ancestry, military or veteran status, citizenship status, medical condition, and/or national origin. #J-18808-Ljbffr County of San Diego