Operational Technology (OT) Controls Engineer

KING INDUSTRIES

JOB DESCRIPTION

Process Controls Engineer- Operational Technology

Location: Norwalk, CT (Onsite 5 Days per week)

King Industries is seeking an experienced Process Controls & Operational Technology (OT) Engineer to support, maintain, and improve the automation and operational technology systems that drive manufacturing operations at our Norwalk, Connecticut facility.

This position is responsible for the reliability, performance, security, and continuous improvement of distributed control systems (DCS), OT infrastructure, industrial networks, process historians, and associated manufacturing technologies. The successful candidate will play a key role in the Company's ongoing transition from Siemens APACS to Siemens PCS 7 control systems and will be expected to develop increasing technical ownership of the site's automation platforms.

The ideal candidate has hands-on experience with Siemens PCS 7 in an industrial manufacturing environment, preferably in the chemical industry. Experience supporting Siemens APACS is highly desirable because this role will contribute significantly to the Company’s multi-year migration from legacy APACS controls to PCS 7. The position also offers opportunities to grow into technical leadership and assume broader departmental responsibilities.

Skills Required:

• Regular and consistent attendance at our Norwalk location is required.
• Excellent verbal/ written communication & teamwork abilities.
• High level of competence in the use of PC/ Servers for business and technical applications.
• Excellent organization skills, persistence, good judgment, and attention to detail.
• Knowledge and mechanical ability to design and troubleshoot networking and routing issues at a chemical facility.
• Knowledge of Process Historians and report generation based on data collection.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Chemical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology (IT) Operational Technology (OT), or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience supporting industrial automation, process control systems, operational technology, or manufacturing systems.
• Demonstrated experience supporting DCS, PLC, SCADA, or industrial control systems in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of routing protocols (e.g., OSPF, EIGRP) and VLAN configuration.
• Strong knowledge of system controls, programmable logic controllers, and instrumentation.
• Familiarity with industrial networking standards (e.g., Ethernet/IP, Modbus).
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Experience:

• Direct experience with Siemens PCS 7 process control systems.
• Experience supporting Siemens APACS systems.
• Experience within chemical, specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, or batch manufacturing operations.
• Knowledge of process instrumentation, control valves, VFDs, analyzers, and field devices.
• Experience with industrial cybersecurity principles and standards.
• Experience with virtualization platforms, process historians, backup systems, and disaster recovery planning.
• Experience leading automation projects and coordinating external system integrators.
• Familiarity with ISA standards, PSM programs, and manufacturing regulatory requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and deploy network architectures for OT environments, including routing protocols, VLANs, and subnetting.
• Configure and manage network devices (routers, switches, firewalls) to optimize performance and reliability.
• Design infrastructure improvements to increase data throughput within the plant.
• Deploy new infrastructure to help advance capital projects and complete jobs within the plant.
• Understand the connections between the process buildings and how the associated buildings communicate with each other.
• Conduct regular network assessments and audits to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement.
• Troubleshoot and resolve network issues, ensuring minimal downtime in production environments.
• Collaborate with IT teams to integrate OT and IT networks where applicable.
• Maintain detailed documentation of network configurations, processes, and security protocols.
• Ensure compliance with industry regulations and standards relevant to the chemical sector.
• Maintain the Process Historian and reports that are generated and distributed to personnel for process tracking.
• Ensure reports are maintained accurately and in compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including operations, engineering, and IT, to support network requirements.
• Provide training and support to personnel on network best practices and cybersecurity awareness.
• Support company-wide quality and environmental initiatives in compliance with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Experience:

• Network engineering: 5 years (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Norwalk, CT 06850 (Required)

Work Location: In person