SCADA System Technician (AVEVA System Platform, Ignition, Modicon M580)

SCADA Engineer (aka Systems Integrator, Automation Engineer, PLC Programmer, Controls Engineer)

You'll be part of our team supporting customers in Southern California with SCADA screen development, device configuration, and PLC programming for Water, Wastewater, and Electric Power Utilities.

**Pay: $44-72/hr (**with benefits estimated total of $110,000-$200,000/yr)

Benefits:

• Health insurance allowance
• Hybrid "work from home" for remote development off-site days
• • Paid travel reimbursement for customer site visits
• • Paid special 1.5x and 2x rates for applicable client work (e.g. overtime, urgent, etc.)
• • Paid overnight lodging and meals for applicable overnight stays
• Flexible schedule (giving priority to urgent client tasks, taking days off as needed, rearranging hours worked within a day for doctor's appointments etc.)
• Paid learning opportunities and training courses for learning or certifications
• CalSavers retirement program
• Bonuses for great performance, leadership, quality, and hard work

Schedule: Day shift M-F (start at 7am)

Work on site in Southern California. Our main clients are in the areas of Oceanside, Pasadena, and Big Bear, CA. Paid travel and lodging as applicable.

Requirements:

• SCADA Automation/Control Systems design, development, testing, and commissioning best practices. Object oriented programming best practices.
• Project experience with SCADA Platforms: AVEVA System Platform (ArchestrA IDE) or Ignition v7.9 or v8.1+. SCADA screen design and development, assigning tags, updating bindings, integrating and adding device and UDT instances.
• Experience programming Modicon M580 PLCs (or M340) using EcoStruxure Control Expert (Unity Pro); and/or Allen Bradley PLC's (e.g. CompactLogix, ControlLogix, Legacy SLC 5/05). Design of Add-On Instructions, Function Blocks, etc. For SCADA, design and developing visual and tag templates.

Additional skills you may have:

• Knowledge of water/wastewater industry processes and/or Electric power, voltage, and current relationships, industrial environments
• Degree in Computer Science, Electrical or Power Engineering, Information Systems or similar
• Strong leadership, troubleshooting, customer service, conflict resolution, management and skills
• Excellent technical writing and documentation skills, experience writing proposals and reports for SCADA upgrade projects
• Layer 2 & 3 networking (e.g. RUGGEDCOM switches), good understanding of infrastructure and networking capabilities to design highly resilient systems
• Read & interpret schematic or process drawings to identify, troubleshoot, and repair systems and document updates needed
• Communication protocols - DNP, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP, etc.
• Object oriented programming best practices (e.g. Python, SQL (Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL), Database programming, understanding of RDBMS)
• Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, Google Drive, Google Calendar

Other useful technologies:

• Experience with SEL RTAC and SEL relay integration (SEL QuickSet, AcSELerator RTAC)
• Configuring devices (e.g. Smart Switches, Motor Operator Controllers, S&C Trip Saver Gateways, S&C IntelliRupters, S&C 6801M, Smart Navigator Fault Indicators, etc.)
• Field experience establishing communication via Ethernet Radio networks (GE Orbit MDS, 900 MHz or narrow band, adjusting antennas, monitoring packets with Wireshark and RF analyzer tools)
• Working with related field devices: VFD's, instrumentation, 4-20mA sensors, analyzers.

Soft skills for success:

• Learning new technologies and taking ownership and initiative, drive
• Attention to detail (Device Inventory, IP address lists, Quality Assurance checklists)
• A positive outlook and eagerness to learn while able to give and receive constructive criticism. Strong integrity, honesty, humility, kindness, character.
• A love for problem-solving and the puzzle of engineering
• Ability to collaborate with internal/external teams across various types of businesses
• Ability to handle multiple projects (e.g. working on projects for 2-3 different customers means working on one but remembering to follow up with another that same day, or working on 1 project in the morning and switching gears to work on a different project later that day while waiting for a call back for example)
• Taking ownership and being self-motivated, ability to manage calendar of appointments to set priority for tasks and remember to follow up
• Mentoring and leading other team members, providing technical guidance and reviews
• Being proactive as issues arise
• Work safely and responsibly, withstand outdoor winter and summer temperatures during on site field work, wear appropriate clothing and follow best safety practices
• Demonstrate expertise and communicate well with customers
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills

A brief description of what SCADA Engineers do:

What is SCADA? https://inductiveautomation.com/resources/article/what-is-scada

We build SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems that are used to remotely monitor and control industrial processes and infrastructure, such as for electric power utilities and water utilities. If you imagine Homer Simpson in a control room – we develop the systems, screens, and buttons SCADA operators like him use to monitor and control equipment – though most of our colleagues are seasoned experts, and it's usually us bringing the donuts.

Engineers work on a range of tasks, including:

1. Gathering and analyzing data: The first step in developing a SCADA system is to gather data about the industrial process or infrastructure that will be monitored and controlled. This might involve site visits, measurement and testing, and analysis of existing system design and drawings.

2. System Design: Once sufficient data has been gathered, the engineering team will begin designing the SCADA system. This might involve creating schematics, diagrams, and other documents to detail the system's components and how they will function.

3. System Verification: Once the design is complete, the engineering team might build and verify a test version of the SCADA system “in the office” to ensure that it functions as intended. This might involve testing PLC code, software, and database programming.

4. Installing and commissioning the system: Once the SCADA system has been designed and tested, it will be installed at the industrial site and our engineers travel to site to help with commissioning and troubleshooting. This might involve tasks such as setting up communication networks, installing sensors and other hardware components like PLC’s, and configuring software. After installation, the system will be commissioned, or tested and activated, to ensure that it is working properly.

5. Project close-out: After the project is complete, final drawings that show the wiring and hardware used “as-built” are created, as well as final documentation that describe how to use the system is created. These documents are formally transmitted to the customer as the “deliverables package.”

About Us:

https://www.strategiceasy.com/

Strategic Engineering & Automation Systems

Strategic is a growing SCADA systems integration and engineering services consulting firm. We do controls engineering for water and electric power utilities. We’re adding to our team to support our customers' project needs.

We build fully integrated, information-driven, and sustainable SCADA systems for water, wastewater, electric power, and manufacturing. By sharing our expertise and partnering with customers we are uniquely positioned to help, we deliver quality-assured solutions for real-world problems.

You'll become part of our tight-knit team and learn a variety of skills while working on cutting edge industry projects. We recently designed an HMI system for the United States’ first commercial-scale offshore wind farm: https://www.vineyardwind.com/vineyardwind-1

Values:

Our approach is centered around the following guiding principles:

ALIGNMENT

We set ourselves up for success by reaching a consensus around clear requirements, and then tracking progress by those requirements throughout the project. At the start of each partnership, we invest a thoughtful amount of time understanding our customers’ needs, distilling them into an actionable roadmap, and getting a holistic sense of what project success looks like. By aligning on the goals we’re working towards, we stay on schedule, keep within scope, and better focus everyone’s time and efforts.

TEACHING

Sharing our past successes to help customers make better future decisions is good business for everyone. Whether you want support implementing a tried-and-true solution, experimenting with a state-of-the-art alternative, or learning about emerging technologies, we love sharing our expertise. By drawing from our case studies, we provide our customers with the insights to help them grow – for the current project and beyond.

RELATIONSHIP

Delivering a successful project involves building a deep collaborative relationship with our customers – one where everyone feels comfortable sharing ideas and discussing feedback. No matter what phase of the project we’re in, our customers always have a direct line to our team, and can depend on us to pick up the phone and lend our undivided attention. The size of our team also allows us to focus our expertise on fewer, deeper, customer relationships. We can respond with short lead times, adapt to shifting needs, and deliver our best work.

FOCUS

By fostering a culture of “deep work,” we empower our team to immerse themselves fully in the task at hand, leading to higher efficiency, creativity, quality, and attention to detail. We also help customers pinpoint their true needs to prioritize what matters most. This is why together we share a strategic focus.

These guiding values are the foundation of our work ethic. By embracing these principles, we build lasting relationships, drive innovation, and consistently meet the needs of our customers. They reflect our commitment to excellence and integrity and our shared strategic focus for high quality, sustainable SCADA Systems.

Applications will include a cover letter (as an email to [email protected]) with clear answers to each of the following:

1. Formal resume in PDF format. Indeed format alone will not be accepted.

2. Formal email address and phone number. Indeed format alone will not be accepted.

3. Cover letter and explanation of where you're at currently and what you're hoping to do and learn next in your career. Why did you apply to this position? Why is this the right position for you now?

4. What projects are you currently working on? How might skills utilized in your current and past projects apply to the skills mentioned in the job description? What projects have you done with System Platform (ArchestrA IDE), Ignition, or Modicon M580?

5. Are you able to travel for work on site? Supporting clients in Southern California e.g. Oceanside, Big Bear, Pasadena. (Paid travel and lodging as applicable.)

6. Preferred hourly rate to start, compensation expectations, and where you'd like to be in 1 year. How does this match with your current skill level?

7. Please list the days of the week and time ranges that you're free to talk on the phone to set up an interview

8. If you are not currently in Southern California and are relocating, please explain. e.g. when and where within Southern California.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $110,000.00 - $200,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Irvine, CA 92618