Industrial Controls Infrastructure Engineer
Posted
Summary
Senior engineer embedded at UNC-Chapel Hill's Energy Services cogeneration plant, designing, integrating, and maintaining 24/7 industrial control systems (SCADA, DCS, PLCs) and OT networks for campus utilities, with a focus on reliability, lifecycle management, resiliency, and security.
Job Title: Industrial Controls Infrastructure Engineer
Salary Range: $115,000 - $125,000
Full-time, benefits-eligible position
Number of Vacancies
This position is looking to fill more than one vacancy for this position.
This position is looking to fill more than one vacancy for this position.
Position Summary
The selected candidate will be employed by the School of Government Services (SOG Services), but their work location and reporting responsibilities will be at Energy Services, Co‑Generation Plant. SOG Services assists faculty and staff at the UNC School of Government in carrying out its important mission: to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. As a nonprofit organization and an official affiliated entity of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, SOG Services also contributes to advancing UNC-Chapel Hill’s broader mission of academic excellence, research, and public service.
The Energy Services Department consists of five groups: Cogeneration Systems (CG), Electric Distribution Systems (EDS), Chilled Water Systems (CWS), Water/Wastewater/Stormwater (WWS), and Administration (ES‑Admin).
This position serves as a senior engineering technical resource within the Industrial Controls Infrastructure Engineering (I&C) group, responsible for design, integration, reliability, and lifecycle management of industrial control systems supporting 24/7 operations. The role focuses on OT environments including SCADA, DCS, PLCs, and plant automation networks across campus utilities. This position acts as a technical liaison supporting system architecture, performance, resiliency, and security.
This position serves as a senior engineering technical resource within the Industrial Controls Infrastructure Engineering (I&C) group, responsible for design, integration, reliability, and lifecycle management of industrial control systems supporting 24/7 operations. The role focuses on OT environments including SCADA, DCS, PLCs, and plant automation networks across campus utilities. This position acts as a technical liaison supporting system architecture, performance, resiliency, and security.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
- Serve as subject matter expert in control-system infrastructure.
- Identify system reliability issues and implement solutions.
- Evaluate technologies and recommend modernization.
- Lead integration with reporting and analytics tools.
Control Systems Infrastructure Support & Administration
- Configure system interfaces and data connections.
- Develop solutions to improve efficiency.
- Maintain system documentation.
Operational Technology (OT) Systems Support
- Provide advanced troubleshooting of control systems.
- Manage lifecycle of control-system platforms.
- Support operations during critical events.
- Administer SCADA and OT systems.
- Ensure system resiliency and backup validation.
Project & Stakeholder Coordination
- Coordinate with internal and campus IT stakeholders.
- Provide technical consultation.
- Participate in vendor coordination.
- Support change management and planning.
Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field.
- 3–5 years of experience with OT infrastructure.
- Experience with industrial OT systems.
- Strong troubleshooting and analytical skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Strong communication skills.
- Ability to interpret technical diagrams.
Preferred Education & Experience
- Advanced degree in Engineering, or related field and six to ten years of progressively responsible experience supporting large-scale, mission-critical OT infrastructure, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) or ITIL foundation certification.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.
Note
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.