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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Data Center Controls Network Engineer - **Company:** OpenAI Inc. - **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $257,000.0 - $327,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Systems Engineering, Microsoft Azure, Configuration Management, CompTIA Security+, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, Network Congestion, Data Centers, Relational Databases, Software Design Documents, Ethernet, Failover, Firmware, Hot Standby Router Protocol, Network Topologies, Hyper-V, Networking Hardware, IP Addressing, Internet Protocol Security (IP SEC), Subnetting, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), Python (Programming Language), Network Layer, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, Modbus, MySQL, Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Network Architecture, Network Diagrams, Network Planning and Design, Routing, Network Segmentation, Network Service, Network Administration, Network Time Protocols, Remote Access Technology, Ansible, OPC Unified Architecture, Simple Network Management Protocols, Storage Virtualization, Syslog, Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), Virtual Local Area Networks, Virtual Router Redundancy Protocols, Network Routers, Scripting, Computer Networking Systems, Computer Network Operations, Test Scripts, Firewalls (Computer Science), Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Juniper, Git, Templating, Low Latency, Bacnet, Enterprise Integration, Terraform, Open Network Automation Platform, Cisco Switches, Cisco, Server Operating Systems & Platforms, Vmware - **Published:** July 12, 2026 - **Apply:** https://diversityjobs.com/main/sendform/8/8/28176/1/14148252?backUrl=%2Fcareer%2F14148252%2FData-Center-Controls-Engineer-California-San-Francisco ## About the Role The ideal candidate has strong hands-on experience in mission-critical OT environments, including industrial networking, virtualized infrastructure, and OT network operations, with expertise in routing, switching, segmentation, firewall policy, time synchronization, monitoring, and network lifecycle support., * 8+ years of relevant experience in controls engineering, industrial automation, OT networking, mission-critical facilities, or similar critical infrastructure environments. * Strong expertise in resilient OT network architecture, implementation, troubleshooting, and lifecycle support. * Experience with OT/IT boundary design, secure enterprise integration, firewall policy design, redundant topologies, out-of-band management, and monitoring. * Hands-on experience with Layer 3 OT network design, including IP addressing, subnetting, routing, VRFs, ACLs, inter-VLAN traffic control, and network segmentation. * Hands-on experience with Layer 2 security and switching controls, including MACsec, port security, loop prevention, and switch-level access control. * Hands-on experience in designing resilient OT network topologies using industrial redundancy protocols and architectures such as PRP, HSR, Cisco REP, RSTP/MSTP, and ring or star topologies. * Hands-on experience in designing resilient infrastructure network architectures using HSRP/VRRP, spine-leaf topologies, redundant uplinks, and failure-domain isolation. * Hands-on experience with industrial and infrastructure network equipment such as Cisco switches/routers, Juniper switches/routers, Palo Alto firewalls, Rockwell Automation Stratix switches, Siemens Ruggedcom or comparable industrial networking platforms. * Experience with network management and observability platforms such as Cisco Catalyst Center (DNA Center), Palo Alto Panorama, Juniper Mist, industrial NMS tools, packet brokers, and OT monitoring platforms. * Hands-on experience with industrial Ethernet, VPN tunneling, IPsec-based connectivity, and secure remote access. * Hands-on experience with virtualized OT or controls server environments such as VMware vSAN, Microsoft Azure Stack HCI / Hyper-V, or comparable infrastructure platforms. * Experience with industrial communication and OT infrastructure protocols, including BACnet/IP, BACnet MSTP, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, IEC-61850 MMS/GOOSE, MQTT, SNMP, syslog, NTP/PTP, IRIG-B, and vendor-specific interfaces, and strong understanding of their behavior across OT network architectures. * Experience reviewing and producing technical design documentation, commissioning plans, and acceptance test procedures. * Experience with factory witnessed testing, site acceptance testing, failover testing, telemetry validation, protocol compatibility testing, and root-cause analysis. * Ability to use logs, packet captures, and field observations to make sound technical decisions and communicate risk clearly. * Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline. Preferred Skills * Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Network Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related discipline. * Experience leading multi-campus OT network integration, commissioning, and operations across cross-functional teams, contractors, vendors, and delivery partners. * Relevant networking certifications such as Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Palo Alto PCNSA/PCNSE, Juniper JNCIA/JNCIS, or similar networking credentials. * Cybersecurity certifications such as CISSP, GICSP, ISA/IEC 62443, CompTIA Security+, or similar cybersecurity credentials are a plus. * Experience with network automation, Git-based configuration management, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using tools such as Ansible, Terraform, Python, or similar to support scalable OT network deployment and lifecycle management. * Experience with scripting, APIs, and automation workflows that improve OT network operations. * Experience using AI agents or MCP-connected tools to support telemetry analysis,and troubleshooting. * Experience with relational database systems such as PostgreSQL, SQL Server, MySQL, or similar platforms used for OT telemetry, historian integrations, troubleshooting, and reporting. Work Environment and Travel * This role requires periodic travel to data center campuses, vendors, labs, construction sites, commissioning activities, and controls/network cutovers. * The engineer should be comfortable working across office, lab, construction, and live data center environments, including PPE, lockout/tagout, cyber hygiene, and change-control requirements. * Work may include time-sensitive support during commissioning, startup, vendor testing, cutovers, network changes, telemetry issues, automation failures, and operational events. ## Description As a Data Center Controls Network Engineer, you will design, validate, and scale the controls and OT network architectures that support high-density AI data centers. You will work across controls systems, OT infrastructure, telemetry, commissioning, deployment, and operations, partnering with mechanical, electrical, IT/networking, security, and external delivery teams., We are seeking a mid to senior OT Network Engineer with a strong controls systems background to lead the design and operation of resilient, secure, and scalable OT network architectures for high-density AI data centers. This role translates compute, power, cooling, and operational requirements into practical OT network designs, evaluates vendor solutions, and drives technical decisions across controls infrastructure, telemetry, commissioning, and operations., * Define controls, automation, and OT network requirements for AI data center campuses. * Develop reference architectures, engineering standards, and reusable design templates. * Review and develop basis-of-design and functional design documents, including OT network diagrams, IP/VLAN schemes, telemetry architectures, data flow diagrams, and commissioning requirements. * Design OT and infrastructure network architectures, including physical topology, logical topology, IP addressing, subnetting, VLANs, routing, switching, redundancy, segmentation, firewall policy coordination, out-of-band management, monitoring, and remote access patterns. * Develop day-two network operations requirements, including change management, configuration backups, golden configurations, monitoring thresholds, firmware lifecycle, rollback plans, and post-change validation. * Partner with electrical, mechanical, IT/networking, security, and operations teams to ensure OT network systems align with GPU deployments, campus-wide telemetry, and failure-domain isolation requirements. * Define integration patterns and protocol requirements across BACnet/IP, BACnet MSTP, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, IEC-61850 MMS/GOOSE, MQTT, SNMP, syslog, NTP/PTP, IRIG-B, and vendor-specific interfaces. * Lead technical evaluation of controls integrators, network equipment suppliers, design consultants, contractors, and commissioning agents * Review network equipment submittals, configurations, firmware assumptions, certifications, test reports, and quality documentation. * Support factory witnessed testing (FWT), site acceptance testing, network readiness checks, failover testing, and integrated systems testing. * Troubleshoot complex controls network issues including packet loss, latency, duplicate IPs, routing errors, firewall drops, protocol incompatibilities, time synchronization drift, and intermittent device communication failures. ## Related Videos - [How Cisco embraced a DevOps culture within its network engineering team](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/99-how-cisco-embraced-a-devops-culture-within-its-network-engineering-team) - [How a Small Team Shrank a Microsoft Monorepo by 94%](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1236-how-a-small-team-shrank-a-microsoft-monorepo-by-94) - [MySQL Protocol Features You Should Be Aware Of](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100267-mysql-protocol-features-you-should-be-aware-of) - [What makes Cybersecurity different for critical infrastructure?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/571-what-makes-cybersecurity-different-for-critical-infrastructure) - [Your Infrastructure Is Not a Playground: AI Agents for Infra Done Right](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2084-your-infrastructure-is-not-a-playground-ai-agents-for-infra-done-right) - [Branch your database like your code: How schema changes and pull requests go hand in hand](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/350-branch-your-database-like-your-code-how-schema-changes-and-pull-requests-go-hand-in-hand) ## Related Articles - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [Best US AI Conferences for CTOs in 2026: Build vs. Buy, Vendor Evaluation, and Peer Intelligence](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/736-best-us-ai-conferences-for-ctos-in-2026-build-vs-buy-vendor-evaluation-and-peer-intelligence) - [Highest Paying Tech Companies for Developers](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/220-highest-paying-tech-companies-for-developers) - [DevOps Engineer Salary [2023]](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/203-devops-engineer-salary-2023) - [The Most Popular IT Jobs on the Market](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/376-the-most-popular-it-jobs-on-the-market) - [Fully Remote Software Engineer Jobs](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/447-fully-remote-software-engineer-jobs)