Lead Consultant - OT Network Device Engineer

We are seeking an OT Network Device Engineer to support a manufacturing customer’s OT network device environment through an initial reactive support and stabilization model. The engineer will focus on assigned OT network device support tickets, including Ewon remote access connectivity issues, OT switch/firewall troubleshooting, and network connectivity issues south of the IT/OT firewall. This role is intended to help the customer address immediate operational support gaps while also building better visibility into selected sites, recurring issues, device readiness, and future candidates for proactive monitoring or subscription-based support. This role is focused on OT network device support and does not include ownership of PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, historians, production applications, industrial control system logic, or production uptime unless separately scoped.

• Provide remote reactive support for assigned OT network device tickets through the customer’s existing ticketing process.
• Troubleshoot Ewon remote access connectivity issues, including device reachability, loss of connectivity, access path validation, and coordination with customer or site contacts when onsite action is required.
• Troubleshoot OT switches, firewalls, VLANs, interfaces, routing handoffs, firewall rules, and basic OT network connectivity issues.
• Support connectivity troubleshooting south of the IT/OT firewall, up to the OT network device interface.
• Work with customer IT resources when issues involve dependencies such as Cisco ISE, firewall policy, SD-WAN, routing, remote access, endpoint/network access control, or other shared IT/OT infrastructure.
• Review available site diagrams, network documentation, device inventories, access methods, and site contact information.
• Use available time between tickets to support initial site/device discovery, documentation review, and identification of recurring support patterns.
• Help identify candidate sites for future onboarding into proactive monitoring and subscription support.
• Document troubleshooting actions, findings, risk areas, support gaps, and recommended follow-up actions.
• Operate within agreed support boundaries, change-control expectations, escalation paths, and customer approval processes.
• Escalate issues outside the agreed scope, including PLCs, SCADA, HMIs, historians, production applications, vendor-managed systems, industrial control system logic, and production process issues., The engineer’s initial focus will be reactive support and stabilization, including:
• Ewon connectivity troubleshooting.
• OT switch and firewall troubleshooting.
• Remote connectivity support south of the IT/OT firewall.
• Review of available site diagrams and documentation.
• Initial site/device discovery as time allows.
• Identification of recurring issues and support patterns.
• Recommendations for candidate sites to onboard into a future monitoring model.
• Future / Onboarded Site Support Focus

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Sponsorship not available., * Strong hands-on network troubleshooting experience with switches, firewalls, VLANs, trunk/access ports, routing basics, ACLs, interface troubleshooting, and remote connectivity.

• Experience supporting network equipment in manufacturing, industrial, plant, or OT-adjacent environments.
• Cisco networking experience, including switch troubleshooting/configuration and coordination with firewall or access-control teams.
• Ability to troubleshoot remote access issues involving Ewon or similar industrial/vendor remote access appliances.
• Ability to distinguish OT network device issues from PLC, SCADA, HMI, production application, or industrial control system issues.
• Comfortable working in environments with incomplete documentation, inconsistent site maturity, and mixed local technical capability.
• Strong documentation skills, including the ability to capture troubleshooting steps, device information, site notes, escalation paths, and recurring issue patterns.
• Ability to communicate clearly with service desk teams, IT network teams, site personnel, vendors, OT stakeholders, and non-networking resources who may be assisting locally.
• Strong understanding of change-control discipline in production or plant environments, including the need for approval before production-impacting changes.
• Experience with Cisco Industrial Ethernet platforms, Cisco IE-series switches, or similar industrialized networking equipment.
• Familiarity with Rockwell/Stratix-adjacent environments and industrial networking concepts.
• Understanding of Purdue Model concepts and practical IT/OT demarcation boundaries.
• Familiarity with industrial protocols and networking behaviors such as EtherNet/IP, PTP/CIP Sync, DLR/REP ring resiliency, QoS, and OT segmentation concepts.
• Experience with Cisco ISE, TrustSec/SGT, Catalyst Center, Cisco Cyber Vision, ThousandEyes, Secure Equipment Access, Claroty or similar visibility, access-control, or monitoring platforms.
• Ability to produce or update basic L2/L3 diagrams, port maps, VLAN summaries, device inventories, connectivity notes, and as-built documentation.
• Experience operating under pre-check, post-check, rollback planning, and controlled maintenance/change windows in production environments.

The final salary or hourly wage, as applicable, paid to each candidate/applicant for this position is ultimately dependent on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the candidate’s/applicant’s qualifications, skills, and level of experience as well as the geographical location of the position.

Why Hays?

You will be working with a professional recruiter who has intimate knowledge of the industry and market trends. Your Hays recruiter will lead you through a thorough screening process in order to understand your skills, experience, needs, and drivers. You will also get support on resume writing, interview tips, and career planning, so when there’s a position you really want, you’re fully prepared to get it.

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Hays is committed to building a thriving culture of diversity that embraces people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better we serve our candidates, clients, and employees. We are an equal employment opportunity employer, and we comply with all applicable laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, creed, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, genetic information, HIV-positive status, as well as any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. One of Hays’ guiding principles is ‘do the right thing’. We also believe that actions speak louder than words. In that regard, we train our staff on ensuring inclusivity throughout the entire recruitment process and counsel our clients on these principles. If you have any questions about Hays or any of our processes, please contact us.

In accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law protecting qualified individuals with known disabilities, Hays will attempt to reasonably accommodate those individuals unless doing so would create an undue hardship on the company. Any qualified applicant or consultant with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job should call or text 813.336.5570.