SCADA Systems Engineer

Our client is seeking a SCADA Support Engineer with 5+ years of experience, preferably within the Midstream Oil & Gas industry, to join their SCADA Support team. This role serves as a primary support resource and subject matter expert for the organization’s Ignition SCADA platform and associated communication infrastructure, ensuring the reliability, performance, and availability of critical operational data systems.

The SCADA Support Engineer will be responsible for administering and maintaining Ignition gateways, tags, alarms, security configurations, and HMI screens, while also supporting and maintaining OPC-based polling engines such as AutoSol ACM. This individual will monitor and troubleshoot communication health across the SCADA environment, independently diagnosing and resolving polling failures, communication loss events, and connectivity issues between field RTUs, PLCs, and the enterprise SCADA platform. The role requires leading root-cause investigations for recurring issues, identifying systemic reliability improvements, and optimizing communication and polling performance to support operational excellence.

In addition, this position will develop and implement automation solutions, reporting tools, and data visualization enhancements within Ignition to improve operational efficiency and user experience. Responsibilities include performing system upgrades, patches, and platform improvements to maintain security, stability, and performance. The engineer will also create and maintain technical documentation, including troubleshooting guides, configuration records, support procedures, known issue logs, and system standards.

The successful candidate will work closely with operations, engineering, control room personnel, and other support resources to ensure effective support and continuous improvement of SCADA systems. They will verify that appropriate Management of Change (MOC) documentation is in place before implementing changes to regulated systems and execute control room management activities as required by applicable regulatory standards. Additional responsibilities include providing end-user support and training, authoring and enforcing enterprise SCADA standards and guidelines, supporting project implementation activities, and participating in an on-call rotation to address critical after-hours communication, visibility, and alarm-related issues. Strong expertise in Ignition administration, AutoSol ACM or similar OPC platforms, industrial communications, scripting, databases, and troubleshooting within a production SCADA environment is required, along with excellent communication skills and the ability to perform effectively under time-sensitive conditions.

Pay: $70-80 an hour based on years of experience Candidates must be willing to work hybrid in the Woodlands

Skills and Requirements

5+ years of experience supporting SCADA systems, including hands-on administration of Ignition and an OPC-based polling engine such as AutoSol ACM.

Oil and gas industry experience required, with Midstream operations experience strongly preferred.

Strong hands-on experience administering Ignition within a production SCADA environment.

Direct experience supporting AutoSol ACM or comparable OPC server technologies such as Kepware or Matrikon.

Proven ability to independently diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve communication issues while leading root-cause analysis efforts in a production SCADA environment.

Strong understanding of SCADA architecture, industrial control systems, PLCs, and communications infrastructure (Allen-Bradley experience preferred).

Experience with Python, including Ignition’s Jython scripting environment, and PowerShell for automation and system administration tasks.

Strong SQL and database management experience, including historian and data acquisition systems.

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent, high-priority support activities while collaborating effectively with technical teams and operational stakeholders.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively under pressure.

Experience developing, implementing, and enforcing enterprise SCADA standards and best practices.

Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and make sound technical decisions with minimal supervision.

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline preferred. Equivalent hands-on experience supporting enterprise SCADA systems, industrial communications, and oil and gas operations will be considered in lieu of a degree. Compensation level will be based on relevant education, technical expertise, and industry experience.