SCADA, Controls, and OT/IT Engineer

Company Description

The Coastal Water Authority (CWA) is a governmental agency serving the regions of Harris, Chambers, and Liberty Counties in Texas. Established in 1967, CWA specializes in providing untreated surface water to major cities, including Houston, Baytown, and Deer Park, as well as to approximately 100 industries and agricultural customers. The organization operates under the governance of a seven-member board, with directors appointed by the Mayor of Houston and the Texas Governor. CWA plays a vital role in meeting the region’s municipal and industrial water needs.

Role Description

Coastal Water Authority is seeking a skilled and motivated SCADA, Instrumentation, Controls, and OT Engineer/Technician to join our team. This mid-level role is ideal for a candidate with strong hands-on experience supporting Operational Technology (OT) environments in a water utility. The successful candidate will also have direct experience configuring and programming instrumentation and control hardware, including PLCs, SCADA, and related automation systems.

This position will play a critical role in maintaining reliable, secure, and modernized control systems while bridging the gap between plant-floor operations and enterprise IT systems.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Technology (OT) Support

Provide hands-on support for OT infrastructure, including but not limited servers, network switches, firewalls, industrial control networks, and cybersecurity segmentation.

Maintain reliable communication between SCADA systems, PLCs, and field instrumentation.

Configure and monitor industrial firewalls, VLANs, VPNs, and cellular/remote access devices to ensure secure connectivity for operations and maintenance staff.

Coordinate with internal IT staff to ensure compatibility of OT systems with enterprise standards while maintaining operational integrity.

Instrumentation & Control (I&C) Engineering

Configure, program, and troubleshoot PLC hardware (Allen-Bradley, GE, Eurotherm, or similar) for water and wastewater process control applications.

Develop, test, and deploy control logic for pumps, valves, VFD, chemical feed, and other process equipment.

Install, calibrate, and maintain process instrumentation (flowmeters, pressure transmitters, level sensors, analyzers, etc.).

Support SCADA system configuration, HMI development, and alarm rationalization.

Participate in commissioning new facilities and equipment upgrades.

Project Support & Compliance

Assist with the design and documentation of I&C and OT upgrades in alignment with utility standards.

Collaborate with consultants, integrators, and vendors during design, construction, and start-up phases.

Ensure compliance with cybersecurity, regulatory, and utility policies regarding control systems and data handling.

Provide training and technical support for operations staff on new control features and systems.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or related discipline; equivalent technical experience may be considered.

Minimum 5 years of professional experience in water/wastewater utility operations, industrial automation system support.

Technical Skills

Proficiency with PLC configuration and programming (Rockwell/Allen-Bradley CompactLogix/ControlLogix and Eurotherm/ Watlow PLC preferred).

Experience with SCADA/HMI systems (VTScada, AVEVA/Wonderware, or similar).

Working knowledge of process instrumentation (pressure, flow, level, chemical analysis).

Strong understanding of OT networking (EtherNet/IP, Modbus TCP, OPC-UA) and IT principles (Active Directory, patch management, backups).

Familiarity with NIST or ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity frameworks for industrial control systems.

Experience supporting cellular routers, VPNs, and secure remote access solutions.

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting ability with both hardware and software.

Effective communication skills for working with operations, IT, and engineering teams.

Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a utility environment.

Commitment to teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Certifications

Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT).

Rockwell Automation, Eurotherm, or Schneider PLC programming certifications.

CompTIA Security+, Cisco CCNA, or equivalent networking/security certification.

ISA Certified Automation Professional (CAP) or Certified Control Systems Technician (CCST).

Working Conditions

Field and office work, including exposure to treatment plant and pump station environments.

Occasional night, weekend, or on-call work may be required to support operational needs.