Senior Controls Specialist

Zerra DC; Western Downs Regional; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Zerra is delivering hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, with Western Downs Digital Park in regional Queensland. The Senior Controls Specialist will lead mechanical and electrical controls, SCADA and OT security across design, commissioning and handover, coordinating with consultants, vendors and operations to ensure reliable, energy-efficient campus operations.

The role requires a decade of hands-on experience in controls systems for data centres or industrial settings, proven

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Controls/Automation or closely related field.
• 10+ years of experience in controls, automation or SCADA design/delivery in data centres, mission-critical facilities or major industrial environments.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical/electrical controls, BMS, EPMS, PLC and SCADA architectures and their integration.
• Experience developing sequences of operation, points lists, controls narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, network architecture and system interface requirements.
• Experience managing controls systems through design, vendor selection, software development, testing, commissioning, handover.
• Working knowledge of common industrial/building-controls communication protocols and resilient OT networks.
• Awareness of OT cybersecurity, access control, network segregation, configuration management and change-control requirements.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills coordinating consultants, contractors, vendors, and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability with disciplined technical documentation.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the controls philosophy, architecture, design criteria and technical standards for mechanical, electrical and SCADA systems across WDDP.
• Develop and review controls schematics, network architecture, points lists, sequences of operation, cause-and-effect matrices, alarm strategies and interface schedules.
• Coordinate integration across building management systems, electrical power monitoring systems, plant controls and SCADA.
• Ensure controls designs meet availability, resilience, redundancy, maintainability, energy performance and operational visibility.
• Lead technical interface management between controls systems and electrical, mechanical, fire, security and OT systems.
• Review consultant and vendor submissions for Zerra requirements and approved project design.
• Support procurement through technical specifications, bid evaluations and vendor selection.
• Identify and resolve design risks, interface gaps and data-quality issues affecting programme and handover.
• Coordinate OT cybersecurity requirements with stakeholders and ensure proper network segregation and governance.
• Define testing and commissioning requirements including factory, site acceptance, functional and integrated testing.
• Support construction, commissioning and handover teams with issue resolution, training and documentation.
• Drive standardisation, lessons learned and continuous improvement across controls design and vendor solutions.

Skills

Controls engineering

SCADA systems

BMS/EPMS

Systems integration

Technical documentation

Stakeholder coordination

OT cybersecurity awareness

Education

Electrical Engineering degree

Controls/Automation engineering degree

Job description

Zerra develops and operates hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, Japan and India, delivering capacity at scale into markets driven by the growth of cloud and AI. Zerra's flexible campus developments support hyperscale and neocloud organisations, enabling some of the world's fastest-scaling technology businesses to grow with certainty and ambition.

At Zerra, we empower exceptional people to challenge convention, drive innovation and make a real impact in digital infrastructure. Our culture fuses entrepreneurial agility with global expertise, enabling our teams to deliver results that matter.

We believe that diverse perspectives, inclusive leadership and equitable opportunities are essential to building stronger teams and better outcomes. We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and empowered to thrive.

Zerra is part of AGP, an independently owned investor and asset manager that develops and operates real assets across the energy, digital and real estate sectors.

Western Downs Digital Park

Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a master-planned digital and energy precinct in regional Queensland, developed and operated by Zerra. Planned across multiple delivery phases, WDDP brings together AI-ready data centres, energy infrastructure and a purpose-built campus environment.

Located close to major power infrastructure within the Western Downs Special Industry Area, WDDP represents a major investment in Queensland's digital future and an opportunity to help deliver the critical infrastructure supporting the continued growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

Job Description

The Senior Controls Specialist will provide technical leadership for the mechanical controls, electrical controls and SCADA systems required across WDDP. Reporting to the Technical Director, the role will define the controls architecture, integration requirements and technical standards that enable safe, reliable and efficient operation of the campus and its critical infrastructure.

The role will coordinate controls interfaces across building management, electrical power monitoring, plant control and supervisory systems from design through commissioning and handover. It will work closely with design consultants, equipment vendors, systems integrators, construction teams, commissioning specialists and operations stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define and maintain the controls philosophy, architecture, design criteria and technical standards for mechanical, electrical and SCADA systems across WDDP.
• Develop and review controls schematics, network architecture, points lists, sequences of operation, cause-and-effect matrices, alarm strategies and interface schedules.
• Coordinate integration across building management systems, electrical power monitoring systems, plant controls, PLC-based systems, SCADA and relevant equipment-level controllers.
• Ensure controls designs support the required levels of availability, resilience, redundancy, maintainability, energy performance and operational visibility.
• Lead technical interface management between controls systems and electrical, mechanical, high-voltage, energy-storage, fire, security, communications and operational technology systems.
• Review consultant, contractor, vendor and systems-integrator submissions for compliance with Zerra requirements and the approved project design.
• Support procurement through technical specifications, bid evaluations, tender clarifications, vendor selection and scope alignment for controls packages and systems integration.
• Identify and resolve controls design risks, interface gaps, data-quality issues, change impacts and dependencies affecting programme, cost, commissioning or operability.
• Coordinate operational technology and cybersecurity requirements with relevant technology and security stakeholders, ensuring appropriate network segregation, access and governance.
• Define testing and commissioning requirements, including factory testing, site acceptance testing, functional performance testing and integrated systems testing.
• Support construction, commissioning and handover teams with technical issue resolution, defects close-out, training requirements and operational documentation.
• Drive standardisation, lessons learned and continuous improvement across controls design, vendor solutions and system configuration.

Experience, Skills and Competencies

• Degree qualification in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• At least 10 years of experience in controls, automation or SCADA design and delivery within data centres, mission-critical facilities, energy infrastructure or major industrial environments.
• Strong technical knowledge across mechanical controls, electrical controls, BMS, EPMS, PLC and SCADA architectures and their integration.
• Demonstrated experience developing sequences of operation, points schedules, controls narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, network architecture and system interface requirements.
• Experience managing controls systems through design, vendor selection, software development, testing, commissioning, integrated systems testing and handover.
• Working knowledge of common industrial and building-controls communication protocols and the principles of resilient operational technology networks.
• Strong understanding of multidisciplinary interfaces between controls, electrical, mechanical, fire, security, communications and facility operations.
• Awareness of operational technology cybersecurity, access control, network segregation, configuration management and change-control requirements.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate consultants, contractors, vendors, systems integrators and operational stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, supported by disciplined technical documentation and the ability to drive complex issues to closure.