DCS Cyber Security Engineer

Astute People; Warrington; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Cash Plan

Private Medical Insurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Salary exchange pension contributions

Fixed employer pension contribution of

34 days annual leave

Job summary

Astutes Power Team is seeking a Senior OT Engineer to support a fleet of Biomass and Energy from Waste power stations across the United Kingdom. You will provide specialist OT and DCS cybersecurity guidance, risk assessments, and incident management to ensure secure, reliable plant operations.

The role requires a strong DCS/OT engineering background, effective communication of technical topics, and collaboration with IT, security teams and operations to improve resilience and safety across sites.

Qualifications

• Degree at BSc/MSc level in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Strong background in DCS, automation or OT engineering with practical operations experience.
• Fluent in English with the ability to communicate technical and cybersecurity matters clearly.

Responsibilities

• Own and maintain OT cybersecurity risk information, risk registers and asset overviews.
• Carry out cybersecurity risk assessments, define mitigations and track progress.
• Act as technical authority for DCS and OT systems and advise on configuration and changes.
• Represent OT in change approval processes, coordinate patches and remediation actions.
• Support incident response with risk assessment, testing and traceability.
• Collaborate with plant operations, IT/security teams and external suppliers.
• Provide reporting on cybersecurity risks, incidents and compliance status.

Skills

DCS expertise

OT engineering

Cybersecurity risk assessment

Technical communication

Analytical skills

Education

BSc/MSc Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

Astutes Power Team are recruiting for a Senior OT Engineer (Senior Operational Technology Engineer) to support a fleet of Biomass and Energy from Waste Power Stations across the United Kingdom.

Working within the Engineering Team, you'll provide specialist support across DCS and Operational Technology (OT) systems, helping to manage cyber risks, maintain secure and reliable plant operations, and ensure effective change, patch and incident management.

Responsibilities and duties:

• Own and maintain OT cybersecurity risk information, including risk registers, threat assessments and plant asset overviews, ensuring key risks are identified, assessed and appropriately managed.
• Carry out and document cybersecurity risk assessments, define mitigation actions and track progress, escalating high and critical risks where required.
• Act as the technical authority for DCS and OT systems, providing specialist guidance on system configuration, operational impact of changes and recovery following cybersecurity or system incidents.
• Represent OT within change approval processes, assessing proposed changes and coordinating the safe and controlled implementation of patches, vulnerability remediation and other system updates.
• Support incident response activities by assessing technical risks, coordinating actions, and ensuring appropriate testing, documentation and traceability throughout the process.
• Work closely with plant operations, Plant Managers, IT and security teams, and external suppliers to resolve technical and cybersecurity issues and maintain effective communication.
• Provide clear reporting to management on cybersecurity risks, incidents, compliance status, mitigation actions and the overall security position of DCS and OT environments.
• Promote consistent cybersecurity and engineering practices across plant environments, supporting the ongoing improvement of OT resilience, security and operational reliability.

Professional qualifications

• Degree qualified to BSc/MSc level in Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Plant Engineering or a related engineering discipline.
• Strong professional background in DCS, automation or OT engineering, with practical experience supporting industrial plant operations.
• Fluent in English, with the ability to communicate technical and cybersecurity matters clearly and effectively.

Personal skills

• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to investigate complex technical issues, assess risk and communicate findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• A proactive and practical approach to problem solving, with the confidence to take ownership of technical challenges and deliver effective solutions.
• A structured and documentation-focused approach, with strong attention to traceability, compliance and the controlled management of changes and incidents.
• An understanding of NIS2 and the principles of IEC 62443, ISO and NIST frameworks would be desirable.
• A collaborative team-player who can balance cybersecurity, operational requirements and safety, while working effectively with plant teams, IT/security functions and external suppliers.

Salary and benefits of the Senior DCS Cybersecurity Engineer role

• Competitive salary (DOE)
• Bonus Opportunity
• Health Care Cash Plan
• Private Medical Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Salary Exchange Pension contributions
• Fixed employer Pension contribution of 6%
• Contractual sick pay
• 34 days annual leave (inclusive of the statutory Bank Holidays) with the addition of 1 extra days annual leave for every 5 years of service
• Life Assurance cover at 3 x salary
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay
• Access to a salary sacrifice EV/Hybrid car scheme
• Opportunity to earn an annual bonus (depending on business performance)
• Training & professional development
• New role within a Fleet Engineering Team
• INDPOW #LI-DG1

We do not discriminate on the grounds of age, race, gender, disability, creed or sexual orientation and comply with all relevant UK legislation.

We encourage applications from individuals from all backgrounds but candidates must be able to demonstrate their ability to work in the UK.

Astute is also committed to the government's Disability Confident Employer initiative.