Supervisor, IT/OT

Acwa China; Saudi Arabia; On-site; SAR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Acwa China is seeking an IT/OT Supervisor in KSA (Jeddah - Shuaibah) to supervise IT/OT support across corporate offices and plants. You will coordinate IT/OT activities, drive incident resolution, ensure system availability, asset management, and vendor coordination in alignment with IT Manager and operations teams.

The role covers SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI, and industrial networks with emphasis on cybersecurity compliance and policy implementation.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years of IT/OT experience in industrial environments.
• Bachelor's or Diploma in IT/Engineering or related discipline.
• Knowledge of SCADA, DCS, HMI & industrial networks.
• Experience supervising or leading a team.

Responsibilities

• Manage IT/OT support services and Help Desk activities across corporate offices and plants.
• Coordinate IT/OT support, infrastructure, networking, and OT systems like SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI.
• Ensure incident resolution, system availability, asset management, and cybersecurity compliance.
• Coordinate with Operations, Maintenance and Engineering to resolve IT/OT issues affecting plant operations.
• Monitor IT/OT system availability and escalate critical incidents.
• Ensure proper documentation of IT/OT configurations, assets, and procedures.

Skills

IT support

Networking

Industrial IT/OT

Cybersecurity awareness

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor/Diploma in IT/Engineering

Tools

SCADA

DCS

HMI

Job description

Job Summary

Responsible for supervising and managing IT and OT support services across the corporate office and plants under O&M contracts, ensuring timely, reliable, and high-quality technical support to end users and plant operations.

Location: KSA, Jeddah - Shuaibah

Job Title:

IT/OT Supervisor

Job Summary

The position is responsible for coordinating IT support, infrastructure, networking, hardware, software, communication systems, and operational technology (OT) support activities, including SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI, industrial networks, and associated systems where applicable.

The IT/OT Support Supervisor ensures effective incident resolution, system availability, asset management, vendor coordination, technical support, cybersecurity compliance, and implementation of IT/OT policies and procedures in coordination with the IT Manager, plant management, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and other stakeholders.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Manage IT/OT support services and Help Desk activities across the corporate office and assigned plants.
• Supervise and coordinate day-to-day IT and OT support activities and ensure timely resolution of incidents and service requests.
• Implement and maintain the organization's IT/OT technology plans, policies, procedures, and standards.
• Provide technical support for hardware, software, networking, communication systems, and IT infrastructure.
• Coordinate support for OT systems such as SCADA, DCS, PLC, HMI, industrial networks, servers, and related plant systems, where applicable.
• Coordinate with plant Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and other departments to resolve IT/OT-related issues affecting plant operations.
• Monitor IT/OT system availability and escalating critical incidents to the IT Manager and relevant technical teams.
• Ensure timely completion of IT-related jobs, installations, services, and vendor activities required for clearing IT-related invoices and payments.
• Conduct technical evaluations of hardware, networking equipment, software, IT/OT solutions, and related technical requirements.
• Provide technical reviews and recommendations for IT/OT procurement comparisons and purchasing activities.
• Maintain accurate hardware, software, network, and IT/OT asset inventories for the corporate office and all assigned plants.
• Ensure proper tracking of IT/OT equipment, licenses, warranties, maintenance contracts, and software subscriptions.
• Collect and review weekly IT/OT status reports from all sites and projects and submit consolidated reports to the IT Manager.
• Monitor recurring IT/OT incidents and identify opportunities for improvement and preventive actions.
• Coordinate troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, upgrades, and replacement of IT/OT equipment and systems.
• Ensure proper backup and recovery arrangements are maintained for critical IT/OT systems and data, where applicable.
• Ensure IT/OT access, user accounts, and permissions are managed in accordance with approved policies and procedures.
• Support implementation of IT and OT cybersecurity controls and ensure compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements.
• Coordinate with cybersecurity and IT teams regarding vulnerabilities, security incidents, unauthorized access, and other cybersecurity concerns.
• Ensure changes to critical OT systems are properly coordinated, approved, documented, and implemented without negatively impacting plant operations.
• Coordinate with vendors, contractors, OEMs, system integrators, and service providers and monitor their performance.
• Review vendor technical reports, service reports, maintenance recommendations, and proposed system upgrades.
• Ensure vendors and contractors comply with company policies, HSE requirements, site access requirements, and cybersecurity procedures.
• Assist in recruitment, onboarding, training, and development of IT/OT personnel.
• Identify competency gaps among subordinate personnel and implement appropriate training and development actions.
• Provide on-the-job training to new employees and evaluate their OJT performance.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations for reporting employees.
• Ensure identification, assessment, and control of hazards within the assigned work area.
• Ensure applicable environmental aspects are identified, monitored, and controlled in accordance with company requirements.
• Report deviations and non-conformities related to the Integrated Management System (IMS) and support corrective actions.
• Report emergencies, incidents, near misses, and major IT/OT system failures to the appropriate management.
• Ensure proper handling and disposal of IT-related waste, including cartridges, toners, batteries, electronic equipment, and other e-waste, in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Ensure effective utilization of IT/OT resources, manpower, equipment, software, tools, and services.
• Maintain effective communication and coordination between the corporate office, plants, IT team, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and other departments.
• Support IT/OT projects, system implementations, upgrades, integrations, and commissioning activities.
• Ensure proper documentation of IT/OT systems, network configurations, asset records, support procedures, and technical information.
• Attend to tasks, projects, and assignments delegated by management.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Educational Qualification

Desired

• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, Control Engineering, or a related discipline.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Information Technology, Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automation, or a related field.
• Professional IT, networking, cybersecurity, or industrial automation certification is an advantage.

Minimum

Minimum Experience

• 6–8 years of relevant experience in IT support, IT infrastructure, networking, industrial IT/OT, automation, or technical support services.

Preferred

• 8+ years of relevant experience with proven supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Experience supporting IT/OT systems within power, water desalination, utilities, oil & gas, petrochemical, or other industrial environments is preferred.