Director of BMS & SCADA Systems

Columbia University Facilities & Operations

New York (NY)

On-site

USD 170,000 - 185,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Columbia University Facilities & Operations is seeking a Director of BMS & SCADA Systems Oversight to provide strategic governance across BMS and SCADA environments. You will align security, reliability, and supportability with long-term institutional goals while working with CUFO‑IT, CUIT, and external partners.

This advisory role emphasizes governance over day-to-day operations, coordinating with facilities, IT, and project teams to ensure secure, scalable systems for academic, research, and

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in BMS/SCADA/OT environments.
Experience with large facilities, utilities, or critical infrastructure.
Strong understanding of BMS platforms, SCADA architectures, PLCs, and industrial networking.
Experience with cybersecurity requirements for OT environments.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving operations, engineering, construction, and IT teams.
Strong project governance, vendor management, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

Provide enterprise-wide oversight of BMS and SCADA systems across campus environments.
Establish and maintain technical standards, architecture principles, and operational best practices.
Serve as senior SME for BMS, SCADA, and related infrastructure.
Develop modernization and lifecycle management strategies for BMS/SCADA platforms.
Partner with IT and cybersecurity teams to strengthen OT security and ensure compliance.
Oversee governance of capital projects, upgrades, and new implementations.
Engage Operations teams during design, construction, commissioning, and turnover processes.

Skills

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

OT Cybersecurity Requirements

BMS/SCADA Architecture

Project Governance

Strategic Oversight

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT/CS/Engineering

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Wonderware/AVEVA SCADA

Rockwell Automation FactoryTalk View

Niagara Framework

Schneider Electric EcoStruxure

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Job description

Job Type: Officer of Administration
Bargaining Unit:
Regular/Temporary: Regular
End Date if Temporary:
Hours Per Week: 35
Standard Work Schedule:
Building:
Salary Range: $170,000 - $185,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Director, BMS & SCADA Systems Oversight serves as the senior technical advisor and governance lead for Columbia University Facilities & Operations' Building Management System (BMS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) environments. Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer, Facilities & Operations, this position provides strategic oversight, technical guidance, cybersecurity leadership, and governance across multiple BMS and SCADA platforms supporting academic, research, utility, and residential facilities.

This is an advisory and oversight role, not a day-to-day operational support position. The Director will work closely with Facilities Operations, Residential Operations, CUFO‑IT, CUIT Cybersecurity, MDG, CPM, project teams, consultants, and external vendors to ensure BMS and SCADA systems are secure, reliable, supportable, and aligned with long-term institutional goals. The role will also help ensure that operational, cybersecurity, maintenance, and support requirements are appropriately incorporated during the design, construction, commissioning, and turnover phases of capital projects, with clear ownership and support models established prior to systems entering production.

Responsibilities

Strategic Oversight and Governance

Provide enterprise-wide oversight of BMS and SCADA systems across Manhattanville, Morningside, Powerhouse, and Residential environments.
Establish and maintain technical standards, architecture principles, and operational best practices.
Serve as the senior subject matter expert for BMS, SCADA, and related infrastructure.
Develop long-term modernization and lifecycle management strategies for BMS and SCADA platforms.

Cybersecurity Leadership

Partner closely with CUFO‑IT and CUIT Cybersecurity teams to strengthen the security posture of OT environments.
Ensure BMS and SCADA systems comply with institutional cybersecurity standards and risk management practices.
Provide oversight of network segmentation, remote vendor access, vulnerability management, system hardening, and incident response preparedness.
Identify and mitigate cybersecurity risks associated with legacy systems, cloud-connected platforms, and third-party integrations.

Project Oversight and Operational Readiness

Provide governance and technical oversight for BMS and SCADA capital projects, upgrades, and new implementations.
Participate in project design reviews, technical evaluations, commissioning activities, and turnover processes.
Ensure Operations teams are engaged throughout design, construction, commissioning, and handoff activities.
Establish clear ownership, support responsibilities, documentation standards, and operational readiness requirements prior to project closeout.
Provide oversight and guidance across active and planned BMS and SCADA initiatives.

Operational and Technical Advisory Support

Serve as an advisor for complex technical issues, system integrations, and architectural decisions.
Advise Operations teams on system reliability, resiliency, performance, and supportability.
Promote standardization and knowledge sharing across campus BMS and SCADA teams.
Evaluate emerging technologies, products, and vendor solutions.

Vendor and Stakeholder Management

Provide oversight of vendor-supported BMS and SCADA platforms and related service providers.
Coordinate with Facilities Operations leadership, Residential Operations, MDG, CPM, CUFO‑IT, CUIT, consultants, and external vendors to align technical decisions with institutional requirements.
Review vendor proposals, designs, and implementation strategies.

Knowledge Management and Continuity

Reduce institutional reliance on individual staff and vendor-specific knowledge.
Promote documentation, training, succession planning, and operational knowledge transfer.
Establish governance processes that support long-term sustainability and continuity.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience supporting, managing, or overseeing BMS, SCADA, Industrial Control Systems (ICS), or Operational Technology (OT) environments.
Demonstrated experience with large, complex facilities, utility plants, higher education, healthcare, industrial, or critical infrastructure environments.
Strong understanding of BMS platforms, SCADA architectures, PLCs, industrial networking, and systems integration.
Experience working with cybersecurity requirements for Operational Technology environments.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives involving operations, engineering, construction, and IT organizations.
Strong project governance, vendor management, and stakeholder engagement skills.

Preferred Qualifications