Engineer III, OT/ICS Cybersecurity & Controls

Nextpower; Heathrow (FL); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Nextpower is seeking an Engineer III focused on OT/ICS cybersecurity and controls in a hybrid role based in Heathrow, FL. The candidate will secure and optimize industrial networks supporting CMS and BESS deployments, with emphasis on segmentation, access control, and incident response.

You will collaborate with Controls, Software, and IT teams to uphold cyber compliance. Responsibilities include designing OT network architecture, configuring firewalls, administering Ignition SCADA, deploying

Qualifications

• Experience securing OT/ICS environments in utility-scale settings.
• Familiarity with IEC 62443, NERC CIP, and NIST 800-82 frameworks.
• Proven ability to design and maintain segmented OT networks.

Responsibilities

• Design, configure, and maintain OT network architecture for BESS sites.
• Harden firewalls, manage VPNs, and enforce network segmentation.
• Administer Ignition SCADA/HMI platform and SIEM platforms.
• Develop cloud security architectures on Azure for CMS/SCADA apps.

Skills

OT/ICS cybersecurity

Network security

SIEM tooling

Ignition SCADA

Azure cloud security

Firewall configuration

Industrial protocols

Python/PowerShell

Tools

Splunk

Microsoft Defender for Cloud

Azure Entra ID

Job description

Job Description

Engineer III, OT/ICS Cybersecurity & Controls

Location: Heathrow, FL / Hybrid / Remote

About Nextpower

The world’s demand for electricity is growing faster than ever. Meeting that demand requires infrastructure that’s smarter, more reliable, and built to last. The future of energy is not about one advanced technology – it’s about bringing the right solutions together in a unified platform that can deliver reliable power at scale. As a trusted, bankable partner, Nextpower provides integrated technology solutions for utility-scale solar, energy storage, and critical power infrastructure, helping customers design, build, and operate projects with greater speed, reliability, and long-term value. Building on more than a decade of innovation and execution, we’re helping power the electrified world. Together, we’re powering what’s next.

Our Values

Innovation

We challenge limits to power what’s next.

Integrity

We do the right thing with honesty and respect.

Accountability

We own it, we deliver, we rise together.

Collaborative

We listen, include, and win as a team.

Customer Focus

We earn trust by partnering to solve what matters most.

Job Summary

The OT/ICS Cybersecurity & Controls Engineer III reports to the Director, EMS Engineering and Delivery and is responsible for securing, hardening, and maintaining the industrial network and control system environments that support Prevalon Energy’s insightOS™ Container Management System (CMS) and utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) deployments. As a senior individual contributor, this engineer owns the cybersecurity posture of OT networks in the field and in the cloud - designing and maintaining segmented network architectures, configuring and troubleshooting managed switches and firewalls, deploying and tuning SIEM tooling, and administering the Ignition SCADA/HMI platform - while advising on architecture, risk, and strategy across the fleet. The role partners closely with Controls, Software, and IT leadership to ensure BESS sites meet applicable cybersecurity compliance requirements (e.g., NERC CIP, IEC 62443, NIST 800-82) while supporting commissioning, incident response, and ongoing operations across the fleet.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Design, configure, and maintain OT network architecture for BESS sites, including managed Layer 2/3 switches, VLAN segmentation, subnetting, and routing between control, SCADA, and enterprise zones.
• Configure, harden, and troubleshoot firewalls (policies, ACLs, NAT, and site-to-site/remote access VPNs) to enforce network segmentation and zero-trust principles across industrial control networks.

• Administer the Ignition SCADA/HMI platform, including Gateway configuration, tag structures, alarming, security zones/roles, and scripting (Python/Jython) to support monitoring and supervisory control of BESS assets.

• Deploy, tune, and monitor SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel) to aggregate logs, build detections/dashboards, and identify anomalous activity across OT and IT-adjacent systems.
• Design and maintain Azure cloud network and security architecture supporting cloud-connected CMS/SCADA applications, including virtual networks, network security groups, Azure Firewall, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.

• Administer identity and access management (Azure Entra ID) for OT/ICS system access, including role-based access control, conditional access, and privileged access reviews.
• Conduct cybersecurity risk assessments, vulnerability scanning, and gap analyses for ITS/OT assets, and drive remediation in accordance with IEC 62443, NERC CIP, and NIST 800-82/800-53 frameworks.
• Support cybersecurity compliance audits by maintaining system inventories, network diagrams, security control documentation, and evidence of compliance.

• Develop, maintain, and exercise OT incident response and disaster recovery playbooks/procedures in coordination with IT Security and Operations.

• Partner with Controls Engineering on secure integration of PLCNext controllers, Modbus TCP/RTU, and OPC-UA communications into the CMS network architecture.

• Provide onsite and remote support for network and cybersecurity-related troubleshooting during commissioning, ensuring switches, firewalls, and SCADA/Ignition systems are properly configured prior to energization.

• Maintain awareness of emerging OT/ICS threats, vulnerabilities, and industry best practices, and recommend improvements to the security posture of the fleet.

• Assist the Operations team in resolving network- and cybersecurity-related issues that arise post-commissioning.

• Serve as the technical authority on OT/ICS cybersecurity architecture, advising Engineering and Delivery leadership on risk, tradeoffs, and long-term security strategy for the CMS/BESS platform.

• Establish and evolve team standards, reference architectures, and best practices for network segmentation, firewall policy, SIEM use, and Ignition/SCADA security across the fleet.

• Mentor junior engineers on OT network and cybersecurity fundamentals and review their designs and configurations for adherence to security and compliance standards.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of industrial network architecture and hands‑on configuration/troubleshooting of managed switches, routers, and firewalls (e.g., Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto).

• Mastery of network fundamentals: VLANs, subnetting, routing, NAT, ACLs, and secure remote access (VPN).

• Required working knowledge of NERC CIP compliance requirements as they apply to BES Cyber Systems, including asset categorization, electronic/physical security perimeters, and access management.

• Required familiarity with the IEC 62443 series of industrial automation and control systems (IACS) cybersecurity standards, including zone/conduit segmentation, security levels, and lifecycle security requirements.

• Familiarity with additional ICT/OT cybersecurity frameworks and standards, including NIST 800-82/800-53.

• Working knowledge of SIEM platforms, log aggregation, and security event correlation/alerting for threat detection.

• Understanding of SCADA/HMI system architecture, particularly the Ignition platform (Gateway, Designer, tag/alarm structures).

• Protocol working knowledge in Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC-UA, MQTT‑SpB, and/or IEC 61850 is a plus.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Azure cloud networking and security services (VNets, NSGs, Azure Firewall, Entra ID, Defender for Cloud).

• Experience with BESS, Container Management Systems, or other industrial control system environments including their communication network architecture and cybersecurity requirements is a plus.

Skills

• Hands‑on proficiency configuring, troubleshooting, and hardening Layer 2/3 managed network switches and firewalls (policies, routing, VLAN tagging, fiber network technology).

• Proficient administering the Ignition SCADA/HMI platform, including scripting and security configuration.

• Proficient with SIEM tooling (e.g., Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, or similar) for building detections, dashboards, and alerting.

• Proficient with Microsoft Azure networking and security services; working knowledge of Azure AD/Entra ID administration.

• Proficient supporting cybersecurity compliance activities, including documentation, evidence gathering, and audit support for frameworks such as IEC 62443 and NERC CIP.

• Proficient with Modbus and/or OPC-UA industrial protocols.

• Basic / Foundational experience with Python or PowerShell scripting for automation and log analysis.

• Basic / Foundational experience with vulnerability scanning and assessment tooling.

• Proficient in MS Office, Windows RDP, and remote administration tools.

• Working knowledge of Linux OS, including command‑line administration, service/log management, and basic hardening practices is a plus.

Abilities

• Able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Able to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions and read/understand network, control, and electrical drawings.
• Communicate effectively with staff and management at all levels, including translating technical cybersecurity risk into business terms.
• Always maintain the highest degree of honesty and integrity.
• Lead proactive efforts to achieve departmental and company cybersecurity and compliance goals.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing requirements with a positive attitude.
• Protect confidential information by not communicating, disclosing to, or using it for the benefit of 3rd parties. Protection of the CMS/SCADA platform and its cybersecurity posture is of utmost importance.
• Comply with all EHS policies, practices, and procedures, reporting