Operational Technology (OT) Cybersecurity Engineer

WSP in the U.S.; Charleston (SC); Hybrid; USD 102,300 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Retirement savings plan

Paid sick leave and vacation

Paid parental leave

Job summary

A leading engineering firm is seeking an experienced cybersecurity engineer to support their Critical & Emerging Technology team. This role will involve OT cybersecurity engineering, risk assessments, and collaboration across project life cycles. The ideal candidate will possess 7-10 years of OT cybersecurity experience, with a strong understanding of rail and transit systems. The position offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for professional development within the industry.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of OT cybersecurity experience, including 3+ years in transit or critical infrastructure.
• Demonstrated expertise in threat modeling, penetration testing, and OT network security.
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, GICSP, and/or CompTIA Security+.

Responsibilities

• Conduct OT cybersecurity risk assessments and vulnerability evaluations.
• Support secure OT system and network architecture development.
• Contribute to cybersecurity procurement documentation and master plans.

Skills

OT cybersecurity experience

threat modeling

penetration testing

rail/transit OT systems

communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering, cybersecurity, or related field

Tools

OT security tools (e.g., Nozomi, Claroty)

Job description

Overview

This Opportunity is an exciting role in WSP’s Critical & Emerging Technology team within the national Transit & Rail practice. The role focuses on delivering OT cybersecurity engineering, assessments, supplier/OEM compliance reviews, and architecture support for transit and rail systems including CBTC, SCADA, PTC, traction power, fleet charging, and safety‑critical infrastructure.

This role may be based out of any mutually agreed upon East Coast Office with New York, NY as a preferred location.

Core Technical Responsibilities

• Conduct OT cybersecurity risk assessments, threat modeling, and vulnerability evaluations aligned with IEC 62443, TS 50701, NIST 800‑82/53, and relevant transit/rail standards.
• Review supplier/OEM cybersecurity documentation such as SSPs, IRAs, DCRAs, zoning/conduit models, SBOM/HBOM, and patch management plans.
• Support secure OT system and network architecture development including segmentation, DMZ design, boundary protection, and access control strategies.
• Assist with OT asset inventory, system baselining, and network visibility activities to improve cybersecurity situational awareness.
• Develop and recommend mitigation strategies, corrective actions, and cybersecurity controls for identified risks and vulnerabilities.
• Support cybersecurity testing, commissioning, and configuration validation for OT systems, including controllers, network devices, and field hardware.

Project Support Responsibilities

• Contribute to cybersecurity procurement documentation including scopes, requirements, and acceptance criteria.
• Support development of cybersecurity master plans, monitoring strategies, and operational security documentation.
• Participate in OT tabletop exercises and incident response activities in coordination with client teams.

Collaboration & Coordination

• Work collaboratively with engineering, systems integration, operations, and safety teams across project life cycles.
• Provide clear technical documentation and contribute to stakeholder communication as required.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, or a related field.
• 7‑10+ years of OT cybersecurity experience, including 3+ years in transit, rail, or critical infrastructure environments.
• Hands‑on experience with rail/transit OT systems (CBTC, SCADA, PLCs, traction power, tunnel ventilation, fire/life safety, fleet charging, V2I/V2X, and related systems).
• Deep knowledge of relevant cybersecurity standards including IEC 62443, TS50701, IEC 63452, NIST 800‑82/53, ISO frameworks, UNECE, TS, and APTA guidelines.
• Demonstrated expertise in threat modeling, penetration testing, and OT network security; experience securing OTA, remote diagnostics, and air‑gapped environments.
• Familiarity with OT security tools and monitoring technologies (e.g., Nozomi, Claroty, Dragos, protocol analysis tools).
• Professional certifications such as CISSP, GICSP, ISA/IEC, and/or CompTIA Security+.
• Strong communication, stakeholder engagement, and technical writing skills for client‑facing environments.
• Experience supporting cybersecurity‑related compliance for U.S. transit regulatory bodies (FTA, FRA, TSA).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively across disciplines, delivering cybersecurity solutions in complex operational environments.
• Understanding of OT logging, telemetry, and secure event collection requirements used to support monitoring, detection, and incident response.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in systems engineering or cybersecurity.
• Demonstrated success in management consulting or advisory roles.
• Long‑standing experience in the cybersecurity sector with a preference within the Transportation market.
• Successful candidates will be able to confidently speak, lead client‑facing meetings, and attend prominent industry committees.
• Deep experience with rail communications networks related to OT threats and vulnerabilities. Specifically, system familiarity should include SCADA, PLCs, and industrial systems used in transit infrastructure.
• Specific examples and lessons learned from cybersecurity projects showcasing understanding of the latest frameworks and standards, threat detection and prevention best practices.
• Knowledge of secure development lifecycle and supply‑chain cybersecurity practices (e.g., IEC 62443‑4‑1, firmware integrity, component assurance).

Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation; paid parental leave; paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation

Expected Salary (all locations): $102,300‑$185,000.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

Equal Opportunity Employer

WSP USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status. The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.