Operations Technology Engineer

City of Tacoma; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 98,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Tacoma is seeking an Operations Technology Engineer for Tacoma Power's UTSS. You will lead OT workstation engineering and lifecycle management for critical operational systems, collaborating with cybersecurity, vendors, and operations teams to ensure secure, compliant environments.

Responsibilities include designing architectures, maintaining configuration standards, and coordinating asset management. On-call support and after-hours coverage are expected to sustain system reliability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related field.
• 2 years of computer network, communications engineering, or industrial controls experience.
• Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education.

Responsibilities

• Lead OT workstation engineering and implementation for critical operational systems.
• Develop and maintain workstation architectures, designs, and standards.
• Manage the lifecycle of OT workstation platforms including imaging, patching, and upgrades.
• Engineer and maintain secure OT workstation environments with system hardening and access controls.
• Develop and maintain technical documents and infrastructure roadmaps.
• Troubleshoot complex workstation issues and support incident response.
• Provide technical leadership and vendor coordination for OT workstation technologies.

Skills

OT workstation engineering

Cybersecurity coordination

Asset management practices

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science or directly related field

Tools

ADMS

EMS

Job description

Tacoma Power's Utility Technology Services (UTS) section is accepting applications for an Operations Technology Engineer to join the UTS Service Management Office. This position performs engineering, implementation, and lifecycle management of Operations Technology (OT) workstation platforms that support critical operational systems. The position is responsible for developing and maintaining secure, reliable, and compliant workstation environments through configuration management, engineering practices, and coordination with cybersecurity, vendors, and operational teams. This role serves as a technical resource for OT workstation standards, security controls, configuration, and support strategies and contributes to system reliability, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and the long-term sustainment of OT capabilities across projects and operational environments. The position also serves as the primary technical contact for OT asset management, helps advance asset management practices across Operations Systems, and provides on-call and after-hours support.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead OT workstation engineering and implementation by designing, planning, and implementing workstation environments that support critical operational systems, including ADMS, EMS, and related platforms. Coordinate with infrastructure, cybersecurity, application, and vendor teams to deliver integrated solutions that meet performance, reliability, security, and operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain workstation architectures, designs, and technical standards in partnership with UTS operational teams. Establish configuration standards and evaluate technical solutions to support scalable, resilient, secure, and compliant OT workstation environments.
• Manage the lifecycle of OT workstation platforms including imaging, baseline configuration, patching, software packaging, upgrades, technology refresh, capacity planning, asset tracking, procurement, and disposal. Develop support strategies and proactive maintenance practices that promote long-term system reliability and sustainability.
• Engineer and maintain secure OT workstation environments by implementing system hardening, access controls, patching, vulnerability remediation, endpoint management, logging, and other applicable cybersecurity controls. Support compliance with NERC CIP and internal cybersecurity requirements and participate in audits, evidence development, and remediation activities.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation and infrastructure roadmaps, including workstation build documentation, configuration standards, architecture diagrams, and lifecycle plans. Ensure technical standards and documentation remain current and aligned with operational needs, regulatory requirements, and evolving technology.
• Troubleshoot complex workstation and endpoint issues and support incident response by investigating system failures, performance degradation, failed patches, logging issues, and other technical problems. Perform root-cause analysis and implement corrective actions and system optimizations to improve reliability, stability, and efficiency. Participate in response and recovery activities for compromised endpoints.
• Provide technical leadership and vendor coordination for OT workstation technologies, tools, designs, implementations, and issue resolution. Evaluate vendor recommendations and deliverables, ensure adherence to established standards and requirements, and maintain technical ownership of system outcomes.

Minimum Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer science or directly related field.

Minimum Experience

2 years of computer network, communications engineering or industrial controls experience

*Equivalency: 1 year of experience = 1 year of education

Licensing, Certifications and Other Requirements

As Assigned:

Washington State Driver's License

Depending on assignment, some positions may require the ability to pass additional background checks and / or obtain additional certifications, with maintenance thereafter

First response to system failures through participation in on call rotation in a 24x7 data center environment.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with operational IT infrastructure support systems operations including management, backup/recovery, antivirus, and system monitoring/logging.
• Experience working in the utility industry on regulated systems.

Compensation & Benefits

Pay Details:

Annual Salary: $98,280.00 - $138,320.00

Employee Benefits | City of Tacoma

TacomaPower

Tacoma Power is an almost 100% hydroelectric, municipally-owned public power utility, located in Tacoma. We serve approximately 180,000 customers as one of the three operating divisions of Tacoma Public Utilities, alongside Tacoma Water and Tacoma Rail. As one of the most livable, walkable cities in the country, you'll find that Tacoma is a great fit for all interests with places to bike, run, hike, and explore, the perks of a big city, and the charm of a small town. We welcome you to take a look at our website and discover how the City of Tacoma can make your next career move part of our combined destiny: http://www.cityoftacoma.org/ https://www.mytpu.org/ http://www.traveltacoma.com/

City of Tacoma’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A Commitment to Equity & Diversity At the City of Tacoma, we're on a mission to make our workforce as diverse and inclusive as the community we serve. Join our team at the City of Tacoma and help us build a more vibrant, inclusive, and equitable community for all.

If you have a less traditional background, we want to hear about your transferrable skills and experience. We value a variety of perspectives and are excited to see what you bring to the table.

The Community

Tacoma is centrally located just 32 miles south of the city of Seattle and 31 miles north of the state capital, Olympia. The City of Tacoma is also home to the Port of Tacoma, which is among the largest container ports in the United States. Like most cities in the northwest, Tacoma is surrounded by beautiful nature, offering residents many opportunities for outdoor adventures.

Largely suburban in nature with a small, but dense, urban core, Tacoma is home to numerous institutes of higher learning that attract students from across the country. The University of Washington Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, a satellite campus of the Evergreen State College, three community/technical colleges, and several trade and business schools are within Tacoma's geographic area.

With its affordable housing and distinctive neighborhoods and business districts, the city has been recognized numerous times as a best city to live in the nation. To see a few of the great things Tacoma has to offer, view this YouTube Video!

View this exciting video to learn more about the City of Tacoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n5MWl8KFvI