OT Infrastructure Student Developer, St Pete

University of South Florida; Saint Petersburg (FL); On-site; USD 25,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

The University of South Florida seeks a student developer to support OT infrastructure during the migration from Alerton to Niagara. You will join an Agile team to configure devices, build GUI visualizations, and ensure data integrity for campus operations.

This role offers practical experience in industrial automation, software development, QA testing, and infrastructure monitoring within a real-world IT/OT environment. Must be a current USF student and eligible to work in the United States.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required, plus one year of general office experience.
• Candidate must be a current USF student enrolled in good standing.
• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum and basic GUI development is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assist migrating building automation and HVAC systems from Alerton to Niagara.
• Configure devices, controllers, and equipment into the Niagara platform.
• Develop and maintain GUI pages and system visualizations for operators.
• Perform QA testing to verify integrations are functioning reliably.
• Document configurations, testing procedures, and implementation steps.

Skills

Agile/Scrum

GUI development

SCADA

Building Automation

QA testing

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Current USF Student

Tools

Niagara Framework

HVAC knowledge

Job description

Job Description

The Operational Technology (OT) Infrastructure Student Developer supports the maintenance, development, and modernization of the University of South Florida's Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Building Automation Systems (BAS). This position provides students with practical experience in industrial automation, software development, system integration, quality assurance, and infrastructure monitoring.

The student will work as part of a collaborative Agile/Scrum team responsible for supporting the university's HVAC and operational technology infrastructure. Current projects focus on migrating building automation systems from the legacy Alerton platform to the Tridium Niagara framework. This migration involves integrating field devices, configuring system communications, developing graphical user interfaces, validating data integrity, and supporting system functionality for campus operations personnel.

The position offers exposure to real-world IT and operational technology environments, including microcontroller integration, data visualization, software testing, and enterprise infrastructure systems that support critical campus operations.

Organizational Summary

Located in the vibrant and diverse Tampa Bay region of Florida’s gulf coast, the University of South Florida (USF) is a Preeminent State Research University with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. Rated as one of the top places to live in the U.S., Tampa Bay offers a high quality of life, year-round sunshine, and easy access to top-rated entertainment. USF is one of the nation’s largest public universities, serving more than 50,000 students with an annual budget of $1.8 billion. Over the past five years, USF has been the fastest-rising university in the nation, public or private, on the U.S. News and World Report’s list of best universities, which it ranks as the 44th best public university in America.

USF is proud to be an innovating partner within the Tampa Bay region, listed by Forbes as the top emerging tech city in the country.

USF Information Technology (USF IT) provides technology services and support for the University of South Florida. The IT team, led by the Vice President and CIO, provides the following services: Administrative Services, Client Support, Communication Services, Teaching and Learning, Analytics and Reporting, Mobile and Web Services, Consulting Services, Cybersecurity Service and Research Technologies. For more information, please visit: USF Information Technology

Additional Info for Applicants

The selected candidate must have current work authorization in the United States. This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Assists and learns the migration of building automation and HVAC systems from Alerton to Tridium Niagara.
• Configure and integrate field devices, controllers, and equipment into the Niagara platform.
• Develop and maintain graphical user interface (GUI) pages and system visualizations for operators and technicians.
• Perform quality assurance (QA) testing to verify functionality, accuracy, and reliability of system integrations.
• Troubleshoot hardware, software, and communication issues within SCADA and Building Automation Systems.
• Support the monitoring and maintenance of operational technology infrastructure across campus facilities.
• Assist in validating device data, alarms, trends, and system performance metrics.
• Document configurations, testing procedures, and implementation processes.
• Participate in Agile and Scrum ceremonies, including sprint planning, daily standups, retrospectives, and team meetings.
• Collaborate with engineers, developers, and field technicians to identify and resolve system issues.
• Learn and apply industry best practices related to operational technology, industrial controls, and system integration.
• Provide technical support for ongoing infrastructure modernization initiatives.

Overview of SCADA

Basically, we are developing SCADA for the operations, which will help to monitor and control the systems.

SCADA is user-friendly and easy to understand and it’s an operator-level platform.

All field-level devices are integrated into the computer level using our SCADA. So that it’s easy to track and operate from anywhere.

Overview of Work

In the present phase, we are upgrading the SCADA from Alerton to Niagara software (which is in other terms an older version of software to a newer version of the software).

Tasks Involved

• Integrating the devices from Alerton to Niagara software. Designing the graphic pages.
• Performing QA tasks.

Methodologies

We are using Agile and Scrum, which are used in every IT industry nowadays.

Qualifications

This position requires a high school diploma, or equivalent, with one year of general office experience. Must be a current USF student.

IT Core Competencies

• Growth Mindset - Takes ownership of personal growth and embraces the concept that intelligence and talent can be developed through continuous learning. Willing to take on new challenges, and views failure as an opportunity to grow.
• Communication - Comfortable using a broad range of communication styles, and chooses appropriate, effective ways to communicate. Adapts communication style depending on the audience and situation. Listens and asks questions to develop a better understanding.
• Collaboration- Collaborates with others in the pursuit of common missions, visions, values and goals. Fosters a sense of community within and across teams, building on mutual respect, trust, and drawing on the strengths of others.
• Client Obsession-Client focused when creating solutions or solving problems, believing that everything we do is to earn and keep our clients’ trust.
• Ownership-Takes responsibility, accountability and proactively focuses on areas they can directly influence. Understands their role within the team and recognizes that they share the team’s successes and failures.
• Outcome Driven-Focuses on desired results, business outcomes, and how to achieve them. Takes appropriate actions to ensure commitments are met and results achieved.

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

About Us

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF’s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first‑class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.