Senior OT Network Engineer

Appathon.Ai; Georgetown (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Part time

Job summary

Appathon.Ai is seeking a Senior OT Network Engineer to lead onsite network initiatives for manufacturing and plant-floor environments in Georgetown, KY. You will drive deployment and adoption of OT network infrastructure, design secure, resilient architectures, and support edge-connected systems while minimizing disruption to operations.

The role requires 10+ years in network engineering, strong OT networking knowledge, and the ability to collaborate across IT, engineering, and operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years of progressive network engineering experience.
• Experience with OT/industrial networks (plant-floor, manufacturing).
• Strong knowledge of routing, switching, VLANs, firewalls, segmentation, and redundancy.
• Ability to collaborate across IT, engineering, operations and plant teams.

Responsibilities

• Serve as onsite OT network engineering resource for initiatives.
• Lead deployment and adoption of OT network infrastructure.
• Design secure, resilient network architectures for industrial contexts.
• Support plant-floor, automation and edge-connected systems.
• Coordinate network cutovers, maintenance, deployments and readiness planning.
• Ensure network implementations minimize disruption to operations.

Skills

OT networking

Networking architecture

Troubleshooting high-availability

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentoring/leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related field

Tools

CCNA

CCNP

CISSP

Job description

OT Network Engineering & Deployment

• Serve as the onsite network engineering resource for OT-related initiatives.
• Lead the deployment, implementation, and adoption of OT network infrastructure.
• Design and implement secure, resilient network architectures for industrial and manufacturing environments.
• Support plant-floor, automation, controls, and edge-connected systems.
• Participate in network cutovers, maintenance activities, deployments, and operational readiness planning.
• Ensure network implementations minimize disruption to critical manufacturing operations.

OT Security & Network Architecture

• Incorporate OT cybersecurity requirements into network architecture and implementation.
• Implement and support network segmentation, IDMZ architecture, secure connectivity, and access control practices.
• Support firewall configuration and secure communication between enterprise IT and OT environments.
• Apply high-availability and redundancy principles to critical plant network infrastructure.
• Contribute to OT network standards, architecture guidance, implementation practices, and technical documentation.

Network Operations & Troubleshooting

• Provide escalation support for complex OT and enterprise network incidents.
• Troubleshoot routing, switching, connectivity, wireless, firewall, and network performance issues.
• Coordinate issue resolution with internal technical teams, plant personnel, and external vendors.
• Support network monitoring and proactively identify reliability and performance concerns.
• Assist with maintenance windows and after-hours support when required.

Stakeholder Collaboration & Technical Leadership

• Serve as a liaison between IT, plant engineering, production, maintenance, operations, and other technical teams.
• Translate manufacturing and production requirements into secure and effective network solutions.
• Provide technical guidance to local IT and operational teams.
• Mentor and train support personnel on OT networking fundamentals, standards, and troubleshooting.
• Drive assigned initiatives and technical tasks through successful completion.

Technology Scope

• Enterprise LAN/WAN networks
• OT and industrial network environments
• Network segmentation and secure network architecture
• IDMZ (Industrial Demilitarized Zone) architecture
• Firewalls and secure connectivity
• VLANs, routing, switching, and redundancy
• Network monitoring and troubleshooting
• Industrial/manufacturing wireless networking
• High-availability network design
• Plant-floor and automation system connectivity
• Edge-connected systems
• Industrial networking and communication protocols

Senior OT Network Engineer

• Serve as the onsite network engineering resource for OT-related initiatives.
• Lead the deployment, implementation, and adoption of OT network infrastructure.
• Design and implement secure, resilient network architectures for industrial and manufacturing environments.
• Support plant-floor, automation, controls, and edge-connected systems.
• Participate in network cutovers, maintenance activities, deployments, and operational readiness planning.
• Ensure network implementations minimize disruption to critical manufacturing operations.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, and/or equivalent professional experience.
• 10+ years of progressive network engineering experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting OT, industrial, plant-floor, or manufacturing network environments.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, network architecture, and secure network design.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of routing, switching, VLANs, firewalls, segmentation, and network redundancy.
• Experience troubleshooting complex network issues within high-availability or production-critical environments.
• Experience supporting network deployments, maintenance windows, cutovers, and ongoing operational activities.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively across IT, engineering, operations, and plant teams.
• Ability to train and mentor technical support personnel and operational teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong ownership and execution skills with the ability to independently drive technical tasks through completion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Significant experience within manufacturing, automotive, industrial, or plant-floor environments.
• Knowledge of OT cybersecurity principles, including IDMZ and network segmentation strategies.
• Experience supporting automation, controls, or industrial systems networking.
• Experience with large-scale OT network deployments, plant expansions, or modernization initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with production engineering, maintenance, automation, and operations teams.
• Experience developing network standards, deployment procedures, architecture documentation, or OT implementation guidelines.
• Relevant certifications such as CCNA, CCNP, CISSP, or comparable networking/security certifications.

Position Details

• Work Model: 100% Onsite - Georgetown, KY
• Employment Type: Contract
• Hours: Standard business hours
• After-Hours Requirements: Occasional after-hours or weekend work may be required for deployments, maintenance windows, and cutovers.
• Travel: Limited