Sr Operational Technology (OT) Specialist - IT/OT

SharpAtoms; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

SharpAtoms is seeking a Senior OT Specialist to bridge shop floor equipment with plant and enterprise IT systems, in a remote-first role with regional travel to Knoxville, TN and Elyria, OH. You will lead IT/OT data integration, architect tag and gateway networks, and standardize OT practices.

You will troubleshoot PLCs (Rockwell/Siemens), collaborate with OEMs, and mentor regional maintenance teams to build strong OT capabilities across sites.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years in manufacturing automation, OT infrastructure, or industrial data acquisition.
• Ignition gateways, drivers, tags, scripting, and HMI development experience.
• Canary Labs, PI, AVEVA, or Ignition Historian exposure.
• Troubleshooting PLCs across Rockwell/Allen-Bradley and Siemens platforms.
• Experience with OPC UA/DA, MQTT, Sparkplug B, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET.
• Strong IT/OT networking knowledge including VLANs, routing, firewalls, and DMZ concepts.

Responsibilities

• Design IT/OT communications connecting equipment to enterprise systems using Ignition and Canary Labs Historian.
• Own the architecture: tag architectures, device connections, UDTs, Python scripts, and gateway networks.
• Standardize and document OT practices: naming, edge architecture, topology, backup/recovery, SOPs.
• Support PLC integration and troubleshooting to resolve communication failures.
• Manage equipment vendors; review technical proposals and participate in FAT/SAT testing.
• Mentor maintenance/automation teams, building first-line OT troubleshooting skills.

Skills

Ignition expertise

Canary Labs historian

PLC foundations

Industrial protocols

IT/OT networking

P&ID interpretation

Tools

Rockwell Studio 5000/RSLogix

Siemens TIA Portal

Job description

Job Title: Senior Operational Technology (OT) Specialist

Location: Remote (US Central / East) with Regional Travel (Knoxville, TN & Elyria, OH)

Employment Type: Full-time

Why This Role?

Are you an automation expert who loves bridging the gap between physical machinery and enterprise data systems? We are looking for a Senior OT Specialist to own the critical data layer connecting our shop floor equipment to our plant and enterprise IT systems.

This is a unique hybrid role:

You will enjoy the flexibility of working remotely while serving as the hands-on engineering authority, standards-setter, and mentor for our regional plant teams.

• Work Structure: Remote-first.
• Travel: Occasional travel to manufacturing sites in Knoxville (TN) and Elyria (OH), plus a few other sites in the US Central region.
• Plant Presence: When visiting sites, you will work directly on the production floor alongside maintenance teams (appropriate PPE required).

Job Responsibilities:

• Design IT/OT Communications: Configure and deploy the connectivity layer between manufacturing equipment and enterprise systems using Ignition (Inductive Automation) and Canary Labs Historian.
• Own the Architecture: Build tag architectures, device connections, UDTs, Python scripting, Perspective/Vision screens, and gateway networks.
• Standardize & Document: Create and maintain robust OT standards (tag naming, edge architecture, network topology, backup/recovery, and SOPs).
• Support PLC Integration: Help troubleshoot, modify, and diagnose PLCs (Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, etc.) to resolve communication failures.
• Manage Equipment Vendors: Collaborate with OEMs to specify hardware/software requirements, review technical proposals (URS/FDS), and participate in FAT/SAT testing.
• Mentor Plant Teams: Coach local maintenance and automation technicians, building their capabilities to handle first-line OT troubleshooting.

Required Skills:

• Experience: 6-10 years of hands-on experience in manufacturing automation, OT infrastructure, or industrial data acquisition.
• Ignition Expertise: Deep experience programming Ignition gateways, drivers, tags, scripting, and HMI development.
• Historian Knowledge: Hands-on experience with process historians (Canary Labs preferred; PI, AVEVA, or Ignition Historian considered).
• PLC Foundations: Strong troubleshooting skills on major platforms like Rockwell Studio 5000 / RSLogix or Siemens TIA Portal.
• Industrial Protocols: Deep familiarity with OPC UA/DA, MQTT, Sparkplug B, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, and PROFINET.
• IT/OT Networking: Solid understanding of industrial networking (VLANs, routing, firewalls, DMZ concepts, and network segregation).
• Technical Literacy: Ability to interpret P&IDs, electrical schematics, loop drawings, and I/O lists.

Working Conditions:

• Remote home-office base.
• Occasional off-shift, weekend, or shutdown work to support critical commissioning, cutovers, or breakdown escalations.