Vice President, Automation & Controls

Big Watt Digital, LLC; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Big Watt Digital seeks a transformative Vice President of Automation & Controls to standardize and govern the digital nervous system across global data center campuses. You will oversee hardware, software, data structures, and telemetry networks (BMS, EPMS, SCADA) to deliver intelligence rather than just iron.

You will build fleet-wide data architectures, secure demarcation monitoring, and digital twin capabilities, driving predictive analytics and CBM for mission-critical infrastructure.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in industrial controls engineering, mission-critical automation, or enterprise OT software architecture at the VP/SVP level within hyperscale environments or industrial automation leaders.
• Expert knowledge of BMS/EPMS platforms (Schneider, Siemens, Tridium, Rockwell, Ignition), industrial communication protocols (BACnet, Modbus, OPC UA), and OT network cybersecurity.
• Proven experience building unified, fleet-wide data architectures, centralized telemetry systems, and digital twin models for critical infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Establish fleet-wide standardized data structures, alarm priority hierarchies, control philosophies, and remote support capabilities across all controls platforms (Schneider, Siemens, Tridium, etc.).
• Build automated telemetry frameworks to enable cross-facility learning and rapid deployment of fixes.
• Architect secure customer monitoring interfaces at demarcation points with real-time visibility into power/cooling, SLAs, and security boundaries.
• Own OT cybersecurity posture and network resilience for all facility automation networks (ICS/OT).
• Ensure controls data and models link to the EAM for CBM and digital twin capability.

Skills

Industrial controls

OT cybersecurity

Fleet data architecture

Telemetry systems

Education

B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering or Automation/Controls

OT cybersecurity certifications (GICSP/CISSP)

Tools

Schneider

Siemens

Tridium

Rockwell

Ignition

BACnet

Modbus

OPC UA

Job description

Position Details

• LOCATION: Austin, TX
• REPORTS TO: President, Data Center Operations
• TRAVEL: 15–25%
• EMPLOYMENT: Full-Time / Exempt
• DOMAIN SCOPE: BMS, EPMS, SCADA, OT Cybersecurity, Fleet Telemetry, Real-Time Telemetry Accuracy, & CMMS/Digital Twin Integration
• POSTING ID: BWD-OPS-0101-v2

ABOUT BIG WATT DIGITAL

Big Watt Digital is a mission-critical infrastructure platform developing and operating next-generation, high-density data center campuses built for the demands of AI and advanced digital workloads. Our model brings together large-scale power, digital infrastructure, development execution, and operational discipline to deliver speed, certainty, and scalability.

WHY BIG WATT DIGITAL

We are building at the intersection of energy, data centers, AI infrastructure, and large-scale development—where execution matters.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking a transformative Vice President of Automation & Controls to build, standardize, and govern the 'digital nervous system' of our global data center portfolio. Reporting directly to the President of Data Center Operations, you will oversee the hardware, software, data structures, control logic, and telemetry networks (BMS, EPMS, SCADA) across all facilities. Where the physical engineering team delivers the iron and steel, you will deliver the intelligence. You will turn a global collection of data centers into a single, synchronized, telemetry-driven operating ecosystem—standardizing controls architectures, establishing secure customer demarcation monitoring, building closed-loop fleet learning loops, and laying the digital foundation for predictive analytics and digital twin modeling.

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

• BMS/EPMS Enterprise Architecture: Establish fleet-wide standardized data structures, alarm priority hierarchies, control philosophies, and remote support capabilities across all controls platforms (Schneider, Siemens, Tridium, etc.), regardless of local facility variances.
• Fleet Intelligence & Closed-Loop Learning: Build automated telemetry frameworks where a failure, defect, or successful corrective action identified at one facility is instantly evaluated and deployed across every comparable asset in the portfolio.
• Customer Demarcation & Monitoring: Architect secure, standardized customer monitoring interfaces at demarcation points, offering real-time visibility into power/cooling performance, capacity, and SLAs without exposing operational security.
• OT Cybersecurity & Network Architecture: Own the cybersecurity posture and network resilience for all operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), and facility automation networks.
• EAM & Digital Twin Integration: Ensure all controls data, alarms, system models, and real-time telemetry seamlessly link to our Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) platform to drive Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) and digital twin capabilities.
• 24/7 Command & Calibration Operations: Direct the shift crew of BMS Command Specialists executing real-time alarm triage, setpoint management, and fault detection. Govern nested vendor technicians responsible for testing, calibrating, and replacing physical I/O sensors, BTU meters, and valve actuators.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• First 90 days: Complete full baseline assessment of controls architectures across all campuses; audit OT cybersecurity posture and define unified BMS/EPMS data tagging standards.
• First 6 months: Deploy standardized enterprise alarm hierarchy and remote command frameworks; integrate live telemetry feeds with EAM platform for automated work order generation.
• First 12 months: Operationalize closed-loop fleet learning across all active campuses; establish digital twin modeling baselines and achieve 99.999% telemetry reliability across critical loops.

WHAT YOU BRING

• 15+ years in industrial controls engineering, mission-critical automation, or enterprise OT software architecture at the VP/SVP level within hyperscale environments or industrial automation leaders.
• Expert knowledge of BMS/EPMS platforms (Schneider, Siemens, Tridium, Rockwell, Ignition), industrial communication protocols (BACnet, Modbus, OPC UA), and OT network cybersecurity.
• Proven experience building unified, fleet-wide data architectures, centralized telemetry systems, and digital twin models for critical infrastructure.

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Automation/Controls Engineering, or equivalent experience. Relevant OT cybersecurity (e.g., GICSP, CISSP) or professional engineering certifications preferred.

HOW WE WORK

• BUILD Create durable systems, not temporary fixes.
• EXECUTE Move with urgency and accountability.
• PARTNER Work across disciplines and stakeholders.
• SCALE Design for the next campus, not just today.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive compensation package including base salary, executive bonus structure, equity incentive participation, comprehensive health benefits, and relocation/travel support as applicable.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Big Watt Digital is committed to building a high-performing team and providing equal employment opportunities consistent with applicable law. Employment decisions are based on business needs, role requirements, qualifications, and merit.