OT Security Engineer

Our client operates and maintains a geographically distributed fleet of utility-scale solar and energy storage assets. Our Operational Technology (OT) Security Program protects the control and monitoring systems that keep that fleet running safely and reliably. As we scale, we are building the internal team that will build and run it — a ground-floor opportunity to shape OT security across a growing renewables fleet.

As OT Security Engineer, you are the hands-on technical owner of the Program’s protective and recovery controls across our transmission and distribution generation facilities, battery storage, and SCADA environments. You will design and implement segmentation, hardening, access controls, and recovery capability, and stand up the OT-appropriate security tooling the Program depends on. This is engineering work that lives close to live operations, so a safety-first, availability-first mindset is essential.

Our 24/7 monitoring, detection, and first-line response are delivered by a managed security service provider under contract. Your role is the technical build and engineering the provider cannot do for us: standing up controls and tooling, and leading the technical response when an incident is escalated to us. You will work closely with the provider on tooling integration and incident handoff.

Reports to: Manager of OT Security

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain network segmentation across the OT fleet — security zones and conduits, the IT/OT boundary (firewalls and DMZ), and deny-by-default traffic flows; secure wireless, cellular, and field communications.
• Build and maintain secure configuration baselines by device type; harden OT assets and manage baseline deviations, with availability and safety taking precedence.
• Implement OT access controls: least-privilege, role-based access; multi-factor authentication for remote and interactive access; brokered and monitored vendor and provider remote access; and enforced credential standards.
• Assess the security impact of OT changes and define test and rollback plans within the change-management process.
• Apply cryptographic protections to OT data in transit and at rest where technically feasible and operationally appropriate.
• Engineer and test backups and recovery for critical OT systems and configurations; support recovery objectives and documented recovery procedures.
• Partition systems into zones and conduits and help determine target security levels to support OT risk assessments (aligned to IEC 62443-3-2).
• Select, stand up, and operate OT-appropriate security tooling - passive or low-impact where active scanning is unsafe - integrated with our managed security provider’s services.
• Lead technical containment, eradication, and recovery during OT security incidents.

Education & Experience Required

• 5+ years in OT/ICS security, industrial network engineering, or control-system engineering - ideally in generation, energy storage, or utilities.
• Hands-on experience with network segmentation, industrial firewall and DMZ design, and secure remote access for control environments.
• Working familiarity with ICs/OT architectures and protocols (e.g., SCADA, PLC/RTU, battery management and power-conversion systems; Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850) and their operational constraints.
• Working knowledge of IEC 62443 (particularly system requirements and zones and conduits) and NIST SP 800-82.
• A demonstrated OT mindset: safety and availability take precedence over confidentiality, and controls are tested before deployment.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, or a related field - or equivalent hands-on experience in industrial control systems, OT/ICS networks, or control-system engineering.

Preferred Qualifications

• GICSP, GRID, or equivalent OT/ICS security certification.
• Experience deploying OT-specific monitoring or asset-visibility platforms (passive detection tooling).
• Familiarity with NERC CIP low impact obligations as they touch electronic and physical access controls.
• Direct experience with battery energy storage, utility-scale solar, or renewables.

Location

The preferred location for this role is one of our office locations: Durham, NC. Our team operates on a hybrid schedule, with in-office schedule of three days per week.

• 15 days of Paid Time Off, accrual up to 20 days, 11 observed holidays.
• 401(k) Match
• Wellness stipend, family planning stipend, and generous parental leave