OT Engineer - Senior/Principal Level

As the nation’s first statewide, “transmission only” company, VELCO manages the safe, reliable, cost-effective transmission of electric power throughout Vermont and as a part of the integrated New England regional network.

Why you should join our team

As an OT Engineer, you’ll play a key role in supporting and modernizing critical transmission infrastructure. Your work will directly impact grid reliability, cybersecurity, and data-driven operations in a highly regulated environment.

You’ll design and manage systems that connect field assets, communication networks, and analytics—helping ensure secure, efficient, and resilient energy delivery. This role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of the evolving energy landscape, driving innovation across cyber-physical systems and operational technology.

Utilities are rapidly evolving with smart grids, renewable energy integration, and digital transformation. You’ll work with cutting-edge technologies shaping the future of energy and infrastructure.

How you will make an impact

If you’re looking to apply your expertise where it truly matters—powering communities and strengthening critical infrastructure—this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

We are seeking an experienced Operational Technology (OT) Engineer to lead the design, implementation, and security of our industrial control systems and OT infrastructure. This role will serve as a technical leader, driving best practices across SCADA, PLC, and networked control systems while ensuring high availability, performance, and cybersecurity of mission-critical operations.

The Engineer, Operational Technology (OT) is responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining OT systems supporting VELCO’s transmission system, including communication networks, field assets, and performance analytics. The Operational Technology (OT) Engineer plays a critical role in designing, implementing, and maintaining industrial control systems, data infrastructure, and cybersecurity measures for utility operations. This position ensures reliable, secure, and efficient management of transmission cyber and physical assets, supporting grid stability, compliance with NERC standards, and data-driven decision-making in a regulated environment.

This role requires technical experience in utility systems and the technology components supporting their operations across the organization. Experience with the cyber-physical domain is pivotal in optimizing industrial processes, enhancing resilience and governance of operational technology systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture design and oversight for OT systems, aligning with organizational goals, security, compliance, and operational efficiency.

• Lead large size projects for operational technology deployments for field systems, asset management, and power systems supplying critical assets in coordination with Project management team.

• Propose new technologies and system advancements initiatives across VELCO targeting process improvement for stakeholders’ operations and manual processes, including but not limited to PMUs and substation design.

• Develop and maintain OT network and system architectures, ensuring high availability, scalability, and security.

• Design and implement secure communication networks for systems such as SCADA, EMS, and substations, including both WAN and LAN environments.

• Design, create and maintain lab systems for staging, testing, and verification of system processes.

• Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of OT solutions, ensuring integration with existing IT infrastructure.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand operational requirements and translate them into scalable and secure solutions.

• Collaborate on designing cybersecurity measures for OT systems, including network segmentation, event logging/monitoring, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and operational awareness systems.

• Conduct risk assessments and vulnerability analyses of OT environments, recommending mitigation strategies and proactive security measures.

• Establish governance frameworks and best practices for OT architecture and design processes.

• Create and maintain detailed architectural documentation, standards, and guidelines.

• Stay current with emerging trends, technologies, and regulatory requirements in OT and cybersecurity, providing strategic recommendations for their adoption.

• Represent the utility in standards bodies, regulators, and key vendor councils.

• Mentor and provide guidance to Engineering, Operations, EMS, Telecom engineers and other team members.

• Engage with vendors for hardware and software selection and coordinate with regional operations and teams for architecture planning and implementation.

• Other duties as assigned.

Who you are

We will be filling this role at the Senior or Principal level.

Senior Engineer level-

A bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science is required; a masters in EE/ECE is preferred. Or equivalent experience.

Experience

• 8+ year in operational technology engineering or similar role. A utility space is preferred.

• Hands-on experience in industrial communication protocols and their applications.

• In-depth knowledge of Industrial Control Systems (ICS), SCADA, PLCs, DCS, and other OT components

• Experience in OT cybersecurity, including best practices such as embedded systems, network segmentation, zero trust, endpoint protection, and compliance with standards like NERC CIP, NIST, and IEC 62443.

• Experience in integrating OT systems for seamless data flow and analytics.

• Familiarity with emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, and edge computing in industrial environments.

Principal Engineer level-  A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering is required; a masters in EE/ECE is preferred. Or equivalent experience.

Experience

• 16+ year in an operational technology engineering or similar role.

• In-depth knowledge of Industrial Control Systems (ICS), SCADA, PLCs, DCS, and other OT components

• Proficiency in OT cybersecurity, including best practices such as network segmentation, zero trust, endpoint protection, and compliance with standards like NERC CIP, NIST, and IEC 62443.

• Experience integrating OT systems for seamless data flow and analytics.

• Familiarity with emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, and edge computing in industrial environments.

• Strong communication skills to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and facilitate cross-departmental collaboration.

• Project leadership with the focus on innovation and Technology Readiness Level advancements through clear definition of technical paths and quality assurance.

• Experience in DOE funding and project execution (preferred)

Knowledge/Skills

• Subject Matter Expert in the concepts of Operational Technology data and metrics.

• Experience in electrical engineering design and standards.

• Familiarity with process improvement principles (i.e. Six Sigma Certification preferred).

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Experience with data analysis tools and techniques.

• Strategic thinker with the ability to solve complex issues and build organizational capability.

• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.

• Commitment to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

• Ability to collaborate closely with various project teams such as developers, project managers, and analysts, to ensure effective implementation of solutions that achieve organizational objectives.

• Must be a self-starter with the ability to operate with little supervision in fast paced and complex environments.

• Strong communication skills to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and facilitate cross-departmental collaboration.

Work Environment

• Collaborative, cross-functional team environment

• Open office setting and dog friendly

• Opportunity to work closely with engineering, IT, and operations

• Mission-driven organization supporting critical energy infrastructure

Physical/Mental Demands

Prolonged periods of working on a computer.  Must be able to maintain fast pace while completing complex, analytical work, in potentially stressful situations, with competing priorities, within tight timelines and with frequent interruptions. Must be able to work additional hours when necessary. Periodic travel and overnight stays will be required when attending industry workshops, training, and working from the head office etc.

Compensation Range: 

This compensation range represents the minimum, midpoint and maximum pay for this position. Individual offers will be based on various factors including, but not limited to, qualifications, education, skills, competencies, and experience. Please note that most offers for new employees fall under the midpoint of the range, allowing room for continued salary growth.  Base pay is just one component of our total compensation package, which may also include comprehensive benefits, generous paid time off and incentive compensation (bonus) potential.