Operational Technology Engineer

Our client is located in Panama City, FL and looking to add a Operational Technology Engineer to their team on a 6 month contract to hire basis.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday onsite

Relocation - will consider

Salary Range: $118K - $120K

Must be US Citizen

The Operational Technology Engineer designs, implements, optimizes, and supports automation and digital manufacturing systems for umbilical manufacturing operations in Panama City, Florida. This role drives continuous improvement through advanced automation, process optimization, and emerging technologies that improve safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Engineering, and IT, the engineer supports the development of scalable, secure, and cost-effective manufacturing solutions while supporting IT/OT convergence and smart manufacturing initiatives. The role serves as a technology leader, advancing Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, and other Industry 4.0 capabilities that prepare the facility for future growth and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

· Support the evaluation, design, implementation, and optimization of automated manufacturing systems, equipment upgrades, and emerging technologies that improve safety, quality, reliability, productivity, and OEE.

· Troubleshoot and resolve equipment, production, quality, and process issues using root cause analysis and continuous improvement methods.

· Collaborate with Product Engineering, Operations, Quality, Maintenance, IT, suppliers, and system integrators to develop manufacturing solutions that meet business, regulatory, and customer requirements.

· Define equipment specifications, evaluate suppliers and proposals, and support design reviews, procurement support, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), commissioning, startup, and stabilization activities.

· Configure, integrate, and support PLC, HMI, SCADA, MES, motion control, industrial communication, and manufacturing data systems.

· Support industrial cybersecurity and IT/OT convergence initiatives, including secure network architecture, remote access, account management, backup and recovery, network segmentation, patch management, virtualization, historians, cloud connectivity, and enterprise integration.

· Champion digital transformation by evaluating and implementing IIoT, artificial intelligence, machine vision, advanced analytics, and other smart manufacturing technologies that deliver measurable operational value.

· Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and project execution support while fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.

· Develops and leverages cross-industry and enterprise-wide relationships to identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies that drive innovation, operational excellence, and future business capabilities.

Required Education and Experience

· Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related discipline

· At least 5 - 7 years of industrial automation experience; equivalent relevant industry experience may be considered.

· Extensive hands-on experience programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, and optimizing Siemens-based automation systems, including SIMATIC S7 and fail-safe PLCs, HMIs, motion control, SCADA/WinCC platforms, TIA Portal, STEP 7, and SINAMICS/MASTERDRIVES drives in complex manufacturing environments.

· Practical experience supporting PROFIBUS, PROFINET, distributed I/O, and other industrial communication networks.

· Understanding of industrial cybersecurity principles and their application within control systems and plant networks.

· Experience supporting IT/OT convergence involving secure networking, plant-floor connectivity, and manufacturing data integration.

· Strong organizational skills with an emphasis on technical documentation, standardization, software lifecycle management, and disciplined change control.

· Demonstrated ability to lead technical initiatives, influence cross-functional teams, mentor others, and drive continuous improvement and technology adoption.